Associate Director, Program Equity Research
Church World Service, Inc.

Overview

Church World Service (CWS) is a not-for-profit, faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable solutions to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. CWS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, genetic information, age, disability, or veteran status in employment or in the provision of services.

About CWS

Imagine waking up every morning with the chance to change someone's life. Imagine knowing your efforts will benefit both your career and our neighbors around the world. At CWS, our team knows they are making a difference every day. Whether you're in our U.S.-based offices supporting refugees, asylees or unaccompanied children, implementing hygiene initiatives in Cambodia or rebuilding projects in Central America, or even connecting remotely from your home on fundraising campaigns, grant reports, or critical communications-you have the opportunity to work towards a world where everyone has food, a voice and a safe place to call home.

Purpose

The Program Equity Associate Director is primarily responsible for supporting the CWS network to enhance its program participant feedback mechanisms and for managing a client-centered evaluation of reception and placement (R&P) services across the network. Main responsibilities include strengthening the capacity of the CWS network and Reception and Welcome Services (RWS) staff to implement ethical client-centered approaches for continuous program improvement through the development and execution of tools, resources, and trainings; leading the participatory design and implementation of client-centered mixed methods approaches to monitor and evaluate R&P services across the network; supporting the development of a RWS learning framework to ensure continuous learning for program improvement and effective and efficient feedback loops with internal and external stakeholders; and centering newcomers' needs, priorities, and lived experiences throughout all phases of the program. An important prerequisite for this position is the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team in a collegial manner and to work independently to carry assignments through to completion.

Responsibilities

• Develop tools, guidance, and other resources, deliver training, and provide ongoing technical assistance to support the capacity of the CWS network and RWS staff to implement ethical client-centered approaches, including program participant feedback mechanisms, for continuous program improvement.
• Collaborate with CWS network offices, external departments, and research partners to manage the pilot of a client-centered survey and its scale-up across the network.
• Collaborate with CWS network offices and external departments-namely Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging- to manage participatory focus group discussions with R&P clients, including but not limited to budget management, design, implementation, analysis, translation of findings, and dissemination.
• Collaborate with key staff, including CWS network offices, to inform programming with feedback collected from program participants via site and network-wide learning sessions, creation of automated dashboards, and other methods.
• Collaborate with the Post Arrival team to review CWS network Quarterly Consultations.
• Support the development and execution of a RWS learning framework to ensure continuous learning for program improvement and effective and efficient feedback loops with internal and external stakeholders.
• Apply an intersectional feminist approach to ensure newcomers' needs, priorities, and lived experiences, particularly the most marginalized groups, throughout all phases of the program.
• Participate in or lead CWS and/or inter-agency working groups, such as the inter-agency task team on client participatory approaches.
• Develop and execute learning products (e.g., reports, 1-pagers, webinars) to share and disseminate findings with a diversity of internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain up-to-date self-education about the R&P program and develop specific expertise in assigned aspects of resettlement programming.
• Maintain up-to-date self-education on client-centered ethical research and monitoring and evaluation approaches. Apply learnings to improve CWS processes and share resources and training with other colleagues, as appropriate.
• Maintain positive working relationships with CWS-HQ staff, local office and affiliate staff & external partners.
• Participate in the CWS Monitoring Working Group, Outcomes Working Group, Program Participant Working Group, and RA Monitoring Roundtable and subworking group.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses in existing data collection and management systems across RWS and propose solutions.
• Keep abreast of developments in grant and program changes and progress in order to ensure up-to-date tools and strategies.
• As requested, represent CWS at internal and external conferences, meetings, committees and working groups with CWS colleagues, national Resettlement Agencies, federal partners and other stakeholders.
• Performs other related duties and projects as requested.

Qualifications

Education & Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education or work experience required.

• Specialized training in ethical research required.

• Master's degree in public health, public policy, nonprofit administration or similar field preferred.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of experience managing complex M&E or research initiatives among marginalized communities required;

• Experience in a local resettlement affiliate or a national office of a resettlement agency preferred;

• Experience conducting research or M&E trainings required;

• Experience in general office work, processing information and materials and maintaining records and files;

• Experience leading program complex evaluations using participatory mixed methods approaches;

• Experience with the development of monitoring and evaluation tools and protocols;

• Excellent project and data management skills;

• Excellent organizational and time management skills and ability to manage a large and diverse workload under pressure and with competing priorities;

• Ability to maintain a high performance standard with attention to detail;

• Strong budget management experience;

• Strong interpersonal and diplomacy skills; ability to work effectively with partners and teams;

• Ability to conduct oneself in a professional and courteous manner at all times to represent the professional and institutional interests of CWS;

• Strong knowledge and experience in working with Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and database software is essential;

• Experience using data visualization software such as Tableau, PowerBI, or Python required;

• Experience using virtual learning platforms such as Teams, Zoom, and Articulate preferred.

Skills:

• Exceptional networking skills required with ability to work with multiple key stakeholders seamlessly

• Strong interpersonal and diplomacy skills; ability to work collaboratively and effectively with partners and teams

• Strong quantitative analysis skills using statistical software required (e.g., STATA, SAS, R)

• Strong qualitative analysis skills using qualitative analysis software required (e.g., NVIVO, Dedoose, Atlas.ti)

• Digital survey development, administration and analysis (e.g., KoboToolbox; CommCare)

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Fluency in a language spoken by refugee populations a plus

• Ability to work in a multicultural environment required

• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and willingness to support CWS' Platform on Racial Justice as a CWS employee required

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects at once

• Strong analytical required

• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment required

• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and willingness to supportCWS' Platform on Racial Justiceas a CWS employee required

Special Requirements

Work Location:

This position is a remote US-based role with in-person responsibilities. Employees with a remote work arrangement must be able to fulfil the following conditions:

• Ability to maintain secure and appropriate personal work environment for day-to-day work

• Access to strong and reliable internet access

• Ability to adhere to CWS data security policies and protect sensitive and personally identifiable information

• Regular work hours must span core business hours 10AM-4PM Eastern time

• Proximity to U.S. airport and ability to travel to attend CWS and external meetings, conferences, site visits and other in-person engagements.

• Must use CWS provided equipment such as laptop and cell phone

Benefits

CWS offers a competitive benefits package that includes:
- 403 (b) Retirement Plan
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
- Paid Time Off
- Life Insurance and AD&D
- Long Term and Short-Term Disability
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Health Savings Account
- Flexible Spending Accounts

---