LEAD RESEARCHER

IMPACT OFFICE

Traditional 235 work days

FTE: 1.0

Salary Range: $63,852- $77,316

Essential Functions and Objectives:

The Researcher Lead is a member of the Research & Evaluation Team who will lead DPS research priorities and research partnerships and enforce DPS research policy and quality standard. This role will also serve as DPS liaison for graduate research assistants (GRAs) who are supporting district strategies.

- Establish annual DPS research agenda.

- Connect research projects with key district and department priorities and initiatives.

- Stay apprised of IRB and other education agency best practices for handling external research requests and make recommendations for process improvements.

- Support the dual goal of making external research actionable and impactful for DPS kids, while supporting DPS educators in furthering their education.

- Lead and coordinate large research and analysis projects with external research partners.

- Lead the establishment and execution of an annual district research agenda aligned with district priorities, including identifying, prioritizing, and finalizing potential research topics with input from district stakeholders and leaders.

- Design, develop, and formalize policy recommendations for district leaders based on data.

- Oversee the establishment of research project management processes such as planning, coordination, execution, and communication of project status.

- Work closely with Knowledge Manager to determine appropriate research and analysis project deliverables (e.g. research briefs, brown bags, presentations) and establish communication protocols for dissemination of research findings.

- Contribute to the development of the project final deliverable(s), including drafting, editing, reviewing, and finalizing products prior to dissemination.

- Use appropriate software tools including database, statistical and reporting packages to support the reporting of district data in support of external research.

- Conduct literature reviews to examine best practices identified by research and other school districts.

- Manage reviews of external research requests.

- Ensure the quality and clarity of the external research request website.

- Regularly review and update external research request process documentation for clarity and completeness.

- Support recruitment and work of a team of up to 5 or 6 graduate research assistants

- Lead both internal DPS staff and external research partners to develop and implement research projects focuses on equity.

- Establish and maintain strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders & partners.

- Communicate with external requesters in a clear and timely manner regarding the status of their requests and any needed follow-up.

- Other Duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Experience & Other Qualifications:

- 3+ years of related experience.

- Training in advanced data management, research methods, and/or quantitative analysis required.
- Experience and fluency with high-level research tools (e.g., SPSS, R, STATA), and with database querying (e.g. SQL, ACCESS) and data-gathering instruments (e.g., surveys, observational rubrics, advanced information systems).
- Experience with qualitative methods preferred (developing interview and focus group protocols, conducting interviews and focus groups, analyzing results).
- Proven experience leading program evaluation and research projects that yield program changes in large or urban organizations.
- Experience interfacing with diverse professionals in consultant-type role preferred. Experience working with internal and external clients highly desirable.
- Proven experience developing and delivering concise presentations.
- Previous evidence and experience with report writing and project management.
- Experience and proficiency with Microsoft Office products (e.g., Excel, Word, Access, and PowerPoint).
- Experience in education preferred.
- Prior experience working with culturally diverse clientele.

- Knowledge of best practices in research and evaluation, including supporting skills (e.g., data analysis, tool development, logic model design, data gathering).

- Ability to interpret complex data and information into presentations promoting understanding for a wide variety of audiences.

- Ability to present highly technical program evaluation and/or research processes and procedures to non-technical audiences.

- Ability to present results that are actionable and account for the unique environments in which the program and program personnel operate (e.g., results account for current policies, practices, funding limitations and other realities of the program).

- Ability to query, manipulate, and clean data from original source (e.g., district database).

- Ability to perform in a role as a DPS advocate and spokesperson, particularly when working with external research partners.

- A deep commitment to equity issues.

- Ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

- Friendly and collaborative demeanor.

- Ability to set priorities and to work comfortably in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment.

- Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.

Education Requirements:

- Master\u2019s degree or higher in a field related to research and evaluation, quantitative analysis, data science, statistics, education, or public policy (e.g. education, psychology, sociology, mathematics, research methods, economics, public administration, or other related fields) is required.

About Denver Public Schools:

Denver Public Schools is committed to meeting the educational needs of every student with great schools in every neighborhood. Our goal is to provide every child in Denver with rigorous, enriching educational opportunities from preschool through high school graduation. DPS is comprised of nearly 200 schools including traditional, magnet, charter and alternative pathways schools, with an enrollment of more than 90,000 students.

Under the leadership of Superintendent Susana Cordova and guided by the tenets of The Denver Plan, DPS has become the fastest-growing school district in the country in terms of enrollment and the fastest-growing large school district in the state in terms of student academic growth. Learn more at dpsk12.org.

Denver Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other status protected by law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.