Posting Summary:
The Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs (WRI) at Rutgers–Camden has been a long-standing and trusted regional community partner for over 25 years. WRI honors former Senator Rand’s dedication to Southern New Jersey and exists to produce and highlight community-focused research and evaluation leading to sound public policy and practice in the region. With that as a foundation, WRI convenes and engages stakeholders in making the connections across research, policy, and practice in support of Camden City and Southern New Jersey residents. Using social science research methods, WRI specializes in transforming data into actionable information across a variety of areas, including workforce development, education, transportation, and public/population health. WRI reinforces and amplifies Rutgers’ research, teaching, and service goals by connecting the multidisciplinary expertise of faculty to regional problems, developing research and professional skills in students, and linking the resources of higher education to communities in Southern New Jersey.
The Senior Project Administrator is a position at the Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs (WRI) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – Camden Campus. This is an exciting opportunity to join an influential organization with a mission of improving lives across the region and contributing significantly toward that mission. Under the general direction of the Associate Director of Research, this position is responsible for the development, coordination, and management of complex research and evaluation projects in the communities of Southern New Jersey and New Jersey. The Senior Project Administrator will serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) on mostly large (and at times, smaller) contracts and grants and as a project coordinator on additional large or small projects in a variety of content areas, e.g. opioids/substance use, food insecurity, and education. They will lead WRI research teams and provide oversight and direction across each phase of the research project, including proposal drafting, project design, data collection, data analysis, reporting, and dissemination. They will serve as relationship managers for a variety of research partners and funders, including foundations, State and local agencies, and community-based organizations. The responsibilities associated with this position include the selection of appropriate research methodologies, collaborating effectively with WRI research team members, maintaining compliance with all Rutgers University and Federal research guidelines and regulations, managing timelines and budgets, and mentoring and supervising student research assistants.
The Senior Project Administrator will play a key role in public engagement efforts by regularly representing WRI in meetings and various public and networking events across Southern New Jersey and the State. This position is also responsible for effectively communicating research findings to a myriad of audiences, including community members, community partners, policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders in academia. This will take the form of research presentations, panels, webinars, forums, etc. They will also regularly contribute to conversations around written research translation and dissemination efforts and lead large and small writing projects, e.g, research reports, briefs, fact sheets, etc.
This position requires extensive experience leading community-focused research projects, exceptional public speaking and writing skills, project leadership and management expertise, and a keen orientation toward team collaboration.
This is a grant funded position contingent upon the availability of funds to support it.
Overview:
Ranked #46 in U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Public Colleges and Universities, Rutgers University–Camden is a diverse, research-intensive campus of approximately 6,100 students at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels and 1,100 faculty and staff members. Located in Camden, N.J., directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, the university is uniquely situated to serve the local community while achieving global reach. A U.S. Department of Education-designated Minority Serving Institution, the university thrives due to a supportive culture that helps students achieve their goals and fosters collaboration among employees. Rutgers–Camden is recognized as a national model for civically engaged urban universities and was selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for a Community Engagement classification. Washington Monthly magazine has ranked Rutgers University–Camden among its “Best Bang for the Buck” universities and best national research universities. Recently, Rutgers–Camden earned Carnegie classification as an R2 research university due to a high volume of internationally recognized research, creative output, and scholarly activity.
Minimum Education & Experience:
Bachelor’s degree required, plus a minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience leading large mixed-methods community-focused research and/or evaluation projects.
Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Regular, demonstrated experience communicating research findings effectively to both academic and non-academic audiences (e.g, community members, policymakers, community partners, and organizations) through written reports, public presentations, and stakeholder briefings. Exceptional public speaking and engagement skills, and experience presenting to diverse community and professional audiences.
Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for field-based data collection and public engagement throughout Southern New Jersey and the State are required.
A strong foundation in social science research and evaluation methods – both quantitative and qualitative research methods – are essential to this position. Another key attribute to this position is demonstrated experience with community-based research and public engagement. This position requires skills in project management, strategic thinking, public speaking, and writing for public audiences.
Preferred Qualifications:
Advanced degree (Master’s, Ph.D., or equivalent) plus five (5) or more years of relevant experience conducting community-focused research and/or evaluation across various social issue areas, e.g., transportation, workforce development, food insecurity, education, substance misuse, population health.
Experience conducting feasibility and economic impact studies and cost-benefit analyses related to social issues/conditions.
Experience conducting research in higher education settings. Familiarity with the Southern New Jersey region and an established network or prior work experience within that region and the State is strongly preferred.
Equipment Utilized:
University Systems and Administrative Portals: Rutgers University administrative platforms, including RAPPS (Research Administration and Proposal Submission System), eIRB (Electronic Institutional Review Board), Electronic Conflict of Interest (eCOI+), Effort Certification and Reporting Technology (ECRT)
Quantitative & Economic Analysis: SPSS, Stata, AMOS, SAS (Statistical Analysis Software), Microsoft Excel (advanced modeling), Python, R
Qualitative Analysis Tools: NVivo
Geographic & Mapping Tools: ArcGIS, QGIS (Quantum GIS), Google Earth Pro, Tableau (for mapping visualizations)
Environmental & Impact Assessment Tools: OpenLCA, IMPLAN (if applicable)
Survey & Data Collection Tools: Qualtrics, Microsoft Forms
Communication & Productivity Tools: Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Sharepoint, Teams), Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Canva
Communication & Meeting Software: Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, Google Teams
File Storage & Sharing: Box, Microsoft SharePoint
E-Signature Tools: DocuSign, Adobe
Learning & Collaboration Platform: Canvas
Physical Demands & Work Environment:
This position involves a combination of office-based work at the Rutgers-Camden campus, remote work, and fieldwork, research, and networking activities across Southern New Jersey (and the State as needed). Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, in-person and/or remote survey data collection, focus group and interview facilitation, and observations conducted across Southern New Jersey and the State as needed. The role also includes participation in meetings, conferences, presentations, and other public-facing activities across the region and State. Reliable transportation is required due to the in-person research and public engagement activities. Must also be able and willing to attend early morning (8 am) and evening events on occasion or if required for executing research-related activities.
Work is generally conducted at the office located on the Rutgers-Camden Campus and/or in a remote office setting, which requires the use of computers, copiers, printers, scanners, and other workplace-related technology. The office environment is climate-controlled. This position requires attending in-person meetings and visiting research-related locations, which may involve walking, standing, and traveling. Virtual meetings are also utilized through platforms such as Zoom, WebEx, and Microsoft Teams.
Occasionally, this role may require lifting and moving light office supplies or equipment, typically weighing up to 20 pounds.
Direct link to apply: https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/270869
