JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY
The Director of Research and Evaluation is directly supervised by the Chief Accountability Officer and is situated within the Data, Research, Evaluation, and Assessment (DREA) division. This position leads the district’s research, evaluation, and analytic reporting functions in support of instructional leadership, improved student outcomes, and evidence-based decision-making.
The Director of Research and Evaluation is responsible for ensuring the timely completion and clear communication of analytic products and evaluation reports, maintaining continuity of ongoing work while responding to emerging district priorities, and supervising staff to ensure accountability for assigned work products and timelines. Additionally, the position manages capacity, scope, and prioritization by coordinating across departments to ensure expectations are realistic, appropriately sequenced, and achievable.
WORK MONTHS
12 months
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
1.
Lead and manage the Research and Evaluation function , ensuring the planning, execution, quality assurance, and on-time delivery of research studies, program evaluations, and analytic reports aligned to district priorities.
2. Oversee the Data Reporting Team, including responsibility for the development and delivery of district insight reports; the ongoing administration and governance of the Qualtrics survey platform; the creation, maintenance, documentation, and updating of interactive data reports and other data requests—including, but not limited to, ad hoc requests, monthly reports, data dashboards, progress monitoring tools,
analytic code, and insight reports; and the provision of staff training to support effective use of interactive reports, dashboards, and other data tools.
3. Establish, maintain and implement
clear work plans, timelines, and deliverables for research and evaluation projects, ensuring transparency of expectations for staff and stakeholders.
4. Supervise, hire, and evaluate assigned staff, including setting clear performance expectations; monitoring progress toward deliverables; providing timely feedback, coaching, and course correction; and holding staff accountable for the timely and high-quality completion of assigned work.
5. Balance
new requests with existing commitments , ensuring the status quo work of the department is maintained while incorporating emerging priorities.
6. Proactively
manage workload and capacity , including elevating concerns regarding scope, staffing, or competing priorities to the Chief of DREA with recommended options and trade-offs.
7. Coordinate with internal district partners to
align timelines, clarify roles, and prevent duplicative or conflicting work , supporting cross-departmental collaboration rather than siloed execution.
8. Oversee the design and execution of program evaluations, including logic model development, appropriate methodological approaches, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
9. Serve as Chair of the Pittsburgh Public Schools Internal Review Board (IRB), ensuring compliance with FERPA, PPRA, and district research governance standards.
10. Monitor and oversee research conducted by external partners, ensuring alignment with district goals, approved protocols, and agreed-upon timelines.
11. Translate complex research findings into
clear, actionable insights for non-technical audiences, including district leadership, school leaders, and external stakeholders.
12. Participate in departmental and individual planning, goal-setting, and progress monitoring activities.
13. Represent the district with external agencies and professional organizations related to research, evaluation, and data use.
14. Other relevant duties as assigned by supervisor in support of the department’s or school’s goals and objectives and the District’s mission and Superintendent’s Priority Goals.
EDUCATION REQUIRED
- Bachelor’s degree in Educational Assessment, Research, Evaluation, Statistics, Mathematics, Data Analytics, Data Science, Public Health, or a related field with minimum of 10 years experience in educational research, evaluation, data analytics, or a closely related field including at least 5 years of direct supervisory experience.
- Master’s Degree in Educational Assessment, Research, Evaluation, Statistics, Mathematics, Data Analytics, Data Science, Public Health, or a related field with minimum of 6 years of experience in educational research, evaluation, data analytics, or a closely related field including at least 5 years of direct supervisory experience.
- Doctorate (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) preferred
CERTIFICATION/LICENSURE REQUIRED
None required
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 10 years of experience in educational research, evaluation, data analytics, or a closely related field, including at least 5 years of direct supervisory experience.
- Masters degree with a minimum of 6 years of experience in educational research, evaluation, data analytics, or a closely related field, including at least 5 years of direct supervisory experience.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES
· Demonstrated ability to manage teams responsible for complex analytic products, including reports, dashboards, and survey systems
· Strong understanding of data reporting pipelines, dashboard lifecycle management, and analytic code maintenance
· Experience overseeing survey design, administration, governance, and data quality (e.g., Qualtrics or similar platforms)
· Proven ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining operational continuity
· Strong project management, communication, and organizational skills
· Ability to translate technical analysis into clear narratives for decision-makers.
· Demonstrated experience in staff supervision, project management, and delivery of complex work products. Direct Supervisory experience refers to direct supervision of staff, including responsibility for work assignment, performance feedback, and accountability for deliverables.
· Proficiency in Microsoft office suite software including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerBI, and PowerPoint
· Enthusiastic about the fundamental goal of advancing student achievement in an urban public school district.
- Value, demonstrate, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion .
WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The working conditions and physical requirements described here are representative of, but not limited to, those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made.
- Office-based work with regular use of computers and virtual meeting platforms
- Periodic attendance at meetings outside standard work hours
APPLICANT ELIGIBILE CRITERIA
N/A
CITY OF PITTSBURGH RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
This position does not have a residency requirement.
