Research Associate / Whole Family Systems Evaluation Partner

The BUILD Initiative (buildinitiative.org) envisions a time when all children reach their full potential; race, place, and income are no longer predictors of outcomes. The BUILD Initiative partners with state leaders to promote equitable child- and family-serving systems that result in young children thriving and learning.

The BUILD Initiative is a national effort that advances state work on behalf of young children (prenatal-five), their families, and communities. BUILD staff partner with early childhood state leaders focused on early learning, health, mental health and nutrition, child welfare, and family support and engagement to create the policies, infrastructure, and cross-sector connections necessary for quality and equity. BUILD provides consultation, planning, and tailored implementation assistance, learning opportunities, resources, and cross-state peer exchanges. These efforts help state leaders improve and expand access to quality and promote equitable outcomes for our youngest children. BUILD takes a whole child/family/community approach to systems building. The organization is deeply committed to racial equity and promotes data analysis to determine how programs and services impact the places and people furthest from opportunity and then BUILD facilitates state actions to remedy marginalization and under resourcing. BUILD is state-focused, but we embrace the significant role of community and the potential positive impact of federal funding such as ARPA, Title V, TANF, and the many other federal funding streams. BUILD promotes cross-sector collaboration across systems and including public and private sector stakeholders. This is critical to building broad ownership and addressing complex systems issues that undergird inequities. BUILD is an organization placed to assist state leaders to do the hard things, test new strategies, and innovate.

This role is part of BUILD overall, a highly effective team working to bring about positive change for young children and families that is constantly learning about all aspects of the early childhood field and working at the forefront of an exciting movement to promote early childhood systems building.

BUILD is a virtual organization. Staff members work from home offices. Team members must periodically attend in-person meetings but work primarily via phone and computer.

BUILD is fiscally sponsored by TSNE (tsne.org) , which provides financial and grants management, human resources, legal, and other supports.

BUILD is seeking a Research Associate to support aspects of the organizations evaluation and documentation processes including co-design, and method development, conducting evaluation activities and producing reports and other deliverables. You will be working with a diverse group of professionals and under the supervision of the BUILD Research and Evaluation Director. This position is an opportunity to work as part of an expanding team to identify what works and what does not work in advancing policy’s practice and program or leadership to benefit young children and families. 

Essential Responsibilities 

• Support with state and community leaders and evaluators in the design of evaluation and documentation efforts;
• Develop, schedule, and administer survey instruments, interview protocols, documentation templates and other methodologies to support evaluation and documentation goals;
• Review, analyze and utilize quantitative and qualitative data for reporting and continuous improvement efforts. This includes Identifying and reporting on themes, selecting quotes to highlight findings, and summarizing findings from interviews and focus groups;
• Tabulate and maintain data (qualitative and quantitative);
• Develop written pieces and reports describing evaluation and documentation findings informing child and family systemic policy and practice change.
• Create easily understandable, visually clear PPT slides and other mechanisms to communicate evaluation and research methods and results including tables, graphs, and other data visualizations;
• Identify and make use of existing data sources (e.g., census data) when appropriate;
• Facilitate evaluation meetings with multiple evaluators on similar programs or strategies.
• Coordinate and facilitate team and content-based meetings with internal and external partners.
• Under the direction of the Research and Evaluation Director, work with other BUILD teams and leaders including state services team, Whole Family Systems team the Communications team, and BUILD’s leadership.

We will consider exceptional candidates who demonstrate a strong combination of the specific qualifications and skills described below.

• This position requires strong analytic skills and logical thinking, great attention to detail, excellent writing skills, excellent communication skills;
• Experience with Microsoft Office required, Excel for data analysis and possibly Tableau type platform. Experience with statistical and qualitative software packages welcomed but not required;
• Ability to use Survey Monkey to build instruments, implement and gather survey data;
• Master’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience or demonstrated ability to perform this type of research and data analysis.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those for this position. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Work is performed in an office environment and in close proximity to other workers.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to:

• Handle, or feel objects, tools or controls;
• Reach; traverse; sit (usually for longer periods of time); occasionally ascend/descend; and position self (to) move;
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds;
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate;
• Job is not subject to significant occupational or environmental hazards;
• Likelihood of personal injury would be relatively slight;
• Environmental and work hazards are not present to a measurable degree.

Regarding COVID-19: TSNE considers the health and safety of our employees of the utmost importance, and due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and subject to your state and local laws, our policy requires that all employees performing in-person work at a TSNE designated office are fully vaccinated. For the purpose of this policy, fully vaccinated indicates that you have received a single dose of the Janssen vaccine, or both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Certain exemptions may be requested and will be considered by Human Resources.

Compensation and Benefits

Location: Work is 100% remotely.

Compensation: The starting salary for this position is $60,000 - $70,000 / year and is commensurate with experience.

Benefits: This position is eligible for a full benefits package including:

• Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO): 12 paid holidays, 3 weeks vacation, 1 week personal holiday, and sick time for full-time staff;
• 80% Employer-paid, $0 deductible Health Insurance through Harvard Pilgrim;
• Low-cost MetLife Dental and Vision;
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Health and Dependent Care;
• Employer-paid Life, Long- and Short-Term Disability Insurance;
• Employer-paid Pension through TIAA;
• ...and more!

TSNE/BUILD strives to achieve excellence through a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that embraces all of our individual and collective differences. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Middle Eastern and North African, Bilingual and/or Bicultural candidates, and LGBTQ2SIA+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We value and honor the unique talents, learning styles, and lived experiences of each individual that enrich and strengthen our workplace culture, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

All employment conditions are based on an individual’s performance and job qualifications. TSNE/BUILD prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, creed, color, religion, native language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, race-based hairstyles, or any other protected characteristic stated by federal and state law. Regardless of any class’ protection under the law or lack thereof, TSNE/BUILD celebrates diversity and values the strengths that come with having a diverse team of employees. It is represented in our workplace culture, and it is who we are.

TSNE/BUILD's EEO statement extends to volunteers, interns, contractors, vendors, and clients.