Director, Impact Measurement and Data Science

Summary:

By developing a deep understanding how the work of the ASPCA advances impact for animals, the Director, Impact Measurement and Data Science (IMDS) will work closely with individuals, program teams, and partners to design strategic evaluation plans to enhance impact. They will also collaboratively design and conduct research and analyses that  illuminate current and future trends in the animal welfare landscape and aim to directly influence attitudinal and behavior change by key stakeholders in that landscape.

Who We Are

The Strategy team is a thoughtful and mission-driven team that collaborates across the organization to develop, refine, and execute the ASPCA’s organization-wide priorities through strategy, impact measurement, research, and planning. Our work addresses a wide range of topics that directly impact our internal programs as well as the field of animal welfare.

What You’ll Do

Program Learning and Impact Measurement Focus

The person in this position is responsible for the development of program logic models, supporting measurement plans, and impact metrics. They will partner with program teams to execute strategies, aligning on measurement plans, and evaluating programs that support the ASPCA’s goals to improve the lives of animals. They will conduct in-depth studies across ASPCA programming to generate credible measures of the programming’s current performance and to determine what efforts are most effectively and efficiently resulting in desired impacts.

As a member of the Strategy team, the Director, IMDS will lead the design and development of program learning logic models and program evaluations in collaboration with ASPCA program teams, and subject matter experts, and with external partner organizations and other external stakeholders. In addition to strong program evaluation, research, and analytical skills, this position requires an individual with a collaborative work style, experience in project management, and the ability to lead teams in a matrix structure, often without direct authority. Candidates may come from a diverse range of disciplinary or applied backgrounds, as long as these provide most or all of the desired skills and experience listed below in some form.

Work activities may include literature review, planning, research/evaluation design, managing research projects, data collection and analysis, creation of peer-reviewed publications and other publications/presentations for key audiences, participating in initiatives to advance external research, and providing expert input and insight for ASPCA projects and programs. In addition, the Director will work with colleagues and relevant teams to plan how program learning, external trends, and research results will be used and communicated internally and externally.

The Director, IMDS reports directly to the Senior Director of Impact Measurement and Data Science and has no direct reports.

Where and When You’ll Work

• This remote-based position (which requires travel, as described below) is open to all candidates based within the United States.

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 15% annually of the time as needed

What You’ll Get

Compensation

The target hiring range is based on where the employee works, which for remote roles is the employee’s primary location of residence, and its respective cost of labor.  You can view which zone applies to you based on your location (aspca.app.box.com/v/aspcazonetable). For questions regarding locations not on the list, please send an email to Careers@aspca.org for more information.

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary ranges for this role are set forth below and may be modified in the future. 

• Zone 1: $105,000 - $112,000 annually

• Zone 2: $116,000 - $123,000 annually

• Zone 3: $128,000 - $136,000 annually

Benefits

At the ASPCA, you don’t have to choose between your passion and making a living. Our comprehensive benefits package helps ensure you can live a rewarding life at work and at home. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental and optional vision coverage.

• Flexible time off that includes vacation time, paid personal time, sick time, bereavement time, paid parental leave, and 10 company paid holidays that allows you even more flexibility to observe the days that mean the most to you.

• Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings, including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions — we match dollar-for-dollar up to 4% and provide an additional 4% contribution toward your future each year.

• Robust professional development opportunities, including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field and so much more.

For more information on our benefits offerings, visit our website.

Responsibilities:

Responsibility buckets are listed in general order of importance. They include, but are not limited to:

Collaborative program evaluation, research, and data science activities

• Strategically identify and prioritize program evaluation metrics and research questions with the greatest potential impact on organizational priorities and the animal welfare field

• Design, develop, and manage program logic models, data collection, reporting, and evaluation systems (with a heavy focus on evaluation of grant programs)

• Creatively use data sources, mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) and interdisciplinary approaches to measure program impacts and answer research questions that drive the ASPCA’s and the animal welfare field’s work forward

• Effectively lead program evaluation and research projects with minimal supervision 

• Conduct analyses of data to compare and evaluate various courses of action

• Scope projects appropriately, help define roles and responsibilities, outline timelines, and support communicating the goals and progress across multiple stakeholder groups.

