Reports to: Momentous Institute Executive Director
Status: Full-time, Salary Exempt
(Compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience.)
Momentous Institute has been dedicated to strengthening the mental health of children, families, and communities for over a century. Through innovative mental health services, our nationally recognized Momentous School, and professional training for educators, doctoral students, and other child-serving professionals, we generate evidence-based insights that extend the impact of our work far beyond those we directly serve. Research plays a vital role in the organization’s overall work by helping deepen understanding, evaluate effectiveness, inform practice, and share learning that strengthens outcomes for children and families. Grounded in integrity, collaboration, and continuous learning, research at Momentous Institute helps ensure that our services, programs, and partnerships are guided by evidence and aligned with our vision of a world of emotionally thriving people reaching their full potential.
Role: The Senior Director, Research & Impact serves as a steward of scientific integrity, evidence, and intellectual coherence across Momentous Institute. This role helps hold responsibility for how knowledge is generated, interpreted, integrated, and translated across programs, research, content, and product development.
As a member of the executive leadership team, the Senior Director, Research & Impact reports to and serves as a strategic advisor to the Executive Director, supporting the organizational vision by informing long-range strategy and high-level decision-making through a rigorous, systems-oriented scientific lens. This role will oversee research operations and staff; it ensures that the Institute’s work remains grounded in sound science while responsive to the complexity of real-world practice.
The Senior Director, Research & Impact exercises influence through expertise, collaboration, and executive partnership, while ultimate organizational authority and vision-setting remain with the Executive Director.
Responsibilities:
· Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director on organizational strategy, priorities, and tradeoffs.
· Advise and partner with the Executive Director in shaping the scientific and evidence-based dimensions of the Institute’s vision.
· Ensure research is a driver of decisions in service delivery, school-based initiatives, content development, and product strategy.
· Contribute to long-range planning and organizational decision-making as a member of the executive leadership team.
· Provide executive oversight of the research and evaluation function through direct supervision of the Research and Evaluation Department.
· Set scientific standards, methodological expectations, and learning priorities across the organization.
· Ensure the integrity, relevance, and usability of research, evaluation, and data efforts.
· Oversee long-term research initiatives, including longitudinal studies and applied evaluation efforts.
· While not directly supervising programs, content, or product teams, the Senior Director, Research & Impact works collaboratively with department leads to integrate research into program design, implementation, and continuous improvement. Ensuring organizational decisions are grounded in scientific rigor.
· Collaborate with content and product leaders to ensure accurate and responsible translation of research into external-facing materials.
· Promote cross-team alignment through shared frameworks, a common language, and unified evidence standards.
· Represent Momentous Institute as a scientific leader in mental health with funders, partners, and the broader field.
· Present at local and national conferences and contribute to professional convenings.
· Partner with the Development team on grant-funded initiatives, including creating and reviewing research budgets, timelines, and deliverables.
· Develop and implement a strategy to identify, pursue, and manage research-specific grant opportunities as organizational capacity grows.
· Publish or oversee peer-reviewed and applied research as appropriate to the role.
· Lead, mentor, and develop members of the Research & Evaluation team.
· Foster a culture of inquiry, learning, and evidence-informed decision-making.
· Model servant leadership and embody Momentous Institute’s core values of Commitment, Respectfulness, Humility, Innovation, and Stewardship.
Required Qualifications:
· Ph.D. in psychology (developmental, clinical, experimental), education, or a related field.
· Minimum 10 years of professional experience conducting and overseeing research and evaluation, with increasing leadership responsibility.
· Proven success developing and securing significant external funding to support a robust research portfolio, including major grants from federal agencies and private foundations. Strong record of peer-reviewed publication and applied scholarship.
· Significant experience conducting and overseeing research and evaluation in education, community mental health settings, and/or applied settings.
· Experience leading and developing research teams.
· Demonstrated ability to operate at both strategic and applied levels within complex organizations.
Knowledge & Skills:
· Deep expertise in child development, education, and mental health.
· Demonstrated executive presence and exceptional communication skills, with the ability to represent Momentous Institute credibly and persuasively to boards, funders, and national audiences.
· Strong grounding in research design, evaluation methodologies using quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and longitudinal research.
· Ability to translate complex research into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences.
· Systems thinker with strong judgment and intellectual humility.
· High integrity and demonstrated ability to work across complex cross-functional environments, translating research into actionable insights that inform practice, operational strategy, product development, and continuous improvement.
Personal Attributes
· Strategic and integrative thinker
· Collaborative and relational leader
· Comfortable holding complexity and ambiguity
· Curious, disciplined, and pragmatic
· Committed to equity, ethics, and organizational learning
The ideal candidate will exhibit Momentous Institute’s core values:
Commitment, Respectfulness, Humility, Innovation, Stewardship
Physical Demands:
· Occasionally ascending or descending ladders, stairs, ramps, and the like.
· Occasionally moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces.
· Constantly remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods.
· Occasionally adjusting or moving objects up to 15 pounds in all directions
· Occasionally operating motor vehicles
· Occasionally assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned.
Interested:
Applications are currently being accepted, and the position will remain open until filled. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
To apply, please submit a letter of interest and resume/cv to:
Dr. Jessica Gomez, Psy.D., LP
Executive Director
Bilingual Licensed Psychologist
[email protected]
Momentous Institute/Salesmanship Club of Dallas is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive company culture and maintains a policy of non-discrimination for all employees and applicants in every facet of the organization’s operations. Momentous Institute hires, trains, and promotes all qualified employees without discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, military status, disability, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background investigation, including a check of the National Sex Offender Registry.
Policy Statement
No form of abuse will be tolerated, and confirmed abuse will result in immediate termination. Momentous Institute/ Salesmanship Club of Dallas will fully cooperate with authorities if allegations of abuse are made requiring investigation.
Pay: $160,000.00 - $190,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 403(b)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid parental leave
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
