Manager, Research Impact, Evaluation, and Learning (MRIEL) - School of Public Health

Washington University in St. Louis

1d

About The Position

Reporting to the Executive Director, Networks & Innovation, School of Public Health, the Manager of Research Impact, Evaluation, and Learning (RIEL) ensures that impact is not an afterthought, but a defining feature of SPH’s interdisciplinary research portfolios and partnerships. Housed in the SPH Office of Networks & Innovation, this role provides an essential, faculty-facing service to research teams and networks by supporting impact-oriented research design, strengthening approaches to outcome and impact assessment, and promoting continuous learning and adaptation during implementation. Working closely with ONI personnel, faculty, staff, and partners, the Manager, RIEL integrates continuous learning and adaptive management with rigorous impact assessment and accountability, ensuring that research investments are both effective in real time and credible in demonstrating impact.

Requirements

• Master's degree
• Demonstrated Experience In Research Evaluation And Impact Assessment In Academic, Nonprofit, Government, Or Philanthropic Settings. (5 Years)
• Master’s degree in public health, social sciences, evaluation policy, statistics, business administration, economics or a related field.
• Strong mixed-methods evaluation skills and familiarity with theories of change and logic models.
• Experience producing research impact and evaluation reports for diverse stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Doctoral degree in public health, social sciences, evaluation policy, statistics, economics or a related field.
• Post-graduate training in dissemination and implementation science.
• Experience designing and evaluating complex, multi-sector initiatives, or academic research networks.
• Experience working with community partners, public health agencies, or multi-institutional collaborations.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Familiarity with implementation science frameworks (e.g., RE-AIM, CFIR, PRISM) and dissemination evaluation approaches is beneficial.
• Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy
• Experience Working Within Or Alongside A Research-Intensive University Or Interdisciplinary Research Programs (8 Years)
• Analytical Thinking
• Analytics Software
• Collaboration
• Critical Thinking
• Data Analysis Tools
• Data Visualization
• Facilitation
• Impact Evaluation
• Learning Evaluation
• Multidisciplinary Teamwork
• Organizing
• Project Management
• Public Health
• Stakeholder Partnerships
• Work Collaboratively
• Writing

Responsibilities

• Designs and oversees outcome and impact assessments for mature or completed research initiatives.
• Leads the application of appropriate and effective qualitative and quantitative methods (e.g., contribution analysis, case studies, quasi-experimental designs) to assess policy, practice, and population-level impacts.
• Develops credible impact narratives, case studies, and evidence packages for funders, donors, and external audiences.
• Collaborates closely with ONI Network Managers and faculty to design and maintain evaluation systems to track research outputs, milestones, KPIs, and progress against strategic goals.
• Ensures alignment of evaluation and learning frameworks with institutional strategy, funder requirements, and program theories of change.
• Establishes an evaluation strategy and oversees a cycle of evaluation for complex, interdisciplinary research, and provides leadership for ongoing evaluations, leads synthesis of insights across research networks, programs and projects and ensures lessons learned are disseminated internally and externally (including but not limited to reports, cross-network meetings, and scholarly products)
• Partners with other School of Public Health teams (e.g., Offices Faculty Affairs, Research Affairs, Strategic Initiatives, Communications and Practice) to integrate assessment findings into reports, proposals, and strategic planning processes.
• Works with the ONI Data Team to develop dashboards and other data visualizations to support real-time learning and decision-making across the research networks.
• Maintains accurate records of all RIEL activities, data, and reports.
• Ensures data integrity and confidentiality.
• Prepares comprehensive reports that summarize findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Communicates results to interdisciplinary internal (School and ONI leadership) and diverse external stakeholders (e.g., funders, community collaborators, academic audiences) as appropriate.
• Communicates complex data and findings in concise ways and in accessible formats (e.g., reports, presentations, infographics, and/or stories) that enable informed decision-making and strategic adaptation.
• Builds research impact and evaluation capacity among faculty, staff, and students through guidance, tools, and training.
• Serves as a thought partner to ONI Network Managers and SPH research teams on research impact and evaluation design at the proposal and project inception stages.
• Fosters a culture of learning and continuous improvement within the organization.
• Will lead or contribute to other special projects as assigned.

Benefits

• Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time.
• Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance.
• Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees.
• WashU provides eligible employees with a defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%.
• Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more!
• We offer 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child.
• Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs.
• Need adult care? We’ve got you covered.
• WashU covers the cost of tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager