Research Program Manager

About Digital Promise Global

Digital Promise Global is an independent, bipartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to spur innovation to advance equity and improve the opportunity to learn. Positioned at the intersection of educators, entrepreneurs, and researchers, Digital Promise Global identifies, develops, and promotes strategies to improve education and provide people with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy. Digital Promise centers our work in equity and values and rewards inclusivity, collaboration, and innovation.

About the Position

Digital Promise’s Learning Sciences Research (LSR) team focuses on the why, what, and how of learning in and out of school. The LSR team has developed a portfolio of research projects in science and engineering education that include basic research on learning, curriculum materials design and implementation, and professional supports for teachers.

The LSR Team is seeking an innovative Research Program Manager to provide research contributions and operational program management skills across this growing portfolio. This includes facilitating content production, preparing reports and papers for publication, event planning, professional learning, as well as support for data collection and analysis. The Research Program Manager will work closely with the Director of Science and Engineering Education Research to plan, organize, and synthesize efforts to advance science and engineering education research. The Research Program Manager will apply expertise in learning sciences, STEM education, or a related discipline along with strong organizational capabilities. Ability to contribute to addressing issues of equity will be important.  The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong connection between their program management skills and the topics of the research. We value working in partnership with educators, students, and families, taking an improvement orientation, using technology to add meaning and value to learning experiences, emphasizing the potential for deep and lasting impacts from research, and communicating research effectively for broad audiences.

Responsibilities

Research Program Management:

• Work as part of project and proposal planning teams, including managing timelines and logistics for key research milestones, identifying tactics to reach goals, track progress against benchmarks , and evaluate and reflect on tactics and progress.
• Track and monitor key research activities, anticipate upcoming deadlines or challenges, and proactively organize project participants to complete research contributions.
• Maintain thorough project documentation for internal and external partners, and to support grant reporting, including federal grants from organizations such as the National Science Foundation as well as non-profits such as the Infosys Foundation. Support reporting from project leaders to funders.
• Support and lead meetings and communications of different forms, which may include meetings with partners, with program officers at federal research agencies, and external researchers, developers and educators who have a role in the work.  Assist in planning and facilitating district convenings around grant work, as needed.
• Engage with Digital Promise staff who manage financial, operations, communications, research practices, or other management functions to choose appropriate tools, share best practices, and establish ways to work effectively.
• Support and document processes that promote positive collaboration, culture, and learning across the LSR team.
• Coordinate with communications staff to ensure a vibrant public presence for a portfolio of projects.

Learning Sciences Research:

• Lead research tasks independently and/or lead small teams that conduct research tasks. Research tasks may include literature review and synthesis, research design, instrument design, design of learning materials, data collection, and data analysis.
• Identify how concepts of equity arise in the research and how they could be more successfully and comprehensively addressed.
• Apply research knowledge and experience as a team member in the projects and proposals you manage, including contributing to presentations and publications.
• Translate research for use by educators and/or technology developers and communicate findings to these audiences in reports, blog posts, and presentations.

Qualifications

• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in a relevant area, which can include learning sciences, STEM education, learning technology research, or conducting research at scale in educational settings.
• A minimum of 3 years prior work experience in one of the topic areas described above.
• Proven ability to keep complex programs well-organized, productive, and on track, including knowledge of project management tools.
• Familiarity with Salesforce, Asana, G-suite, and Slack a plus.
• Experiences specific to Learning Sciences Research: Ability to understand and critically engage around key research issues in science and engineering education (Next Generation Science Standards, teacher professional learning, design and implementation of curriculum materials, learning technologies, assessment design), including being conversant with the language of research (e.g. research questions, populations, methods, analysis, reporting of findings).
• Ability to thrive in programs with ambitious goals that are not yet well-defined. Ability to work flexibly and adaptively virtually and face-to-face with other team members as program requirements change
• Demonstrated experience understanding and relating to end-user perspectives; for example, experience with educators or school leaders and empathy for their needs would be a strong plus.

At Digital Promise, we also seek candidates with:

• A strong commitment to improving equity and accessibility in education
• A commitment to anti-racist approaches to our work
• Diverse life experiences
• Strong collaboration, communication, and teamwork skills
• A passion for learning, a team mentality, creativity, and a positive “can-do” “yes-and” spirit.

Working Conditions:

Digital Promise Global is a hybrid organization. Employees are expected to travel at least 4 times a year for in-person meetings and the annual staff retreat. Additional travel may be required based on role and responsibilities.

Physical/Sensory Demands. Fast-paced working environment. Extensive computer usage and frequent online engagement and communication. Candidate should be eager to develop relationships and collaborate with employees at all levels within the organization.

Compensation

The full-time salary range for the Research Program Manager position is between $80,000- $100,000. Exact salary depending on experience and location.

To Apply
Please submit your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements. Cover letter should describe candidate’s alignment with Digital Promise’s broader mission and include examples of relevant research projects and/or research program management. Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials as soon as possible. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the search is successful.

Digital Promise is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.