Director of Research & Engagement

The Director role is located in the College of Arts and Science at Vanderbilt University. This position directs and manages all aspects of survey research dissemination, report production, and external engagement at the Center for Global Democracy. The Director reports directly to the Director of the Center for Global Democracy. The position requires a thorough understanding of University policies and procedures.

About the Work Unit:
At CGD, we bring together social science researchers and policymakers to study democratic development and design innovative policies to strengthen democracy and bolster good governance. Our mission is to understand how people around the world think about democracy, how they interact with their political institutions, and what they expect from their government. We strive to foster innovative approaches to enhance support for democracy and build confidence in political institutions. Our dedicated research staff, faculty, and students achieve these goals by employing research techniques at the frontier of the social sciences, building capacity for international research, and supporting policy innovation.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Reporting and Dissemination (50%)
• Lead the planning, development, and execution of the dissemination strategy of findings from cross-national, multi-country surveys, aligning them with CGD’s mission and objectives
• Oversee the production and editing of reports, policy briefs, presentations, data visualizations, and media content, ensuring clarity and accessibility for diverse audiences, including policymakers, academics, the media, and the public
• Oversee and ensure the accuracy and quality of the entire reporting process, from data analysis to dissemination, including compliance with all university policies and procedures
• Collaborate with project sponsors (e.g., USAID and other donors), project collaborators, and other stakeholders to ensure successful communication of research results.
• Manage the lab’s external communication strategy, including media relations, social media presence, and branding initiatives
• Represent CGD at external meetings, conferences, and high-level briefings, including for donors and policymakers

Administrative and Financial (20%):
• Supports CDG’s Director in the center’s operations and administration, including the development of project scopes of work, staff levels of effort, project budgets, and development of survey research proposals
• Collaborates on administrative efforts related to staffing and recruiting, consulting, CGD communications, and project and contract administration
• Develops and coordinates calls for bids, contract terms, and rubrics for contracting CGD service providers and consultants. Reviews and approves CDG technical provider and consultant deliverables
• Engages in the development of survey research proposals, as well as proposal writing and budgeting
• Works closely with the Director to foster a work culture that promotes continuous learning, accountability, and transparency, ensuring effective collaboration and innovative problem-solving within the team

Capacity Building (15%):
• Develops internal and external training materials on survey research reporting and dissemination. Trains international consultants, research institutions, and local universities on survey research survey research reporting and dissemination
• Helps manage the design and implementation of the Center for Global Democracy’s Summer School in International Survey Methods
• Mentors junior staff and research assistants, fostering professional development and creating a collaborative team environment

Innovations (10%):
• Contributes to the development of the strategy and vision for the center, including leading the development of innovative approaches to communicate survey research findings and increase data access for diverse audiences, including policymakers, academics, the media, and the public
• Contributes to monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities to measure the impact and performance of survey projects. Develops impact evaluation techniques and metrics
• Collaborates with the Director to define long-term goals and strategies that align lab outputs with the center's overall objectives, fostering innovation and enhancing the impact of research across all areas

Other (5%):
• Provides input to the institutional design of the Center by collaborating on the design and implementation of the vision and mission statements

Supervisory Relationships:
This position is responsible for supervising personnel assigned to the Center for Global Democracy, providing guidance, training, and support to research staff, and fostering a collaborative and productive work environment while promoting professional growth and development.

Qualifications:
▪     A Ph.D. degree in political science, survey methodology, economics, or a related field is required.
▪     At least 8 years of relevant experience in positions of increasing responsibility in survey  research operations, project management, statistical analyses, quantitative methodology, or related areas is necessary.
▪     At least 8 years of experience managing and directing survey research projects end-to-end, including survey design, sampling, data collection, quality control, data processing, quantitative data analysis, reporting, and dissemination is necessary.
▪     Demonstrated experience supervising and mentoring staff and students is necessary.
▪     Demonstrated ability to direct and manage day-to-day operations and fieldwork personnel coordination of multi-country, multi-lingual survey projects in a university setting supported by and responsive to multiple donor sources is preferred.
▪     Strong interpersonal communication skills are necessary.
▪     Ability to perform complex tasks and to prioritize multiple projects and competing deadlines is necessary.
▪     Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team setting is necessary.
▪     Knowledge of University policies, processes, and procedures is preferred.
▪     Expert  in  statistical  software  (Stata,  SPSS,  R)  and  data  collection  software  (SurveyToGo, Qualtrics) is necessary.