• Recognize when the work needs to change in scope or if the overarching goal of the work needs to be revisited and generate appropriate solutions

• Facilitate discussions and support colleagues and partners in pressure-testing ideas and assumptions about their work in an inclusive, accessible, and collaborative manner

• Manage consultants and temps when needed

• Mentor interns, junior colleagues, and partner organization staff in research, program evaluation, strategy, and tactics for success

• Communicate program evaluation designs, analysis results, and research findings to diverse audiences through journal articles, reports and presentations

Be a strategic thought partner with other ASPCA departments and external partners

• Quickly and creatively develop effective relationships with partner departments, external organizations, key staff, and subject matter experts

• Elevate data driven insights that support the creation and successful execution of the ASPCA’s Strategy

• Develop program goals alongside program leads, and design ways for program and external organization partners to evaluate work

• Guide program direction for partner departments and organizations by identifying or developing and analyzing data and transforming it into meaningful insights that support program decision-making, prioritization, and communication of program impacts

Provide Expertise and Share Knowledge

• Maintain and develop subject matter expertise relevant to the work of the ASPCA to provide input on area(s) of expertise across the ASPCA

• Generate new ways to apply subject matter expertise to enhance the work of the ASPCA

• Translate subject matter expertise into meaningful insights to guide the ASPCA’s strategic and programmatic work

• Stay generally abreast of animal welfare topics relevant to ASPCA beneficiary needs to be able to generate insights and share new research to drive change

• Identify, leverage and maintain existing partnerships with organizations, universities, and other institutions working at the nexus of animal welfare and subject matter expertise and as needed establish and build new partnerships

Qualifications:

• Strong statistical analysis,  data summary and visualization skills

• Knowledge of various forms of evaluation and project impact measurement

• Knowledge of various experimental designs and threats to validity (internal and external) addressed by each

• Demonstrated ability to identify data sources for program evaluations and to assess the quality of these data sources

• Strong project oversight and management skills including strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication (verbal, written, and typing) skills with a wide range of audiences of varying professional backgrounds and levels as well as the ability to manage activities without direct authority

• Strong ability to rapidly get up to speed on new information

• Ability to apply discipline-specific tools and knowledge to novel questions in animal welfare

• Ability to quickly, calmly, and efficiently adjust to changes in direction and re-prioritize work

• Must be a self-guided, creative and motivated individual requiring minimal supervision

• Ability to manage remotely and delegate responsibility as needed 

• Must be nimble and able to rapidly re-prioritize own work

• Must be able to work independently and confidently in a remote office

Education and Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; advanced degree preferred

• Minimum of 6 years of experience in program evaluation, research, data science, or a related field required;, experience in a field applicable to animal welfare preferred

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in program evaluation required, including the design, development, and implementation of models for program evaluation (such as logic models), and subsequently communicating processes and results

• Experience developing and using logic models required

• Experience using statistical software (Stata, SPSS, R, etc.) and Excel required

• Experience in nontraditional data science and research settings (e.g. nonprofit or government settings), strongly preferred

• Experience developing and using logic models required

• Experience with supervision of staff, temp employees and/or contractors, preferred

• Experience having served as an author on empirical, peer-reviewed publications a plus

Qualifications:

Language:

Education and Work Experience:

Our EEO Policy:
The ASPCA is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the ASPCA’s standard application process, which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on the ASPCA. Please inform the ASPCA’s People Team if you need an accommodation in order to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Individuals seeking employment are considered without regards to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

ASPCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer (M/F/D/V).

About Us:
The ASPCA was founded in 1866 on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment by humans and must be protected under the law. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than two million supporters nationwide, the ASPCA is committed to preventing cruelty to dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals throughout the United States.

The ASPCA is headquartered in New York City, where we maintain a full-service animal hospital, spay/neuter clinic, mobile spay/neuter and primary pet care clinics, a rehabilitation center for canine victims of cruelty, kitten nursery, adoption center, and two community veterinary centers.

The ASPCA also operates programs and services that extend nationwide. We assist animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary community through research, training, and resources.

At the ASPCA, we are committed to fostering a collaborative and compassionate culture and we welcome all voices to contribute to our lifesaving mission. Our staff represent a vast array of backgrounds and diversity dimensions, bringing with them valuable experiences and perspectives. They join the ASPCA to learn, grow, and continually do their best work on behalf of animals. We are inspired by our staff, partners, and the communities we support across the country who work to improve animal lives. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the ASPCA because it elevates our organizational culture, aligns with our Core Values, and enables us to move further and faster toward the ASPCA’s vision – that all animals live good lives; valued by society, protected by its laws, and free from cruelty, pain and suffering.

Your Employee Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act:
Pursuant to regulations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), we provide this notice to applicants about eligible employees’ protected leave for certain reasons. Click on the link to learn more.

Applicants that are residents of Colorado and Oregon: Per CO Senate Bill 23-058 and ORS 659A.030, we cannot generally request or require any age-related information (i.e., age, DOB, attendance or graduation dates from an educational institution) on an initial employment application; this includes any age-related inquiries through completion of the initial interview. We can require/request additional application materials; if those materials contain any age-related information, an applicant should redact the information before submitting an initial employment application.

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Massachusetts Applicants: Per Massachusetts law, we are providing notice that it is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Philadelphia Applicants: You may view your rights under the Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Act here.