Director, Evaluation & Research

The Director of Evaluation & Research will oversee and direct all activities associated with The Food Trust’s Evaluation and Research functions. The Director will be responsible for the development of evaluation plans for the organization that support its current strategic direction, and ensure all programs are in alignment with the plan. The Director will stay informed of research on best practices and innovative approaches that align with The Food Trust’s programs and services and will identify new opportunities for research projects that support the mission of the organization.

The Director will develop a strong understanding of The Food Trust’s programs and services and will work closely with internal staff to develop and coordinate data collection efforts that lead to agency-wide outcomes and improvement of the organization’s programs and services. The Director will oversee all qualitative and quantitative data collection as well as survey analysis, development of reports, and dissemination of program outcomes. The Director will support programs in utilizing evaluation results to inform decision-making, dissemination to the community and will build the evaluation capacity of staff.

This position has access to sensitive Food Trust and business partner information and is expected to handle such information with integrity and professionalism. This position has regular contact with funders and colleagues and is expected to represent The Food Trust in a professional manner.

The Director will provide daily management of members of an Evaluation and Research team, which they will have the opportunity to build, based on available resources. This position will report to the Vice President of Development & Impact.

Essential Functions
Programmatic

• Oversee all activities of the Evaluation & Research department to include administrative, staff management, strategic planning, research and evaluation activities, and reporting.
• Develop annual evaluation plans that align with The Food Trust’s current strategic plan and theory of change and ensure program alignment. 
• Stay abreast of best practices, innovative approaches and new opportunities that align with the work of The Food Trust and provide insights and recommendations to departments. 
• Identify research opportunities and develop research proposals in partnership with internal and external collaborators.
• Support program teams in developing evaluation plans and survey tools and ensure data collection efforts are coordinated across the organization.
• Support program teams in analyzing and utilizing evaluation results to inform decision-making, future strategy, program planning, community involvement and achieving agency-wide outcomes.
• Oversee all quantitative and qualitative data collection efforts necessary to evaluate programs, including surveys, focus groups, interviews, etc.
• Lead professional development opportunities for staff in order to build evaluation capacity across the organization and ensure evaluation integrity, which may include trainings, workshops, resources, research articles and other tools.
• Maintain a current CITI certification and train staff as necessary.
• Design and implement an evaluation dashboard to track deliverables and data collection efforts. Utilize the dashboard to provide timely reporting to program staff, Leadership, Board of Directors, funders and partners.
• Lead the preparation of reports describing analysis of results and program outcomes. 
• Support the dissemination of evaluation results and agency-wide outcomes to internal and external stakeholders through reports, meetings, presentations, peer-reviewed journals and conferences. 
• Maintain effective communication and professional relationships with external collaborators.
• Serve as a member of the Senior Leadership team, provide relevant program information, and attend Board of Director meetings, as needed.

Supervisory

• Provide daily management of Evaluation & Research staff activities.
• Work directly on a portfolio of work or on a shared basis with assigned staff, and provide daily supervision of the Evaluation & Research team.
• Regularly direct the work and schedule of Evaluation & Research team staff. 
• Independently determine and make recommendations for the hiring, firing, performance evaluations, disciplinary counseling, salary recommendations, workload distribution, communication, recognition activities, professional development and employee relations of assigned staff.
• Oversee and manage the program’s budget and operate within established limitations with support from VP.

Non-Essential Functions

1. Attend relevant workshops or join professional industry groups as necessary to maintain professional knowledge or certification. 
2. Adheres to The Food Trust’s security guidelines and ensures the appropriate handling of sensitive information.
3. Facilitates and attends relevant staff meetings to promote communication and execution of goals.
4. Completes special projects specific to the function of the program or as needed for the department.
5. Other duties as assigned within the scope of position expectations.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

1. Understanding of The Food Trust’s mission, goals, and objectives and ability to work independently with a high level of energy and contribute as part of a larger team.
2. Knowledge of the concepts and practices associated with research & evaluation to include survey design, evaluation planning, reporting to sponsoring agencies, data management and analysis, drafting manuscripts and presentations, CITI, and grant preparation and review. Public health and/or food and nutrition content background preferred.
3. Ability to travel locally and nationally to support evaluation efforts and disseminate findings.
4. Demonstrates ability to coordinate all aspects of project objectives by carefully setting priorities, meeting deadlines, working effectively with others, and scheduling time efficiently.
5. Ability to effectively supervise others and apply sound management practices.
6. Ability to operate a computer and use a variety of common software programs including Microsoft Office Excel and Word, statistical software such as R, SPSS, spreadsheets, and customized databases.
7. Strong written and verbal communication skills and effectively communicate and/or present ideas/services with individuals and groups.
8. Ability to organize tasks in an efficient manner and follow-up and follow-through with strong attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
9. Ability to provide critical thinking, analysis, and evidence-based recommendations of data and trends.
10. Possesses strong interpersonal skills as demonstrated by compassionate, courteous, cordial, cooperative, and professional interaction with diverse groups of co-workers, external business partners, corner-store owners, and the community.
11. Adheres to all The Food Trust and departmental policies and procedures.
12. Attends all The Food Trust in-services as required.

Experience, Education and Licensure

Minimum Experience: 8-10+ years of related experience in leading a research and evaluation program or projects; experience in a leadership or supervisory role; experience working in a food access or nutrition education environment is preferred.

Minimum Education: A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field of study is required. A PhD or other doctorate from an accredited college or university in a related field of study is preferred.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will frequently sit while performing research and evaluation activities; the employee will on a daily basis stand, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or equipment; reach with hands and arms; balance; talk or hear. The employee will occasionally climb stairs; stoop; kneel; crouch or crawl; taste or smell.
2. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds of program materials and other related documents.
3. Operate related office equipment and use necessary tools. Daily use of keyboard and computer screen.
4. Specific vision abilities required by the job include frequent reading and close vision; distance vision; color vision; peripheral vision; depth perception; and the ability to adjust focus.