Assistant Director of Community-Engaged Research (CER)

The Assistant Director of Community-Engaged Research (CER) provides strategic and operational leadership for UROP's community-engaged research portfolio, including oversight of the summer Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program (DCERP) and the year-long Community-Engaged Research Program (a small program situated within the larger UROP program). This role manages reciprocal community and campus partnerships; designs and delivers curriculum, training, and student development supports; and ensures community-engaged research practices reflect U-M standards for ethics, equity, accessibility, and impact. The Assistant Director also contributes to UROP's shared, centralized operations and supervises peer instructors across both CER and non-CER seminar sections to ensure a consistent, high-quality UROP learning experience.

Reporting relationship: Reports to UROP Associate Director of Mentor Engagement

Supervises: Peer instructors (undergraduate student staff)

Appointment: 12-month, 100% effort; occasional evenings/weekends and local travel (e.g., Detroit) required

Essential Duties & Responsibilities (100%)

1) Oversight: Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program (DCERP) - Summer (20%)

• Provide end-to-end program management for DCERP, including annual planning timeline, staffing, partner engagement, curriculum/training schedule, and day-to-day summer operations.
• Coordinate with Detroit-based community partners and U-M units to support project scoping, logistics, communication norms, and reciprocal deliverables.
• Lead student onboarding, orientation, and summer learning supports (e.g., ethics of engagement, positionality, community partner communication, reflection).
• Ensure appropriate documentation and agreements are in place (e.g., partner expectations, student conduct and safety guidance, data stewardship practices).
• Oversee DCERP assessment (student learning outcomes, partner feedback, program improvements) and contribute to annual reporting.

2) Oversight: Year-Long Community-Engaged Research Program (Within UROP) (20%)

• Direct the year-long Community-Engaged Research Program within UROP, including recruitment strategy, selection/onboarding processes, and program design
• Support students and mentors through the full project lifecycle: project definition, relationship-building, research methods planning, implementation, and dissemination.
• Coordinate program milestones (kickoff, check-ins, midyear review, end-of-year presentations/deliverables) and ensure alignment with overall UROP requirements.
• Maintain strong coordination with UROP leadership so the year-long CER program integrates smoothly with UROP-wide policies, calendars, and student supports.

3) Community-Engaged Research Pathway Leadership & Partnership Stewardship (20%)

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve UROP's CER curriculum, expectations, and quality standards across DCERP and the year-long CER program.
• Cultivate and steward partnerships grounded in reciprocity, transparency, and equity; facilitate partner onboarding and communication cadence.
• Consult with faculty/staff mentors and community partners on project scope, feasibility, mutual benefit, risk/ethics considerations, and conflict resolution.
• Coordinate with relevant campus resources (e.g., community engagement support units, IRB guidance resources as appropriate) to align supports and strengthen pathways.

4) Instructional Design, Training, and Facilitation (10%)

• Create and deliver training for students, peer instructors, mentors, and partners on CER practices (power dynamics, culturally responsive research, ethical engagement, communication, dissemination).
• Develop reusable materials (Canvas modules, toolkits, templates, reflection prompts, rubrics) and ensure accessibility and inclusive teaching practices.
• Facilitate workshops as assigned within UROP's curricular structure.

5) Supervision of Peer Instructors (Including Non-CER Sections) (15%)

• Recruit, hire, onboard, schedule, and supervise UROP peer instructors/facilitators, including those leading non-community-engaged seminar sections (e.g., research fundamentals, lab/research pathway support).
• Provide coaching on facilitation, inclusive pedagogy, classroom management, and student support boundaries; observe sessions and deliver actionable feedback.
• Coordinate peer instructor professional development and ensure core UROP content is consistently delivered across CER and non-CER sections.
• Conduct performance evaluations, manage coverage needs, and escalate concerns in coordination with UROP leadership.

6) Centralized UROP Program Operations & Shared Responsibilities (15%)

• Contribute to UROP's shared operational needs, which may include:
  • Program-wide orientation and onboarding, placement/matching workflows, and key events (symposium/showcase, poster preparation, celebrations).
  • Centralized communications (student/mentor/partner messaging, deadlines) in coordination with UROP staff.
  • Maintenance of shared resources (web content, handbooks, FAQs, templates) and alignment of calendars across program components.
• Provide general student advising/referrals within scope and connect students to appropriate campus resources as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and relevant experience in community engagement, higher education/student programs, program management, or related field (or equivalent combination).
• Demonstrated experience with community-engaged work (e.g., partnership-based programming, service-learning, participatory research).
• Experience supervising staff and/or student employees (or substantial coaching/leadership experience).
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder management skills; ability to navigate complex collaborations with clarity and care.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity-centered practice and inclusive student development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a related field.
• Experience designing curriculum/training and using an LMS (e.g., Canvas).
• Familiarity with research ethics, IRB considerations, evaluation/assessment, and/or data stewardship in community contexts.
• Experience working with Detroit-area organizations and/or place-based programming.
• Experience in a large research university environment and cross-unit collaboration.