Associate Director, Youth Policy Lab

How to Apply

• A cover letter and resume are required for consideration for this position. The cover letter should be included in the same document as your resume and should specifically address your interest in this position and highlight related skills and experience.
• The Ford School is committed to providing a positive and inclusive work environment. This includes providing employees with flexible work opportunities. This position follows a hybrid schedule and will generally be expected to be in the office 3-4 days/week.

Summary

The Youth Policy Lab is looking for an Associate Director to lead the strategic planning and management of the Lab's operations, in collaboration with the faculty directors. You will be responsible for day-to-day management of the Lab, supervising administrative and research staff, ensuring that existing projects move forward in a timely manner, monitoring internal communication structures, overseeing financial management activities, and recruiting and hiring new staff. You will report to the Lab's faculty directors.

The University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab, a joint research center between the Ford School and the Institute for Social Research, helps community and government agencies make better decisions by evaluating and strengthening programs intended to address some of our most pressing social challenges. Using rigorous evaluation design and data analysis, we work closely with partners to build a future where public investments are based on strong evidence, so all Michiganders have a pathway to prosperity. For more information, please visit us at www.youthpolicylab.umich.edu.

Responsibilities*

Partnership Development, Grant Procurement and Outreach (50%)

• Identifies, develops and cultivates new and existing partnerships.
• Establishes good working relationships and collaborative arrangements with city leaders, community groups, funders, policy makers, and other organizations to help achieve the goals of the Lab.
• Represents the Lab at all appropriate public functions to publicize the organization's activities and garner new opportunities
• Drafts content for grant proposals and reports to sponsors.
• Develops and oversees a communication strategy and marketing efforts aimed at increasing the visibility of the Lab including developing events to raise the visibility of the Lab, and overseeing the development of written materials such as newsletters, policy briefs and website content.
• Responds to media inquiries.

Administrative Leadership & Financial Management (50%)

• With the faculty directors, provides strategic planning and leadership, and ensures that planning decisions are used in setting project and organizational goals.
• Manage Youth Policy Lab programming, including the supervision of administrative and research staff and functionally supervise joint staff shared with collaborating research operations.
• Works with the project PIs to develop an organizational infrastructure that will support anticipated growth and ensures that programmatic objectives are supported internally.
• Promotes an organizational culture that fosters passion for the mission, cooperation, open and frequent communication, and teamwork.
• Oversees planning for core programmatic and research operations, ensuring that individual projects meet stated objectives.
• With the faculty directors, develops a sustainable funding model that ensures adequate revenues sufficient to maintain high quality programmatic activities and allow for continued growth.
• Oversees the implementation and management of a financial model to monitor ongoing operations.

Required Qualifications*

• Graduate-level degree in public policy, education, political science, economics, or a relevant social science discipline
• 5+ years managing complex programs
• 5+ years leading staff teams
• Commitment to principles of social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. For more information on the University's commitment to these principles, please visit: https://diversity.umich.edu/

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.