Research Director

Background

The Center for Impact Finance is part of the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. The Center has a mission to equip the community development finance field with the products, tools, skills, and connections to address inequality and foster economic, social, and environmental resilience. The Center provides support services to community development lenders, investors, and policymakers working across the United States, Tribal Nations, and U.S. territories.

Summary

The Research Director position will be a high-level position responsible for directing and supporting the Center’s research agenda including the design and development of projects, supervision of the staff, and oversight of the budget as well as maintaining a personal research agenda.

The Director will be expected to play a key role in helping the Center meet its goals of conducting rigorous and timely research, solving development finance institutions’ most challenging financial problems, and training and mentoring the next generation of development finance practitioners.

The Research Director will be responsible for the growth and strategic development of the research function and quality assurance across subject areas, projects, publications, and consulting engagements.

Responsibilities

• Leadership of CSCIF’s research efforts and implementation of a research and consulting agenda that furthers CSCIF’s mission to build a world in which communities are socially, economically, and environmentally safe and healthy with the capacity to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience and where all people − especially communities of color, Native Nations, and those who are under-resourced − are able to reach their full potential, supported by equal access to responsible capital.
• Leadership of CSCIF as part of the management team committed to and advancing research, capacity building, collaborative design, financial innovation, and consulting that responds to the emerging needs of the field of impact finance and advances innovative and impactful practices within it.
• Fulfilling a leadership role in funding the Center’s research function by identifying funding sources, developing grant proposals, and fostering relationships with research funders as principal investigator.
• Management of research and consulting engagements under the guidance of other principal investigators at the Center, with responsibilities in budget oversight, support for client and funder relationships, development and implementation of work plans, research and writing in support of reports and publications, and preparation and delivery of presentations.
• Management of staff; as the research function grows, will manage consultants and partner relationships.
• Working in collaboration with Center partners and other thought leaders (including funders, investors, practitioners, regulators, and academics), to increase the visibility of the Center, secure resources to support its research agenda, and to help ensure the ongoing relevance of its work to key external stakeholders.
• Collaboration with other faculty and researchers within the Carsey School of Public Policy, including its other research centers, and other faculty and researchers in related fields at the University, on research and other academic initiatives that are of shared importance.

Requirements

• Ph.D. degree in Public Policy, Planning, Community Development, Business, Law, Environmental Studies, Public Health, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in research related to community development, finance, health, environment, or related field.
• Ability to be self-directed, setting operational goals with minimal direct supervision.
• Demonstrated history of obtaining external research funding with potential to contribute meaningfully to the Center’s funding success.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects and budgets. Good organization skills, detail orientation, and the ability to prioritize and multi-task. Demonstrated ability to complete tasks in real time in a diversity of team settings.
• Strong research and data analysis skills, both quantitative and qualitative.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, experience effectively managing multiple projects across different internal and external constituents to drive results.
• Record of excellent financial analysis and demonstrated ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative information, particularly related to community development finance, and to synthesize findings for decisions making.
• Proven record of excellent writing and oral communication skills.
• Experience in using data analysis and visualization software (e.g. Stata, R, Tableau, Python) and the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively with co-workers and representatives from the non-profit, corporate, philanthropic, and public sectors, and with a diverse range of individuals and organizations.
• Ability to complete tasks in a fast-paced and self-motivated environment in a timely and efficient manner.
• Demonstrated commitment to the community development sector and the critical role of nonprofit organizations in driving social change.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is complemented by a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental, retirement, tuition, and paid time off.

How to Apply

Apply at: https://jobs.usnh.edu/postings/57765