Posted on November 15, 2012

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Director, Evidence-Based Practice Group

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged children in the United States. The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. The Foundation distributes approximately $150 million annually in grants to organizations that help states, cities, and neighborhoods improve the life outcomes of these children and families.

POSITION TITLE: Director, Evidence Based Practice Group.

REPORTS TO: Vice President of CEFSS.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Senior Associates, Program Associates, Administrative Assistants.

Job Summary:

The Director, Evidence-Based Practice Group is a member of the Foundation’s Committee of Managers. The Director, Evidence Based Practice Group is also a member of the Center for Effective Family Services and Systems management team.

Programmatically, this position is responsible for developing and supervising a unit focused on improving child well-being through a variety of strategies including:

Strategic Grant-Making: Increase the utilization of Evidence-based Programs (EBPs) within public systems by supporting the development, adaptation, evaluation, and dissemination of programs, practices, and policies that demonstrate effectiveness in improving outcomes for disadvantaged children and their families.

Evidence2Success Development and Implementation: Develop, implement, and test Evidence2Success, as an approach that can be scaled nationally, that enable public systems and communities to assess jointly community-specific needs and strengths, and invest in a portfolio of EBPs that improve child and family outcomes.

Cross-Foundation Collaboration: Work with staff across the Foundation to strengthen the evidence supporting all initiatives to reflect the highest standards of evidence available in the fields in which we invest.

As a member of the Center for Effective Family Services and Systems (CEFSS) management team, the Director shares responsibility for the following:

• Ensuring achievement of the Foundation’s goal of demonstrating that system reform can lead to improved child outcomes, both directly and by making available resources to be invested in alternative services and supports for families;
• Determining when and how to undertake joint projects, i.e., working in a jurisdiction to reduce the use of congregate care and to reallocate the money saved to evidence-based programs;
• Sharing resources when necessary, for example, by assigning staff from one unit to participate in site work being conducted by another unit;
• Developing new system reform products for dissemination through approaches such as webinars and short-term consultation engagements;
• Developing and implementing the indicators by which the Foundation will measure the success of its work on system reform and dissemination of EBPs; and
• Determining the training and professional development needs of the Evidence-Based Practice Team staff and consultants and instituting the training, coaching and other measures required to meet those needs.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EXPERENCE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Past experience in leading successful large scale public system change or reform, with preference for change or reform efforts that involved multiple public systems;
2. Knowledge of federal, state and local funding streams and budgeting processes;
3. Connection to networks of systems, federal and evidence-based practice leaders.
4. Ability to lead a team with diverse expertise through a participatory management approach;
5. Experience in implementing evidence-based practices or programs in public systems;
6. Knowledge of basic qualitative and quantitative research designs and theory supporting evidence-based practice development;
7. Strong communication and presentation skills; and
8. History of successful collaboration within organizations.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Develops the methods by which the Foundation will carry out the work described above;
2. Develops, in consultation with other members of the CEFSS and other key staff as appropriate, an annual plan setting out performance goals and the methods by which the Evidence-Based Practice Group will achieve them;
3. In consultation with other members of the CEFSS and other key staff as appropriate, develops a proposed annual budget for the work of the Evidence-Based Practice Group and CEFSS including mid-year modifications as necessary;
4. Identifies the skills and knowledge that Foundation staff and consultants will need to support communities and systems in improving well-being, and works with the Director of Knowledge and Practice Development to build this skill and knowledge base;
5. Manages a diverse range of external consultants supporting the EBPG’s work;
6. Identifies and selects promising jurisdictions interested in working with AECF to achieve improved child well-being;
7. Identifies and creates enduring relationships with grantees as partners and collaborators in this work;
8. Allocates the resources needed to work in these jurisdictions;
9. Supervises ongoing modifications to our methods based on experience in the pilot jurisdiction;
10. Partners with the Foundation’s Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice groups and Foundation staff leading community-based work for joint projects that combine community interventions with system reform;
11. Available for extensive travel; and
12. Develops and effectively manages a portfolio of grants in support of this work.
13. Create and champion a vision for the development and implementation of evidence-based practices, programs and policies with public systems.

Leadership/Management Responsibilities (Committee of managers):

1. Present and represent the vision, values, priorities, strategic choices, and point of view to internal and external stakeholders;
2. Provide informed input into the key challenges, directions and decisions of the Foundation;
3. Serve as a critical communication link between the President (representing the Trustees, the Board of Managers, Senior Leadership Team) and the staff represented so that all employees feel a sense of citizenship to the whole Foundation;
4. Identify annual performance targets, program/operational goals and the specific indicators to measure progress toward meeting those goals within all prescribed areas of responsibility;
5. Promote integration through joint planning, coordination and an overall commitment to keeping each other fully informed and include others in the work;
6. Ensure individual goals and objectives of those supervised are created and reviewed regularly as a means to promote Foundation-wide equitable supervision, support and accountability;
7. Act as a consultative resource to President and the Senior Leadership Team to develop and translate the vision into mission driven long term investments and strategic priorities;
8. Supervise, coach and provide overall guidance to all direct reports;
9. Demonstrate responsible fiduciary and fiscal decision-making.
10. Exhibit sensitivity to and respect for differences in personal, professional and business relationships on behalf of the Foundation;
11. Seek to utilize the foundation resources in an equitable manner with regard to race, ethnicity and gender; and
12. Demonstrate awareness and appreciation of the Foundation’s mission, values, standards, principles, and programs, drawing on Casey’s Knowledge Management System, intranet, website, staff development sessions, and other learning opportunities to establish this competency.

Compensation:

This is an exempt position, meaning pay is on a salaried rather than hourly or daily basis. Starting salary is commensurate with experience and earnings history. A strong benefits package will be provided as well.

Application Instructions

To apply:

Please apply online at www.aecf.org/careers.aspx.

Maxine Norris