Research Director
About the Position
Working under the direction of the President and CEO and in consultation with the Director of Legislative and Regulatory Advocacy, the Research Director is responsible for guiding the vision, development and implementation of the California Housing Partnership’s research, policy analysis, and program evaluation efforts to improve federal, state, and regional affordable housing policies and programs. The Research Director is also responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with foundations and other funding sources in coordination with the President and CEO and the Grants Manager.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Policy Analysis and Research
- In partnership with the CEO, plan, direct, and execute the Partnership’s mission-driven and responsive research agenda on technical issues related to affordable housing policy.
- Regularly engage with the Partnership’s leadership and key stakeholders to understand research needs and priorities.
- Leverage existing and develop new strategic partnerships with academic and other nonprofit research organizations in designing and implementing the research agenda.
- Direct the development of research methodologies and data management protocols that promote effective and efficient project execution and build organizational expertise.
- Expand the breadth and depth of the Partnership’s research publications including case studies documenting the benefits of providing affordable housing and clean energy to low-income households while affirmatively furthering fair housing.
Supervision and Team Leadership
- Develop and manage the Research team’s annual goals, research agenda, and work plan in consultation with the President & CEO.
- Manage the Research staff and interns, providing ongoing supervision, coaching, feedback, and support to build their capacity to further the organization’s mission.
- Serve as part of the Partnership’s senior leadership team and contribute to the development and execution of strategic decisions and funding.
- Develop and implement quality assurance protocols to ensure that the Partnership’s research meets the highest possible standards of accuracy while maintaining its applied nature.
General Duties
- Expand the Partnership’s role as a leading source of information regarding the need for and benefits of public investment in affordable sustainable rental housing for low-income households.
- Take a leadership role in developing and maintaining relationships with funding entities to secure grant funding sufficient to fund research initiatives and team overhead.
- Represent the Partnership in presentations to external stakeholders, academics, industry working groups, regional conferences, and policymakers.
- Carry out other related duties as assigned by the CEO.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum of five years’ experience conducting high quality applied policy research, in affordable housing or a closely related field.
- Minimum of three years’ successful experience supervising staff.
- PhD in Public Policy or related field with a focus on housing or closely related area(s). (An additional five years of successful and related experience may be substituted for a PhD if the candidate has a master’s degree in public policy or a closely related field and otherwise meets all qualifications.)
- Demonstrated mastery of relevant statistical principles and methods for data analysis.
- Demonstrated ability to write clearly and persuasively about complicated technical topics for a non-technical audience.
- Expert level ability with Microsoft Office products including Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
- Able and willing to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area, if not a current resident.
- Able and willing to travel within California and occasionally to Washington, D.C. (post-Covid pandemic restrictions).
Equal Opportunity Employer: The California Housing Partnership is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. We strongly encourage qualified people of diverse backgrounds and identities to apply. For more information about the Partnership, visit our website at www.chpc.net.
Compensation: The salary for this position is $160,000. Compensation includes a competitive package of benefits including health, dental, vision, chiropractic/acupuncture, commuter subsidy, health reimbursement account, employee assistance plan, and 403(b) retirement plan.
TO APPLY: Email your cover letter and resume to careers@chpc.net with the subject line “Research Director – [YOUR LAST NAME]”. In your cover letter, please also include a response to the following question: What professional or personal experiences inspire your commitment to community development and social justice?