Associate Director of Community & Public Health, The Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University in Houston, Texas

Job Description:

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application. We suggest the documents be in a PDF format to avoid formatting issues. To be considered for this position, all supplemental questions must be answered.

Position Summary:

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research aims to improve lives through data, research, engagement, and action. The institute is currently working to build out five research centers focused on critical aspects shaping the social and cultural landscape of the Houston area. The five centers will research housing , education , community and public health , economic mobility and inequality , and population dynamics . Each center will investigate its particular topic area and will work across centers.To achieve this, each center is building interdisciplinary teams specializing in solutions-oriented research while using a research-practice partnership (RPP) model to jointly design, develop, and conduct research that values diversity in expertise and prioritizes the community in identifying and addressing some of the most pressing questions and challenges facing Houston and surrounding areas to inform decision-making and bring about systemic change.

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research is seeking a full-time Associate Director of Community and Public Health to oversee research produced in cooperation with a set of partner organizations in and around the Houston region on topics such as non-medical drivers of health/social determinants of health, mental health, immigrant health, community health needs assessments, chronic illness, wellness and well-being among marginalized communities, and access to healthcare. The Associate Director is responsible for establishing, building, and maintaining partnerships with organizations and entities in the Houston and surrounding area, utilizing research-practice partnership principles. In addition to externally-facing work, the Associate Director of Community and Public Health will assist in building internal capacity by mentoring, leading, and motivating a team of researchers and students to develop projects with appropriate methodological rigor while implementing data quality standards and practices. The Associate Director is responsible for improving and sustaining the quality of research at KIUR by providing review and input on research products, communicating findings to wide and varying audiences, and helping lead and strategically plan the development of the Community and Public Health research center. The Associate Director of Community and Public Health will work collaboratively with the Director of Community and Public Health other center directors, the Executive Director, and other leadership throughout the institute.

The ideal candidate thrives in a team environment, actively leading, collaborating, and motivating others. They will have superior interpersonal, scientific, and numerical skills with meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.

This position offers a hybrid work schedule within Harris County and surrounding counties, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440 work arrangements may be subject to change.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position with a salary of $100,000 a year. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Ph.D. or other Doctoral Degree in health or social science, such as psychology, public health, epidemiology, sociology, or related field.
• Three or more years of postdoctoral experience leading and mentoring research staff and conducting quantitative and/or qualitative research projects
• Two years of supervisory experience
• Skills
  
  
  • High proficiency and comprehensive knowledge of information management, knowledge management, and publication management
  • Excellent listening, verbal, and written communication, analytical, and research skills
  • Ability to work in a team environment, participate actively, collaborate, and motivate others
  • Must be able to demonstrate skills such as patience, flexibility, determination, and decisiveness
  • Have professional development through travel to conferences and seminars for networking, training, and presentation of grant-related research
  • Ability to direct and distribute the workload of staff researchers
  
  

Preferences:

• Five or more years of experience developing and managing research projects, managing data, and conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses, such as multilevel modeling, causal modeling, quasi-experimental methods, survey design, focus groups, and qualitative interviews
• Five or more years of experience leading a team and supervising others
• One year of experience doing community-engaged or other types of collaborative or partnership research
• Adaptable to change and able to think creatively to address issues
• Works well in a fast-paced and dynamic environment

Essential Functions

• Establishes, builds, and maintains relationships and partnerships with community organizations and other external stakeholders in the Houston and surrounding area
• Consults and plans with the Community and Public Health research center director and other staff to develop, strategize, and facilitate the research process
• Leads the research design and supervises the analysis of multiple projects
• Performs research by conducting independent studies, facilitating other ongoing research, and developing and validating new protocols, methodologies, and/or theories
• Assists and oversees by producing research products (e.g., research briefs, presentations, interactive data tools) for partner organizations, foundations, and broader audiences, including the general public and conference presentations
• Actively works to improve the institute's reputation and research capabilities
• Seeks new research grant opportunities
• Must be an adept leader who can mentor, supervise, and train a team of researchers and students at various stages in their career
• Co-presents grant-related research findings at appropriate professional conferences
• Establishes a communication strategy, including setting regular meetings with community partners
• Attends weekly staff and research team meetings
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Locates new data and acquires any necessary permissions needed to use, extract, and merge data with data from other sources
• Collects, organizes, manages, and maintains original data as needed, as well as works with KIUR's data team to secure original and existing data products
• Analyzes data according to the research agenda

Kinder Institute for Urban Research https://kinder.rice.edu/

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels. It considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

About Us

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

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