Director of the NPI-CFHL Evaluation Unit (Nutrition Policy Institute Academic Coordinator II)

Position Overview

The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), a statewide program with local development and delivery, and the Nutrition Policy Institute is seeking the following Academic Coordinator III.

Location Headquarters: 1111 Franklin St., Oakland, CA

Purpose: The Academic Coordinator provides strategic leadership and expertise on program development, research and evaluation activities to inform and improve policies and practices related to nutrition and physical activity behaviors and obesity prevention primarily in California. Duties include budget development and management, management of project deliverables, and priority setting. This position is expected to lead and oversee a complex, multi-component, and multi-million-dollar state-wide evaluation of a SNAP-Ed program with impact on the national program, play a leadership role on additional regional, state and national research and evaluation programs as needed, and facilitate and develop new funding opportunities and partnerships. This position also provides leadership for future proposals and strategic planning for the Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI) and has impact at the regional, state and national levels.

 Specific Responsibilities Include: 

• Evaluation Leadership

Prioritize, conceptualize and design evaluation approaches and projects that address community needs and funder and partner priorities. Develop evaluation methodologies, workplans and timelines; supervise execution of all phases of evaluation and research projects; provide leadership on future direction of programs; support and foster the financial viability of the program; evaluate and summarize best practices in the field; critically synthesize the literature on specific topic areas; supervise and manage the development and submission of IRB protocols and amendments for human subjects research; supervise and prepare trainings and quality control protocols for data collection; supervise the management of data collection activities.

• Program Planning and Coordination

Develop program plans, scopes of work for subcontracts, and budgets for multiple projects; contribute to the development and writing of grant and contract proposals; engage community and collaborating agencies and partners; direct the implementation of program evaluation; assure projects are adequately staffed and deliverables are met in a timely fashion; supervise staff implementation of evaluation activities.

•  Training and Technical Assistance

Supervise the identification and training of data collectors; work with partners, community stakeholders and program teams to train on data collection protocols and provide technical assistance on specific content areas; identify the need for and supervise and/or participate in the development of training materials for broad audiences; oversee and monitor quality of data collection to ensure adherence to protocols and compliance with IRB guidelines.

• Data Analysis and Interpretation

Analyze and interpret quantitative and qualitative data using statistical and other software programs; work closely with data managers, data analysts, statisticians, other academic colleagues and partners on analysis plans, data summaries, analyses and interpretation of findings; supervise and participate in the preparation of findings in tables and reports.

• Communication and Outreach

Direct outreach activities with funders and state and local partners; participate in leadership meetings and development of research agendas; develop new contacts with agencies and partners within the state and nationally; disseminate research findings to professional and stakeholder groups.

• Organize and Prepare Publications and Presentations

Write and/or supervise the drafting of progress and final reports and research briefs for funders, policy makers and other target audiences; draft and mentor other in drafting articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals; present program findings at professional meetings; give guest lectures and talks to academic and community groups as requested.

• Supervision

This position supervises the work of 3-8 Academic Coordinator II and/or III and/or Project Scientist titles and staff titles including Project Policy Analyst, Survey Worker, Staff Research Associate, Data Analyst, Financial Analyst and Admin Assistant as well as students and volunteers. Supervision includes overseeing, coordinating and planning project tasks and tracking progress of activities to ensure completion.

 Leadership and Administrative Duties:

• Leadership: Provide vision, inspire, and motivate others with attitude and actions; sets a high standard for excellence; innovate and foster positive change; model and support a good team

working environment; and encourage and be open to exploring new ideas and innovative changes, and provide active, ongoing advocacy and support for ANR programs.

• Administrative Policy: Understands and uniformly applies UC and NPI policies; provides useful and timely feedback; takes timely disciplinary action within UC and NPI procedures, if necessary; and works with staff in advance of deadlines for required records and reports.
• Budget: Successfully secures NPI resources; effectively manages and equitably allocates resources among programs in a manner consistent with established priorities; monitors the use of resources and complies with all relevant policies; and maintains effective working relationships with internal and external partners to form strong support networks for NPI.
• Interpersonal Relationships: Is an effective listener and communicator; takes responsibility for his/her own actions; motivates others; maintains effective working relationships with internal and external partners.

