Department: Research/Evaluation 

Position Title: Research and Evaluation Manager, Schools & Clinics 

Position Type: Full time, Exempt, Hybrid (3 days in Chicago office per week)  

Reports to: President/CEO 

About Us: The Juvenile Protective Association (JPA) is a 125-year-old social impact agency dedicated to ensuring no child struggles alone. JPA brings compassionate, innovative mental health resources directly to children in need and the adults who support them. This includes school- and clinic-based therapy for children, adults, and families, along with trauma-informed consultation to teachers and other programming. 

 Position Overview: JPA is seeking a Research & Evaluation Manager to oversee the evaluation of its school- and clinic-based mental health programming and demonstrate the impact of these services across the communities we serve. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented professional with research skills who wants to solve real-world problems and have a meaningful impact on youth mental health in public schools. The individual in this role will serve as part of JPA’s senior leadership team and report directly to the President and CEO.  

Key Responsibilities:  

Program Evaluation 

• Articulate theories of change in JPA school- and clinic-based programming 

• Design and modify evaluation tools to capture meaningful impact from programs in collaboration with the clinical team and senior leadership 

• Establish protocols for data management and communicate these to program staff and supervisors 

• Closely monitor data collection progress and ensure that deadlines are met 

• Program survey and evaluation tools into the electronic health record system, and extract service statistics and survey data from these systems  

• Maintain and update internal records and databases with verified information 

• Ensure data integrity by performing regular audits using the agency’s electronic health record platforms 

• Collaborate closely with leadership and clinical teams to ensure continuous quality improvement, diagnose and address data entry problems, and devise practical solutions as needed 

• Attend internal meetings with leadership and clinical staff to address outstanding data requirements and documentation issues  

Outcome Analysis and Reporting

• Extract, clean, and organize program data for analysis 

• Conduct descriptive and inferential statistics of quantitative data and thematic coding of qualitative findings 

• Summarize results for internal progress reports and Board of Directors' meetings  

• Contribute to report writing for funders in coordination with the JPA Development Team and Grants Manager to demonstrate progress towards established metrics 

• Create data visualizations, executive summaries, and other deliverables that disseminate outcomes and key findings from ongoing evaluation efforts, research studies, and special initiatives 

• Summarize key findings from programming and share them internally with JPA leadership, Board of Directors, and clinical staff to provide a foundation for data-driven decision making 

Research

• Conduct literature reviews on mental health topics relevant to JPA practices and programs 

• Lead quantitative and qualitative research projects from start to finish related to trauma-informed care, treatment and consultation models, and the implementation of JPA’s programming over time 

• Collaborate with funders and community partners on research projects 

Qualifications:  

• Master’s degree in social sciences, public health, education, evaluation, or a related field (PhD preferred) 

• Previous experience in program evaluation and/or applied research 

• Strong quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research skills  

• Proficiency in statistical concepts and qualitative data analysis 

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially Excel/Sheets) 

• Strong project management and organizational skills 

• Strong analytical writing and presentation skills, with an ability to explain outcomes as a “story” to a variety of non-technical audiences (e.g., school principals, teachers, community members, clinical staff) 

• Able to problem-solve, develop new procedures as needed, and manage multiple tasks or deadlines simultaneously 

• Strong interpersonal skills 

• Able to maintain an independent perspective while collaborating closely with a wide variety of personnel 

• Able and willing to learn and apply new technologies, platforms, and techniques 

• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy 

• Willingness and ability to undertake complex, ad hoc research requests 

• Commitment to a workplace that values different backgrounds and life experiences and allows everyone to bring their authentic self to work. Builds equity into structure, systems, and processes for our employees and those we serve 

• Proficiency with research platforms like SPSS, Qualtrics, Dedoose, etc. preferred 

• Experience working with nonprofit, education, or social impact organizations preferred 

Benefits:  

• Medical Insurance 

• Dental Insurance  

• Vision Insurance 

• Health Care Flexible Spending Account   

• Life Insurance 

• Long Term Disability 

• 403(b) Retirement Plan & Matching 

• Generous paid holidays, vacation, and leave 

Salary Range: $80,000 - $90,000