Job Description

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application. We suggest the documents be in PDF format to avoid formatting issues. To be considered for this position, all supplemental questions must be answered.

Additional Supporting Document: Applicants should attach a one-page Partnership Research statement that addresses how they think about conducting research that is collaborative and community-oriented.

Position Summary:

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the School of Social Sciences are hiring a Community Support Hub Research & Evaluation Specialist to serve as an embedded liaison at the United Way of Greater Houston to establish a first-of-its-kind Community Support Hub that aims to triage and respond to data and evaluation questions and services for Houston-area nonprofits in coordination with the United Way of Greater Houston’s Coffee and Quality programming. This role combines strong analytical expertise with exceptional communication and relationship-building skills to help community partners navigate questions related to data collection, program measurement, reporting requirements, and evaluation design. This staff member will be a colleague to their United Way Senior Quality Coach counterpart at the Support Hub.

The Community Support Hub Research and Evaluation Specialist will work closely with the Director of the Houston Population Research Center at the Kinder Institute, the School of Social Sciences Assistant Dean for Student Programs, the Coffee & Quality team, and the Assistant Vice President for Strategy, Learning & Analytics at the United Way of Greater Houston to advance a menu of Support Hub offerings; refine a process to collect, sort, triage, and respond to incoming requests; and develop a decision tree that resolves and channels Support Hub requests to the appropriate audiences in a timely manner.

This is a three-year, grant-funded position with no guarantee that the position will be funded after the grant ends.

Workplace Requirements:

• Position will be housed at the United Way of Greater Houston
• Occasional travel
• Evening and/or weekend work as needed

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work within Harris County and surrounding counties to provide flexibility and support collaboration.

Hiring Range: $65,000

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in sociology, economics, another social science, public health, or a related field
• 2+ years of experience in research, evaluation, applied data analysis, or program measurement
• Demonstrated ability to compile, analyze, interpret, and visualize quantitative and qualitative data. Proficiency in Excel, Tableau, and Power BI is required.
• Demonstrated understanding of evaluation methodologies, including outcome measurement and program assessment.
• Experience developing or improving workflows, systems, or operational processes.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Essential Functions:

• Serves as the primary point of contact for data-related inquiries sent to the Support Hub
• Responds promptly and professionally to inquiries
• Contributes to the project management or ticketing system
• Designs, documents, and continuously improves workflows
• Builds strong working relationships across various grant stakeholders