Community Evaluator, Research Scientist 3

About the role

The Community Evaluator serves as a senior evaluation and research scientist for the Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives (OSHII), providing scientific leadership for evaluation, surveillance, applied research, and continuous quality improvement across multiple statewide public health initiatives, including the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) and Cannabis and Substance Use Prevention (CSUP) efforts.

Responsibilities

• Plan, design, implement, and continuously improve assessment, evaluation, surveillance, and applied research activities for OSHII.
• Provide consultation, expertise, and direction on evaluation and research methodology, implementation science, data analysis, and program monitoring to internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead preparation of peer-reviewed journal articles, data dashboards, policy briefs, and conference presentations summarizing the impact and outcomes of community health improvement efforts.
• Participate in strategic planning, assessment, and evaluation activities related to community health improvement initiatives and statewide prevention efforts.
• Maintain knowledge of the science base, evaluation methodologies, implementation science, research, and analytic approaches to evaluate community-based health improvement interventions.
• Collaborate with researchers, epidemiologists, evaluators, and other public health professionals to lead the dissemination of research findings through reports, publications, and presentations that influence decision-making and improve the health of Minnesotans.

Requirements

• Four (4) years' experience conducting public health research, program evaluation, surveillance, epidemiology, implementation science, or applied research.
• Experience planning, designing, and implementing research, program evaluation, surveillance, or applied research projects, including developing evaluation methodologies and data collection processes.
• Experience collecting, managing, analyzing, and interpreting quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods data to evaluate programs and translating findings to support decision-making for program improvement.
• Experience providing consultation or technical expertise on research methods, evaluation design, data analysis, or program monitoring to internal or external stakeholders.
• Experience preparing and presenting technical reports, publications, dashboards, or presentations that communicate research or evaluation findings to professional and non-technical audiences.

Qualifications

• A related degree in public health, epidemiology, statistics, biostatistics, data science, health services research, social or behavioral sciences, psychology, sociology, evaluation, or another closely related field will substitute for experience as follows: Doctorate may substitute for two (2) years of experience. Master's degree may substitute for 18 months of experience. Bachelor's degree may substitute for one (1) year of experience. Associate's degree may substitute for six months of experience.

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to develop, conduct, and communicate complex research, evaluation, and data findings to technical and non-technical audiences through written and verbal presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships and provide consultation or technical expertise to multidisciplinary teams and diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple complex projects, prioritize competing deadlines, and apply sound professional judgment to solve complex problems.

Benefits

• Paid vacation and sick leave
• 12 paid holidays each year
• Low-cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug plans
• Fertility care, including IVF
• Dental and orthodontic care for adults and children
• 6 weeks paid leave for parents of newborn or newly adopted children
• Pension plan that provides income when you retire (after working at least three years)
• Employer paid life insurance to provide support for your family in the event of death
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance that can provide income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury
• Tax-free expense accounts for health, dental, and dependent care