The TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health (TMW Center) is an interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Chicago that develops and scales evidence-based interventions designed to support parents and caregivers in their efforts to optimize the foundational brain development of children, birth to three years, through talk and interaction. TMW curricula integrate neuroscience, early childhood development research, adult learning strategies and stakeholder feedback on a multimedia platform. Our approach harnesses technology, works across systems, and informs how to bring best practices and interventions that work to scale.

Job Summary
 

The Managing Director of Research & Innovation will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer and oversee strategic development of TMW Center’s suite of tools, technologies, and programs aligned with the TMW Center mission and vision.

Responsibilities

Research Design

• Lead innovation on research methodology to more deeply integrate program delivery, data collection, and analysis.
• Design studies and evaluations to further develop TMW Center tools, interventions, and delivery models.
• Work closely with PI to define high-level lines of inquiry and priorities; align current and future projects and initiatives in service of these.
• Build models for effective program delivery and data collection through partners (identify core components of TMW Center programs, create practice profiles of facilitator and/or agency to deliver program, identify supports needed at site, system, and TMW Center levels).

Innovation

• Oversee the incubation of new research initiatives, including the ECM and SPEAK CAT tools.
• Launch new initiatives, projects, and studies; be accountable for progress and success.
• Define initiative/project goals, roles, and responsibilities; build and formalize team; monitor and report on progress to goals.

Operations

• Develop/refine operational structure, processes, and procedures to ensure deep collaboration, coordination, and cross-functional work across analysis, tech, testing, and program teams.
• Develop and implement mechanisms/procedures to ensure cross-team collaboration and feedback loops of research findings to inform program and content development and delivery.
• In coordination with COO and Manager of Operations & Staff/Student Development, align staffing to projects and priorities.
• Lead change management to implement new structures and processes.
• In coordination with Tech Lead and Data Specialist, ensure that TMW Center data and technology systems are structured and supported in service of ongoing program delivery and deep learning and analysis.
• In coordination with the Manager of Research Analysis, ensure that TMW Center data collection, cleaning, and storage procedures maintain high levels of accuracy, security, and availability.
• Track grant metrics and contribute to relevant funding proposals and reports.

Other

• Provides expertise to researchers on compliance of research activities with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies, procedures, directives and mandates.
• Improves financial, personnel, planning, compliance and other administrative aspects of research project. Collaborates with other researchers on long-range plans for research projects. Leads, investigates, modifies and applies new procedures, techniques or applications of technology. Establishes goals and operating procedures, practices, and guidelines.
• Performs other related work as needed.