Director, Research & Evaluation, Kids

Job Description

Director, Research & Evaluation, PBS KIDS (Hybrid)

Department: Learning & Research

Corporate Area: PBS KIDS

Status: Full-Time/Regular/Exempt/Grant (This position is fully funded through September 30, 2023 and will be renewed based on receipt of additional federal appropriations approval.)

Supervisor: Head of Learning & Research

Position Overview:

The position is partially funded by a Ready To Learn (RTL) grant from the US Department of Education to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS. Under this project, CPB and PBS partner with producers, curriculum experts, outreach partners, and researchers to develop, distribute, and evaluate children's educational media, and employ innovative strategies to increase use at home, in the community, and in schools. The Director of Research & Evaluation will focus on supporting CPB-PBS Ready To Learn and PBS KIDS research activities, especially those measuring children's knowledge, skills, and practices via their engagement with PBS KIDS media. This person will also lend research expertise to the PBS KIDS team and support overall strategy and oversight across a wider set of PBS KIDS educational research efforts.

Key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
• Serve as the PBS KIDS liaison to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, evaluation agencies and content producers in evaluation efforts focused on measuring the impact of PBS KIDS media on children's knowledge, skills, and practices, including synthesizing stakeholder feedback, and representing those ideas in project-wide meetings or conference calls;

• Serve as a thought partner to the Director of Research supporting the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB);

• Support formative research of PBS KIDS media by reviewing and commenting on research protocols, instruments and reports and participating in data collection as needed;

• Provide technical support to research initiatives at PBS KIDS, including reviewing and commenting on research design documents, surveys, UX testing protocols and other research materials;

• Support capacity development in the public media station and producer communities by organizing training meetings focused on research practices;

• Participate in and occasionally lead efforts to disseminate research findings;

• Foster academic partnerships with a view toward research funding and independent summative studies;

• Participate in fulfilling data analysis requests;

• Undertake literature reviews as needed;

• Maintain an up-to-date collection of research reports and papers accessible to the PBS KIDS team.

Requirements for success:
• Masters or Ph.D. in child development, early childhood education, learning sciences, children's media studies, developmental psychology or appropriate related field strongly preferred;

• Knowledge of the current literature in at least one of the fields listed above;

• Knowledge of research design and methodologies related to the measurement of educational impact of children's media, including impact on or mediated by secondary audiences such as parents and educators;

• Experience conducting or overseeing research on the impact of educational interventions, preferably media-based;

• Experience working with or overseeing data analysis on large data sets;

• Experience working closely with foundations and/or managing relationships with grant project officers to ensure program success;

• Experience working closely with children's media production teams;

• Project oversight and management skills including work scopes, contracting, strategic plans, project plans, project timelines, day-to-day management and communications, responsibility and accountability management;

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in educational media research projects;

• Strong verbal and presentation skills, ability to present complex information in an accessible way to a variety of stakeholders, including media producers, research colleagues, senior management and funders;

• Strong writing skills;

• Strong strategic thinking skills, ability to anticipate future research needs given the rapidly changing children's media landscape;

• Strong team player and collaborator.

• Must have received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by date of hire to be considered. Proof of vaccination required.

PBS is an Equal Opportunity Employer in accordance with the EEOC and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-g32po5-13-58-112-1-42 in your application.