Remote: Must reside in California, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, North Carolina, or Colorado (see “Location” section below

Director of Learning, Evaluation & Engagement, Summer Search

The Organization

While young people from low-income communities – who are disproportionately young people of color – face systemic inequities in school, in the workforce, and in life, they possess unique strengths, resilience and tremendous potential. When provided with support and resources, these young people fulfill their potential and achieve success in school, work and life.

Through a combination of mentoring and transformative experiences, Summer Search supports young people to successfully transition from adolescence into adulthood. We aim to unleash the potential of our young people while also building a toolkit for navigating and challenging systemic barriers to higher education and career opportunities.

Position Overview

Summer Search is seeking a Director of Learning, Evaluation, & Engagement (DoLEE) to join a dedicated and collaborative six-member National Program Team and to play an impactful role on programming across Summer Search’s five sites. The DoLEE will be responsible for the direction and implementation of site-based impact learning, evaluation capacity building, and data management.

Summer Search wants to create impact narratives around our work with young people and understand how to integrate our outcomes into a larger story. In their role, the DoLEE will be asked to stretch beyond an abstract, academic world and recognize that their results will lead to practical action. They will ask the right questions and use experiential knowledge and subject matter expertise to inform their work. The role demands a keen ability to see the problem and see the available data. We want program staff to have data, but more importantly, to be able to use data to understand situation and context. The combination of data and context will allow program staff to adjust their service delivery and provide stronger rationale for solutions that impact their day-to-day work. By carrying the culture of impact learning forward, the DoLEE will play a crucial role in helping to increase the productivity, improve the financial performance, and reduce risks for our program model; and ultimately enhance Summer Search’s ability to make meaningful impact with our work.

The DoLEE reports to Malika Graham-Bailey, Vice President of Program (VPP).

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Specifically, the Director of Learning, Evaluation & Engagement will:

Change Management

  • Lead, monitor, and revise collaborative change management efforts to embed data-driven decision-making into daily program operations and the organizational culture of site-based program teams.
  • Identify the questions our program and program-adjacent staff need answered in support of our participants. Help move those answers from data to action.
  • Apply a curious, innovative, and equity-driven lens to the service delivery of Summer Search programs
  • Model asking questions, challenging data, encouraging cross-functional connections, and celebrating enlightening discoveries in a culture of learning and reflection.
  • Consult with Data Systems Lead, the Chief Operating Officer, Program Committee, et. al. about budget implications for available technologies, data storage, leading edge analytical and visualization tools, and access to external data.

Training & Development

  • Ensure a comprehensive and progressive training agenda for all program and program-adjacent staff who must develop stronger analytical skills to incorporate into their day-to-day work with and for participants.
  • Collaborate with peer organizations, including funders and early education partners, to assure best practices and identify exemplars.
  • Disseminate and translate research findings across the network in accessible and applicable ways.
  • In partnership with Development and Program Partners, source collaborative research opportunities to begin building a longitudinal evidence base

Impact Evaluation

  • Review and redefine (as needed) success metrics for all programmatic initiatives.
  • Build and/or reform ideal program data stack, working to integrate systems and ensuring that staff does not spend more time entering, extracting, and/or manipulating data than analyzing performance.
  • Lead the production of high-quality deliverables, including written qualitative and quantitative reports, data profiles, and presentations.
  • With cross-functional support, engage in the development of data stories targeting diverse stakeholder groups.
  • In partnership with the Manager of Data Systems, et. al., create and execute policies and procedures to test and protect the integrity of trustworthy, high quality program data.

Team Leadership

  • Manage a team of 3-4 direct reports, supporting the team to do their best work, develop professionally and navigate challenges.
  • Oversee this small team that collects, analyzes, interprets, and communicates outcomes and impact data.
  • Determine access to data and tools for program and program-adjacent staff at all levels, including when, where, how, and by whom data is entered into systems.
  • Maintain ultimate accountability for evaluation calendar, key milestones, project management for special initiatives, and the critical path toward any annual deliverables.
  • Determine when Summer Search may need to seek help from outside consultants when there aren’t enough analytical skills available.
  • Remain responsive to reporting, audits, and other compliance-related activities.

