Associate Director - Social Policy Institute - 50123

Washington University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

Please include a cover letter and resume with your application.

This position is full-time and works approximately 37.5 hours per week.  

This position is for the Social Policy Institute.  The position is located at Hillman Hall.  This position is for the Danforth Campus.

The ability to travel to on- and off-campus locations, including overnight travel is required.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Washington University in St. Louis is hiring an Associate Director of Administration for the Social Policy Institute. The Social Policy Institute will accelerate collaboration between industry, government, and nonprofit partners to advance applied research that improves the lives of vulnerable populations locally, nationally, and globally. Focusing on action and implementation, the Institute will concentrate its efforts on the content areas most central to improving social and economic mobility including health, financial stability, housing, and education.

Under the leadership of the Director of the Institute, the position will lead and manage day-to-day activities related to the core mission of the Institute and maintain ongoing communication and coordination with University and external partners. The successful candidate will support and partner with the Director in strategy development - identifying new opportunities, relationships and resources to expand and amplify the University’s social policy innovation and impact.

Under the umbrella of the Institute, numerous Principal Investigators, Project Directors, and university and external partners will conduct a wide range of independent and/or collaborative research, educational, and service activities. 

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Strategic Development –

• Serve as the primary manager in developing the identity of SPI during the initial years of its inception under the leadership of the Director and with active engagement of staff and internal and external stakeholders.
• Facilitate SPI's strategic thinking and development efforts by engaging internal and external stakeholders through listening and learning conversations and feedback loops to help articulate research priorities, initiatives, and tactics aligned with SPI's vision and goals.
• Define a strategic vision that articulates SPI’s unique value to social policy with respect to cross-sector and inter-disciplinary research, dissemination, and translation of innovative policies and practices that reduce social, economic, and health inequities and promote social and economic mobility.
• Develop concrete goals and indicators for SPI to measure, track, and report on the Institute’s progress and successes in its starting years with an eye on establishing a more formal system of evaluation for the Institute’s work.
• Oversee the communication, member relations, and meetings concerning the oversight and strategic development of SPI. 

2. Organizational Management and Infrastructure –

• Establish and manage alignment of the Institute’s projects, activities, operating systems, and financial model with its mission and strategic vision. This will require proactive engagement and collaboration with the Director, team and project leads and staff.
• Manage SPI funding, including allocating funds and overseeing budgets.
• Supervise SPI staff and facilitate internal communication, coordination, and integration of effort across SPI projects. 
• Develop a "smart growth" staffing and capacity-building strategy that identifies incremental steps to scaling up SPI efforts aligned with its mission, vision, and strategic priorities while maintaining a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
• Identify the design and implementation of organizational policies and procedures that facilitate development, growth, and efficacy of SPI staff. This may include adapting university performance management procedures, training opportunities and employee incentives for the Institute in collaboration with Human Resources when appropriate. 
• Directly supervise staff with functions related to executing strategic development, organizational administration, stakeholder relationship, and communications, or as otherwise determined by the Institute’s organizational management and infrastructure design and Director. 

3. Stakeholder Relationships -  

• Initiate and negotiate partnerships with internal (e.g., Washington University faculty and academic units) and external (e.g., think tanks, national nonprofits, associations, corporations, government agencies, other universities) stakeholders that advance SPI mission, vision, and strategic objectives.
• Work with SPI research teams and Washington University Corporate and Foundation Relations to initiate and build relationships with funders and help guide the proposal development and submission process.
• Facilitate a high degree of communication among internal and external stakeholders and collaborators to establish and ensure faithful execution of contracts, agreements, and planned activities as well as identify and resolve problems. Serve as the primary contact on operational matters for investigators, university departments, external partners and funders.
• In conjunction with the Associate Dean of Social Policy, assist in the development of a student engagement strategy, emphasizing the integration of SPI activities and the Master of Social Policy program.

4. Communications and Public Relations –

• Lead the planning and supervise implementation of a public-facing communications and public relations strategy including events, website, newsletters, and social media to introduce SPI and disseminate SPI research and other knowledge products to policy and practice influencers (e.g., policy makers, academics, think tanks, associations, advocacy groups).
• Oversee development of messaging and communication tactics that differentiate SPI from similar institutes.

• Master’s degree or higher in a related policy field. 
• Strong experience in planning and facilitating a variety of public events and private meetings, ideally with formal training in adult learning, event development, and public/media presentations. 
• Strong, energetic, creative, and collaborative leader with a deep commitment and passion for advancing knowledge and its translation into effective social policy.
• Ability to build and maintain an organizational culture that promotes excellence in research and scholarship, values diversity, inclusion, and equity, and enables staff at all levels to achieve their professional and personal goals.
• Specifically, candidates will be considered who have:
  • Expert knowledge of social policy development and implementation processes.
  • At least ten years of supervision, management, and leadership experience in an applied research and/or social policy setting.
  • Strong grant proposal development and funder relationship experience.
  • Successfully engaged in strategic plan creation and implementation.
  • Prior research experience in a field related to social policy. 

• Experience in creating experiences and designing programs or services in areas related to social policy. This could include significant experience in marketing, marketing/consumer research and product/service innovation methods, such as human-centered design, the Lean method, design sprints, etc.
• Training and experience in storytelling for the purposes of translating research for policy and program development. 
• Ability to envision organizational systems that allow a start-up organization to establish, manage, and analyze relationships with a variety of audiences and identify strategic communication opportunities, including understanding related technologies.
• Outstanding interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in communicating with policy makers and influencers.
• Experience scoping, establishing, and managing partnerships with the private, nonprofit, and public sector organizations.

Base pay commensurate with experience.

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. Current employees applying for a new position within the university may be subject to this requirement. The screenings will include a criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

This position is eligible for full-time benefits.  Please click the following link to view a summary of benefits:  https://wustl.box.com/s/8wkhs25yssf0775x9d6nd6vqa7obpth7.

Please attach a copy of your most current signed performance evaluation (completed within the last 18 months) to your online account.  If you have not received a performance evaluation, you may provide two current signed letters of recommendation (written within the last 18 months), preferably to include one letter from either a current or recent former supervisor.  To attach these documents, go to:  My Career Tools, Add Attachment, Attachment Type – Performance Reviews or Letters of Recommendation.