Job Description:

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application. To avoid formatting issues, we suggest the documents be in PDF format. To be considered for this position, all supplemental questions must be answered.

Position Summary

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research is seeking a full-time Associate Director of Housing and Neighborhoods to oversee research produced in cooperation with a set of partner organizations in and around the Houston region on topics such as housing affordability, homelessness, housing instability, community development, health and safety, housing quality, evictions, gentrification, and segregation. The Associate Director is responsible for establishing, building, and maintaining partnerships with organizations and entities in the Houston area, utilizing research-practice partnership principles. In addition to externally-facing work, the Associate Director of Housing and Neighborhoods will assist in building internal capacity by mentoring, leading, and motivating a team of researchers to develop projects with appropriate methodological rigor while implementing data quality standards and practices. The Associate Director is responsible for improving and sustaining the quality of research at KIUR by providing review and input on research products, communicating findings to wide and varying audiences, and helping lead and strategically plan the development of the Housing and Neighborhoods research center. The Associate Director of Housing and Neighborhoods will work collaboratively with the Director of Housing and Neighborhoods, other center directors, and other leadership throughout the institute.

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research aims to improve lives through data, research, engagement, and action. The institute consists of five research centers focused on critical aspects shaping the social and cultural landscape of the Houston area. The five centers include housing , education , community and public health , economic mobility and inequality , and population dynamics . Each center investigates its topic area and collaborates across centers.To achieve this, each center consists of an interdisciplinary team specializing in solutions-oriented research while using a research-practice partnership (RPP) model to jointly design, develop, and conduct research that values diversity in expertise and prioritizes the community in identifying and addressing some of the most pressing questions and challenges facing Houston and surrounding areas to inform decision-making and bring about systemic change.

The ideal candidate thrives in a team environment, actively leading, collaborating, and motivating others. They will have superior interpersonal, scientific, and numerical skills with meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.

This position offers a hybrid work schedule within Harris County and surrounding counties, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440 work arrangements may be subject to change.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position with a salary of $100,000 annually. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Ph.D. or other Doctoral Degree in housing-related fields, such as sociology, economics, public health, civil engineering, human development, or other social science areas
• 3+ years of postdoctoral experience leading and mentoring research staff and conducting quantitative, qualitative, and/or GIS research projects
• 
  Skills
  
  
  • High proficiency and comprehensive knowledge of information management, knowledge management, and publication management
  • Excellent listening, verbal and written communication, analytical, and research skills
  • Ability to work in a team environment, participate actively, collaborate, and motivate others
  • Excellent scientific and numerical skills with meticulous attention to detail and accuracy
  • Must be able to demonstrate skills such as patience, flexibility, determination, and decisiveness
  
  

Preferences

• One year of experience doing community-engaged or other types of collaborative or partnership research
• Five or more years of experience developing and managing research projects, managing data, and conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses, such as multilevel modeling, causal modeling, quasi-experimental methods, survey design, interviews
• Four or more years of experience leading a team and supervising others
• Adaptable to change and able to think creatively to address issues
• Works well in a fast-paced and dynamic environment

Essential Functions

• Establishes, builds, and maintains relationships and partnerships with community organizations and other external stakeholders in the Houston area
• Leads the research design and supervises the analysis of multiple projects
• Performs research by conducting independent studies, facilitating other ongoing research, and developing and validating new protocols, methodologies, and/or theories
• Assists and oversees by producing research products (e.g., research briefs, presentations, interactive data tools) for partner organizations, foundations, and broader audiences, including public and conference presentations
• Actively works to improve the institute's reputation and research capabilities
• Seeks new research grant opportunities
• Must be an adept leader who can mentor, supervise, and train a team of researchers at various stages in their career
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Locates new data and acquires any necessary permissions needed to use, extract, and merge data with data from other sources (including real estate listings and tax assessment data)
• Collects, organizes, manages, and maintains original data as needed, as well as works with KIUR's data team to secure original and existing data products
• Analyzes data according to the research agenda
• Consults and plans with the Senior Director of Research, the Housing and Neighborhood research center director, and other staff to develop, strategize, and facilitate the research process
• Professional development through travel to conferences and seminars for networking, training, and presentation of grant-related research
• Directs and distributes the workload of staff researchers
• Co-presents grant-related research findings at appropriate professional conferences
• Establishes a communication strategy, including setting regular meetings with community partners
• Attends weekly staff and research team meetings

Kinder Institute for Urban Research https://kinder.rice.edu/

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