Senior Research Associate

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Senior Research Associate (TTL)

Building Changes seeks a Senior Research Associate to implement sections of Building Changes’

Research and Evaluation plan. The position will focus on producing applied research and evaluation

relevant for policy and practice on topics identified through collaboration with partners and Building

Changes staff with the goal of improving services, supports, and outcomes for students, youth, and

families experiencing homelessness. This position will be involved in the evaluation of various Building

Changes’ projects such as:

• Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP): This project aims to reduce homelessness for

youth and young adults exiting publicly funded systems of care. The project aims to provide

flexible funding and Diversion support to help young people secure safe housing through a

centralized Diversion model and is located in 6 different counties across the state.

Homelessness Prevention & Diversion Fund (HPDF):

This project aims to reduce homelessness for youth and young adults across the state. The project aims to provide flexible funding and Diversion support to help young people secure safe housing through a centralized Diversion model and is located in 9 different counties across the state.

About Building Changes

Vision

Communities thrive when people have safe and stable housing and can equitably access and use services.

Mission

Building Changes advances equitable responses to homelessness in Washington State, with a focus on children, youth, and families and the systems that serve them.

Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging are more than just words to Building Changes;

they are the practices that guide how we operate as an organization, how we do our work, and

how we interact with each other, our partners, and communities at large. We believe that to

achieve our mission of advancing equitable responses to homelessness, our organization and

workplace must represent people of all identities, backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and

perspectives. Therefore, we encourage interested candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply,

even if they are not certain they meet every expectation of the role.

Values

Building Changes’ work is grounded in these core values: Equity, People, Partnerships, and

Integrity.

For more information, visit BuildingChanges.org

Building Changes believes every member of our staff deserves a full family living wage, and we are proud to be a

Certified Leading Living Wage For US (Plus) Employer.

The goals of this body of work are to:

• Continue supporting the aforementioned work and projects through the data infrastructure.

• Collect and analyze data and share learnings from Building Changes’ projects and facilitate cross-systems collaboration.

• Use learnings to inform strategies and develop tools for addressing the unique needs of youth

experiencing homelessness.

• Influence policy and advocate in a data-informed way for adequate, sustainable resources, and

capacity for the housing systems.

• Hold the education, health, and housing systems accountable to advance and adopt racially

equitable and culturally responsive policies, practices, and community partnerships.

Responsibilities of this position will include:

• Conducting project evaluation, research, and technical assistance—including partner

consultation—methodological design, qualitative and qualitative data collection and

management, analysis, and interpretation and presentation of findings.

• Managing the data infrastructure of the two projects described above.

• Integrating qualitative methods and data into the research and evaluation of projects at Building

Changes.

• Working in partnership with Building Changes’ Practice Innovation, Policy/Advocacy, and

Communications staff to write reports and deliver presentations for both layperson and

technical audiences; and developing summary materials such as slides, briefs, fact sheets, and

interactive data dashboards to share findings with communities and influence policy and

practice.

• Working in partnership with Building Changes’ Development staff to provide accurate and

relevant research and data to support grant proposals.

• Reviewing and staying abreast of research literature, methodological developments, and data

visualization techniques.

• Summarizing and distributing findings internally; and providing consultation to staff on research

and evaluation principles and methods.

• Representing Building Changes externally at conferences, on committees, in workgroups, and in

other venues as necessary.

• Helping to shape and refine the Building Changes’ Research and Evaluation strategy.

• Other duties as assigned.

The successful candidate will have a combination of the following skills and experience:

• Knowledge of managing datasets, writing up Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and

overseeing data infrastructure for multiple communities. At least 1-2 years of experience is

preferred.*

• Knowledge of qualitative research and evaluation methods and ethical principles. At least 2 years

of experience is preferred.*

• Demonstrated skill in analyzing qualitative and quantitative data and sharing learnings with

wider audiences.

• Ability to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure varied accountability and

system improvement initiatives and collaboration effectiveness across all stakeholder groups.

• Ability to create regular reports and visualizations to communicate network insights to internal

and external stakeholders.

• Ability to provide data on internal functions and processes to ensure resource needs are

identified and met in an approach that begins at ensuring efficiency of current resource use.

• Ability to support department leaders, and as needed, other organizational leaders, in identifying

resource needs; lead efforts to enhance systems, collect and analyze data, and ensure

appropriate resources are secured; and provide leadership with data-driven insights to support

informed decision-making.

• Experience working with communities to provide technical assistance on data infrastructure. At

least 2 years of experience is preferred.

• Experience conducting project evaluation. At least 2 years of experience is preferred.

• Familiarity with Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and other data privacy laws at a local,

state, and federal level.

• Experience collecting primary data (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups).

• Experience with dashboard and survey software such as Tableau, Jotform, and SurveyMonkey.

• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including the ability to summarize complex

methods and findings for both technical and layperson audiences.

• Excellent organizational and time management skills; proven ability to manage multiple projects

and move them forward to completion on time.

• Ability to work collaboratively within and across interdisciplinary teams.

• Experience working in content areas focusing on underserved populations.

• A strong commitment to racial equity.

Other desired qualities and experience include:

• Familiarity with Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data.

• Experience in obtaining, managing, and analyzing large administrative datasets.

• Experience in statistical analysis software and/or programming languages (R, STATA, SPSS, or

similar).

• Knowledge and experience working in the housing crisis response and/or education and/or

health sectors.

• Excellent data interpretation and visualization skills, with the ability to present insights relevant

to various stakeholder types.

• Strong understanding of organizational behavior, culture change principles, and stakeholder

management.

• Commitment to data privacy and ethical considerations in network analysis, especially when

dealing with external stakeholder data.

• Leadership experience in using tools and systems to support innovation and growth within a

mission-driven organization.

• Demonstrated experience centering equity in research and evaluation activities.

*Note: In our effort to conduct an inclusive search for qualified candidates, this position does not

require an advanced degree. Educational attainment will be considered along with lived experiences.

Building Changes is currently employing a hybrid work model. This position requires some local and

statewide travel across Washington State, including at least once per month to the Building Changes

headquarters in Seattle, Washington.

This position is term-limited based on available funding, with its duration contingent on continued

financial support.

The salary for this position is $77,500. We offer excellent health, time off, retirement, and other

benefits. To apply for this position, please email cover letter and resume to: hr@buildingchanges.org –

Subject: Senior Research Associate.

Building Changes is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong organizational commitment to building a

diverse workforce. Individuals identifying as Black, Indigenous, people of color, having lived experience

with homelessness, and/or LGBTQ+ are strongly encouraged to apply.