Community Support Hub Research and Evaluation Specialist

About the role

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the School of Social Sciences are hiring a Community Support Hub Research & Evaluation Specialist to serve as an embedded liaison at the United Way of Greater Houston.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the primary point of contact for data-related inquiries sent to the Support Hub via email, phone, and the website in partnership with the United Way of Greater Houston’s Coffee and Quality team.
• Responds promptly and professionally to ensure clarity, accuracy, and excellent customer service in response to inquiries.
• Contributes to the project management or ticketing system to assess the scope, urgency, and complexity of Support Hub requests to determine next steps.
• Maintains a clear, accessible, and user-friendly workflow for data requests.
• Develops expert-level knowledge of the United Way of Greater Houston’s scope of work and the mission of Coffee and Quality programming, alongside understanding Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research expertise, to route inquiries to the appropriate departments or subject-matter experts.
• Establishes and monitors performance metrics to ensure processes produce effective and timely outcomes.
• Proactively identifies gaps and independently moves solutions from proposal to execution.
• Buils strong working relationships across various grant stakeholders to ensure coordinated and effective efforts are made for the Support Hub’s impact.
• Translates conceptual ideas into structured processes, practical tools, and implementable systems, and facilitates conversations that clarify needs and move discussions toward actionable next steps.
• Manages expectations and provides regular updates to requestors.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in sociology, economics, another social science, public health, or a related field, and completion of a university-level course, thesis, or dissertation.
• 2+ years of experience in the following: 2–5 years of professional experience in research, evaluation, applied data analysis, or program measurement.
• Demonstrated ability to compile, analyze, interpret, and visualize quantitative and qualitative data.
• Proficiency in Excel, Tableau, and Power BI.
• Demonstrated understanding of evaluation methodologies, including outcome measurement and program assessment.
• Experience developing or improving workflows, systems, or operational processes.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to move ideas from concept to implementation.
• Able to manage multiple requests and competing priorities.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in sociology, economics, another social science, public health, or a related field, and one year of experience in the following: Familiarity with logic models, theories of change, and continuous quality improvement frameworks.
• Experience designing surveys and conducting quantitative or mixed-method evaluations.
• Experience working with data systems, reporting processes, or institutional research.
• Familiarity with project management tools or ticketing systems.
• Experience building new processes or programs from the ground up.

Skills

• Project management with a strong focus on structure, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to take initiative, adapt approaches, and take ownership to follow through with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including proofreading.
• Excellent customer-service orientation and professionalism.

Benefits

Details about benefits will be provided upon hire.

Pay

$65,000 Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Schedule

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work within Harris County and surrounding counties to provide flexibility and support collaboration.