WHO YOU ARE

The Director of Learning, Evaluation, & Engagement will bring a diverse perspective to the National Program Team [NaPT] and the network; and will contribute to our continued learning.  They will demonstrate a strong attention to detail, excellent communication skills, a self-driven yet collaborative working style, and voracious curiosity.

In addition, strong candidates will bring:

  • 10+ years of experience in a similar professional capacity with a passion for helping mission-driven organizations use data to measure and improve the quality of their work. Experience in the social sector in a strategy, capacity-building and/or evaluation role, in addition to more formal applied research experience is preferred.
  • Comfort developing content and facilitating large meetings and trainings, both virtual and in person.
  • CHANGE MINDSET: Engages with change by seeking to understand its effects upon Summer Search key stakeholders (e.g. students/participants, alumni, staff, donors, community partners) and own role. Guides others through change by providing direction to encourage successful performance. Supports others’ experience of change through open communication and information sharing.
  • DATA SKILLS: Proven experience analyzing complex qualitative or quantitative data; ability to guide others to do so. Experience in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment with high-stakes and a strong focus on performance metrics and data-driven decision making.
  • PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to meet established deadlines. Demonstrated ability to lead a team of 3-4, develop workplans, and oversee large-scale projects. Works in an organized manner to achieve goals and objectives.
  • TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION: Inspires and fosters commitment, connection, enthusiasm and trust. Facilitates cooperation and motivates staff to accomplish goals. Manages and resolves conflicts and handles interpersonal conflicts constructively.
  • CONTINUOUS LEARNING: Ability to continually develop and improve one’s skills and knowledge in order to perform effectively and adapt to changes in the workplace. Positions the organization for future success by identifying new opportunities to learn and integrating feedback in own role. Consistently records and reflects on data to support continuous learning cycles and evaluation.
  • TECHNOLOGY SKILLS: Proficiency with Tableau, Alteryx, SQL, and/or Salesforce a plus.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Ideal candidates bring experience in at least one area of community change (e.g., education, social work, health equity, housing and economic development, early childhood development, systems change, racial equity, or community capacity building). This prior experience can be program design and implementation or research and evaluation experience.
  • Prior experience in consulting, graphic design, and data visualization a plus.
  • Proficiency in another language a plus.

LOCATION AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

  • Location is flexible with the option of working remotely, out of our National office in Oakland or regional offices in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, or Seattle, or a combination of the two.
  • This hire must reside in one of the following states by their first day of employment: California, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, North Carolina, or Colorado.
  • This hire must have comfort working with a 100% virtual team and ability to work occasional early morning and evening hours and regional travel in the US West and East Coasts.
  • Summer Search requires all staff be vaccinated against COVID-19.  Employees who are unable to be vaccinated due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious objection may be able to qualify for an exemption, consistent with state and federal law.

OUR BENEFITS

We are committed to staff learning, growth and development. Our investment includes:

  • Competitive and transparent salaries. This is an exempt position with a salary range of $103,699—$114,447. The hiring manager works with the Talent Team to place all hires appropriately within the band. We strive to maintain internal equity in compensation, while also considering prior experience.
  • Medical insurance with up to 90% employer contribution
  • Dental, vision, FSA, life and disability insurance plans
  • 401 (K) and Employer Match up to $2,000 annually
  • Generous time off including 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 18 holidays (2 floating holidays of your choice, a birthday day-off, 10 company-wide holidays, and a 1-week December closure).
  • Individual, local, regional and national training
  • A commitment to developing leaders from within the organization
  • An organizational culture that supports staff well-being and holistic self-care/community care
  • Ample opportunities to connect with the students and communities we serve

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

With a staff that cares deeply about social justice and racial justice, we believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds create a rich work environment and enhance our ability to pursue our mission. We are committed to building an organization with raised consciousness in order to impact how we work with students, as well as how we work together as a team. We hope you will join us as we continue to build a justice-centered organization that fosters a work environment where people from all backgrounds are welcomed and valued.

How To Apply

CLick here to submit a resume and targeted cover letter, addressed to Malika Graham Baily, VP of Program that answers the question, “Why are you interested in Summer Search and the Director of Evaluation, Learning, & Engagement opportunity?” 
 
SUMMER SEARCH IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
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