Manager, Community Research and Evaluation Help Desk

Position Summary:

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the School of Social Sciences are hiring a Manager, Community Research and Evaluation Help Desk position to serve as an embedded liaison at the United Way of Greater Houston to stand up a first-of-its-kind community Help Desk that aims to triage 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 staff member will be a colleague to their United Way Quality Coach counterpart at the Help Desk. The Manager will also provide regular communication to the Houston evaluation network with updates and progress on Help Desk activities and summarize short-form, peer-reviewed articles that provide timely insight into policy implementation, analysis, and evaluation.

The Manager of Community Research and Evaluation Help Desk 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, and the Assistant Vice President for Mission and Strategy at the United Way of Greater Houston to develop a menu of Help Desk offerings; a process to collect, sort, and triage incoming requests; and a decision tree that resolves and channels Help Desk requests to the appropriate audiences in a timely manner. The Manager needs to be thoughtful in developing an accessible user experience and adept at creating a workflow that accounts for the various key stakeholders and their respective areas of expertise.

The Manager of Community Research and Evaluation Help Desk will also offer a series of "Open Office Hours" in partnership with the United Way of Greater Houston's Coffee and Quality team to community nonprofits to provide Help Desk services in person. In years two and three, the Manager will help create a rotational program with Rice University Master of Social Policy Evaluation students to develop their skills and expertise in working with community nonprofits. This is a three-year, grant-funded position with no guarantee that the position will be funded after the grant ends. All efforts will be made to seek additional funding in order to provide continued support for this position beyond the initial three years.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

Ideal candidates work well in a team environment, actively collaborate, and can motivate others. They have superior project management and communication skills, are highly customer-service oriented, demonstrate meticulous attention to detail and accuracy, and are comfortable working in an evolving environment with increasing levels of responsibility and ownership as the Help Desk evolves.

Workplace Requirements:

Hybrid position: 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. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

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

Hiring Salary:

$68,000 - $72,000 annually
*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.*

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree (or foreign equivalent) in sociology, economics, other social science, public health, or a related field, and completion of a university-level course, thesis, or dissertation
• 2+ years of experience
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Skills:

• Ability to develop and initiate new strategies
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Data analysis skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules
• Attention to detail
• Ability to develop program partnerships and funding sources
• Basic knowledge of managing budgets and developing financial plans

Preferences:

• Master's degree (or foreign equivalent) in sociology, economics, other social science, public health, or a related field
• Experience working with data systems, reporting processes, or institutional research
• Familiarity with project management tools or ticketing systems
• Experience building new processes or programs from the ground up
• Experience in higher education, nonprofit, government, or complex organizational environments

Essential Functions:

Community-facing Front-line Help Desk Inquiry Management & Workflow

• Serves as the primary point of contact for data-related inquiries sent to the Help Desk via email, phone, and website in partnership with the United Way of Greater Houston's Coffee and Quality team.
• Responds promptly and professionally to ensure clarity, accuracy, and excellent customer service.
• Contributes to the project management or ticketing system to assess the scope, urgency, and complexity of Help Desk requests to determine next steps.
• Works with the United Way of Greater Houston Help Desk colleague to monitor progress and ensure timely resolution of inquiries.
• Identifies recurring themes and recommends process improvements that lead to measurable efficiencies.
• Translates technical or complex academic journal articles into clear, accessible language for the United Way of Greater Houston's Coffee & Quality bi-monthly newsletter.

Internal Workflow Development & Process Implementation

• Designs, documents, and continuously improves a clear, accessible, and user-friendly workflow for data requests.
• Develops expert-level knowledge of the United Way of Greater Houston's scope of work and the mission of Coffee and Quality programming, alongside an understanding of Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research expertise, to route inquiries to the appropriate departments or subject matter experts.
• Establishes and monitors performance metrics to ensure processes produce effective and timely outcomes.
• Proactively identifies gaps and independently moves solutions from proposal to execution.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Builds strong working relationships across the various grant stakeholders to ensure a coordinated and effective effort toward the Help Desk's impact.
• Translates conceptual ideas into structured processes, practical tools, and implementable systems, and facilitates conversations that clarify needs and move discussions toward actionable next steps.
• Manages expectations and provides regular updates to requestors.
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.
*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.