• Human Resources (includes Diversity, Health and Safety, and Principles of Community): Demonstrate concern for all staff; effectively manage all personnel, including direct supervision of academics and staff, and support to any additional FTE in the unit (e.g., students). Makes effective use of personnel expertise to strengthen the team. Responsibilities include oversight of direct reports, conducting and supporting annual evaluations/merits/promotions, professional development planning, coaching, corrective actions, coordinating staff meetings, providing regular communications with all unit personnel about applicable human resources’ policies and procedures.

Reporting Relationship: The Academic Coordinator serves under the administrative and programmatic guidance of the Director of the Nutrition Policy Institute.

Qualifications and Skills Required  Required Qualifications

Education:  A minimum of a Master's degree in public health, nutrition or a related field is required at the time of appointment.  A Ph.D. is preferred.

Additional Requirements
A minimum of 5 years of community or school nutrition or public health-related research and/or evaluation experience. Experience with evaluation study design, instrument development, training, and management of data collection, data management and analysis, and dissemination of results for varied stakeholders including but not limited to professional publications, presentations, research briefs, and through social and mass media. Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously. Demonstrated supervisory experience and experience forging and managing community and academic collaborations. Ability to travel extensively by car and airplane as required. Occasional work on evenings and weekends outside of M-F business hours may be required

A background investigation is required for the successful candidate, including fingerprinting and a criminal history clearance by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

This position is subject to the requirements and compliance of the California’s Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA).  Employment within UC ANR is contingent upon securing written acknowledgement to comply with California law.

Skills Required

To be successful, Academic Coordinators require skills in the following:

Technical Competence and Impact

 The candidate should understand key concepts related to nutrition and health and be able to design and implement programs that lead to positive changes and impact within the community and beyond. 

Communication

Demonstrated excellence in written, oral, interpersonal and information technology communication skills.

Collaboration, Teamwork and Flexibility

Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a team member with others. Able to adapt as circumstances warranted. Promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

Lifelong Learning

Demonstrated commitment to ongoing self-improvement - both professionally and as a person.

Learn more about Skills and Areas of Programmatic Review (including Professional Competence, University and Public Service and Affirmative Action and DEI) at: https://ucanr.edu/sites/Professional_Development/files/355229.pdf

About UC ANR

The University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) consists of a network of scientists and educators working in partnership across California. We are committed to developing and supporting healthy food systems, healthy environments, healthy communities, and healthy Californians. UC ANR administers UC Cooperative Extension UCCE), which is responsible for program development and delivery in the counties throughout the state of California.

Learn more about

• UC ANR at https://UCANR.edu
• Nutrition Policy Institute: https://npi.ucanr.edu/
• Our Strategic Initiatives http://ucanr.edu/sites/StrategicInitiatives/
• Our Public Value statements at https://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/Divisionwide_Planning/UC_ANR_Public_Values/
• DEI: Further to the above, advisors are expected to share and exhibit UC ANR’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion https://ucanr.edu/sites/Professional_Development/Office_-_Team_Management/Diversity_Equity_Inclusion_Belonging/

• Affirmative Action: Further to the above, advisors are expected to share and exhibit UC ANR’s commitment to affirmative action. Learn more of UC ANR Affirmative Action policy: http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/Diversity/Affirmative_Action/
• The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce and will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. We encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ+ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

Salary & Benefits

Salary: The beginning salary will be in the Academic Coordinator III series and commensurate with applicable experience and professional qualifications.  For information regarding the Academic Coordinator series salary scales, please refer to: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2022-23/july-2022-salary-scales/t36-iii.pdf

The academic coordinator position is a one-year renewable term appointment. Performance in this position is evaluated annually with merit actions being evaluated every three years.  Upon completion of a successful review, you may be reappointed for another definite term.  Our intention with this definite term appointment is to reappoint based on positive performance reviews, the continuing need for the position, and available funding support.

Benefits: The University of California offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance, retirement plans, two days per month paid vacation, one day per month paid sick leave, and approximately thirteen paid holidays per year. For more information, refer to the UC Benefits website at: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

How to Apply

If interested in this position, please visit: https://recruit.ucanr.edu/ and choose “applicants” (refer to position #22-57) 

Closing Date: To assure full consideration, application packets must be received by July 18, 2022.

Questions?

Contact Tatiana Avoce; email: tavoce@ucanr.edu

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring work authorization without need of employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment period.”