Social Science Research Analyst (Remote)

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The Social Science Research Analyst will provide services for our client at the Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation's (OPRE's) Division of Family Strengthening (DFS) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF). This position will support federal staff and carry out responsibilities related to supporting research and evaluation activities related to human services programs.

The annual salary range for this position is $100,000.00-$108,000.00. The annual salary range is negotiable. Compensation decisions depend on a wide range of factors, including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, security clearances, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.

OPRE oversees contracts and grants to study ACF's social services programs and the children and families that they serve. Areas of focus include early childhood education, welfare, employment and self-sufficiency, child abuse and neglect, child care, fatherhood and healthy marriage/relationships, maternal and infant home visiting, and youth services. OPRE includes approximately one hundred federal and contracted staff, primarily research and evaluation specialists. OPRE oversees a portfolio of approximately $200 million in grants and contracts. * Information on ACF is available at https://acf.hhs.gov. * Information on OPRE is available at https://acf.hhs.gov/opre

In this position, you will support OPRE's Division of Family Strengthening (DFS) by supporting research activities and assisting with cross-divisional and cross-agency work. This Division includes work in the areas of maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting; youth development; adolescent pregnancy prevention; healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood; domestic violence; and child welfare.

In this position, you will develop and use knowledge of youth development, family systems, economic self-sufficiency, research and evaluation methodology, and statistics to assist federal staff in preparing program announcements or requests for proposals; communicating with grantees and contractors; and coordinating evaluation, performance measurement, continuous quality improvement, or other research activities. VPD and OPRE are particularly interested in candidates whose experience and interest includes work with healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, adolescent pregnancy prevention, or family violence prevention research and programs, as well as a focus on communities of color and/or other marginalized communities, including experience working with Indigenous populations.

Responsibilities:

* Develop knowledge of select contracts and grants in order to assist federal staff in oversight of research contracts and grants from inception through completion of satisfactory report and dissemination of results, including:

o Tracking contract and grant deliverables, such as reports and briefs, work plans, and analysis plans and reviewing such deliverables to ensure appropriate language and appropriateness of research methodologies used;

o Monitoring contractor invoices, monitoring project spending, maintaining records, processing invoices, and managing necessary procurement actions; and

o Tracking grant actions such as progress reports, amendments, and noncompeting continuations.

* Monitor new and emerging research relevant to ACF programs in order to:

o Assist federal staff in integrating research into current projects and future plans; and

o Identify emerging issues and questions in need of new research, synthesis, and/or interpretation.

* Support effective and constructive working relationships with federal staff within OPRE and other ACF program offices, OPRE and ACF leadership, and external experts/constituents to ensure research and evaluation activities are responsive to the needs of government programs and the field at large.

* Facilitate communication and dissemination of OPRE research by:

o With guidance from federal staff, keep experts/constituents informed of work by providing written and verbal updates, scheduling and facilitating meetings, preparing briefing materials, memos, and PowerPoint presentations, and participating in conferences;

o Support federal staff who coordinate collaborative efforts among grantees, contractors, other researchers in the field, and federal staff to promote sharing of research findings, methodologies, and measurement approaches;

o Support preparation of presentations of OPRE research at local and national conferences; and

o Support preparation of position papers, issues analyses, written comments, briefing documents, and fact sheets concerning data, research findings, and program operations.

* Participate in the writing of funding opportunity announcements, statements of work, and solicitation materials, and assist in review of proposals and preparation of award materials.

* Provide input to OPRE around data analysis and research methodologies, including the planning, design, monitoring, and performance of evaluations, applied research, performance management, and policy analysis.

* Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

* Bachelor's degree with 3 or more years' experience or Master's degree with 1 or more years' experience in Child and Family Studies, Human Development, Psychology, Public Health, Public Policy, Sociology, Social Work, Economics, or related fields

* Two years of highly relevant professional experience related to research and program evaluation and policies and programs affecting children and families served by ACF programs

* Experience in research and policies related to one or more of the Division of Family Strengthening's focus areas

* Experience and skills with social science research methods

* Ability to work both independently and within a team environment

* Strong organizational, time-management, and prioritization skills

* Detail-oriented and driven to produce high-quality work

* Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams)

* Must be able to obtain and maintain a public trust clearance

* U.S. Citizenship required

Desired:

* Strong statistical and methodological skills and experience with research and evaluation in human services program settings.

* Experience conducting research that is focused on and/or relevant to the experiences of children and families with low income, communities of color, Indigenous communities and/or other marginalized communities served by ACF programs.

Jefferson Consulting Group is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, genetic data, veteran status, or any category protected by law.

Jefferson Consulting Group is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, JCG will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the Human Resources Department at (202) 626-8550 via email: HR@jeffersonconsulting.com