What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Research and Evaluation position at Florida Virtual School?
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FLVS does not discriminate in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, genetic information or any other reason prohibited by law.
Our team members enjoy competitive salaries, a well-rounded benefits package, generous paid time off (including 25 holidays, vacation, and sick leave), and an array of professional development opportunities. We’re always looking to add to our team of more than 3,000 dedicated professionals who are leading online education worldwide with transformative digital solutions – personalized to every student.
Job Posting End Date:
Deadline to apply is 11:59 PM on
11-03-2025
Job Title:
Director of Research and Evaluation
Contract Type:
Employee
Annual Salary:
$89,633.00 - $197,193.00
(Support staff salary will be based on internal equity and experience)
Location:
FL - HOME OFFICE
Job Description Summary:
Our Mission is to equip students for success by developing and delivering highly effective digital learning through an intuitive online platform.FLVS does not discriminate in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, genetic information or any other reason prohibited by law.
The Position:
Position General Summary:
The Director of Research and Evaluation leads efforts to drive continuous improvement and informed decision-making across the organization. This role partners closely with executive and senior leadership to embed evidence-based practices and leverage data-driven insights that shape strategic direction, operational excellence, and innovation. As a key member of the Strategy department, the Director manages research and evaluation initiatives and ensures alignment with organizational goals to enhance institutional effectiveness.
Essential Position Functions:
- Position the Research and Evaluation team as the expert on research and evaluation practices, ensuring that findings are methodologically sound, recommendations are valued, and external stakeholders view the work as legitimate and professionally executed.
- Lead a cross-functional Research Committee and facilitate the development of a comprehensive research agenda aligned with Florida Virtual School’s strategic goals and operational needs; publish and provide progress updates regularly that incorporate feedback from internal and external stakeholders.
- Develop, manage, and evaluate programs and activities to ensure efficient operations and alignment with strategic and school improvement priorities.
- Lead strategic research initiatives that generate actionable insights and elevate the organization's profile in educational research.
- Design and manage research projects, including data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
- Conduct efficacy studies to assess the impact of instructional programs, digital products, and services on student outcomes.
- Oversee evaluation efforts, including ROI analyses of programs and grant-funded initiatives.
- Prioritize both grant-funded and non-grant-funded research partnerships to deliver impactful studies and insights.
- Oversee the development and implementation of surveys and focus groups in collaboration with departments and initiatives; ensure tools are designed to capture meaningful insights and analyze and present findings in formats that support actionable decision-making and continuous improvement.
- Collaborate with departments across the organization to design and administer research and evaluation initiatives; synthesize and present results in accessible formats that support the dissemination of actionable findings and data-informed decision-making.
- Support curriculum and instruction teams with evidence-based strategies to improve student learning and achievement.
- Collaborate with MarCom to publish and present research, positioning FLVS as a thought leader in online education.
- Leverage customer and market insights and user experience data to inform product development, optimize service delivery, and enhance stakeholder engagement through data-driven decision making.
- Partner with Product and Sales teams to plan and evaluate research-driven initiatives and grants.
- Provide strategic input on product development, integrating research outcomes (e.g., University of Florida collaborations) into scalable models.
- Identify opportunities to monetize successful research through products and services.
- Foster collaboration across cross-functional teams to drive innovation and continuous improvement.
- Oversee the accreditation process for FLVS and FlexPoint systems and schools, translating feedback into actionable improvements
- Provide results to a larger audience through state and national conferences and symposiums.
- Present findings to diverse audiences, including the Board of Trustees, Executive Team, educators, and parents.
- Keep the Senior Director informed about critical issues and operational status.
- Lead and manage assigned direct reports, supporting professional and personal growth.
- Meet professional obligations through efficient work habits, including meeting deadlines, coordinating resources, and demonstrating respect for others.
- All work responsibilities are subject to having performance goals and/or targets established.
(These essential functions are not to be construed as a complete statement of all duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other job related duties as required.)
Minimum Requirements:
Education/Licensure/Certification:
- Master’s degree in education, business administration, marketing, or a related field required
- Doctorate degree with a focus on measurement, evaluation, analytics, or a related discipline preferred
Experience:
- Eight years’ progressive experience in research and evaluation
- Five years’ experience in a leadership capacity.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's):
- Knowledge of state and national virtual learning and education policies, trends, and best practices
- Ability to analyze legislation and identify relevant information
- Strong organizational, project management, research, and analytical skills
- Ability to clearly communicate FLVS’s policy positions to stakeholders in ways that engender respect and strengthen FLVS’s relationships with those stakeholders over time
- Ability to provide strategic leadership and address relevant strategic challenges and opportunities
- Strong verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills
- Excellent collaborative, team player with the ability and proficiency at influencing without authority
- Ability to deploy resources and manage multiple projects
- Ability to work with and through people to establish goals, objectives, and action plans
- Strong thought leadership
- Strong knowledge of teaching and learning theories as well as change theory and distributed leadership practices
- Keen understanding of how to apply theory to practice for the purposes of continuous professional learning and school improvement
Core Competencies For Success:
JOB KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Team member carries out essential job functions with accuracy, engages in ongoing and relevant professional learning, applies new knowledge effectively, and demonstrates mastery of job-specific skills
In addition to the above, supervisors will set clear performance expectations, provide regular feedback, recognize high performance, address underperformance, and support employee learning and development
PRODUCTIVITY
Team member produces high quality work, meets organizational and departmental deadlines, balances multiple responsibilities, manages time effectively, and seeks ways to improve processes and productivity
In addition to the above, supervisors will successfully manage team projects and deadlines, foster a positive team culture, empower autonomy, and balance team workload effectively
COMMUNICATION
Team member communicates clearly in written and verbal formats, collaborates effectively, demonstrates professionalism in all interactions, exhibits strong interpersonal skills, and contributes to a positive team and professional community
In addition to the above, supervisors will model strong communication skills and leverage interpersonal skills to build relationships and sustain a strong professional community
CUSTOMER FOCUS
Team member addresses the needs of internal and external customers, analyzes problems effectively, contributes to innovative solutions, seeks opportunities for improvement, and successfully adapts to change
In addition to the above, supervisors will create and support action plans and strategies to achieve organizational goals, make informed decisions, promote innovative solutions, and anticipate future trends and challenges
Director Competencies For Success:
LEARNING ON THE FLY
Learns quickly when facing new problems; Is a voracious learner; Analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement; Experiments and will try anything to find solutions; Seeks out the challenge of unfamiliar tasks; Quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of most anything
PRESENTATION SKILLS
Is effective in a variety of formal presentation settings: one-on-one, small and large groups, with peers, direct reports, and bosses; Is effective both inside and outside the organization, on both cool data and hot and controversial topics; Commands attention and can manage group process during the presentation; Can change tactics midstream when something isn’t working
PRIORITY SETTING
Spends his/her time and the time of others on what’s important; Quickly zeros in on the critical few and puts the trivial many aside; Can quickly sense what will help or hinder accomplishing a goal; Eliminates roadblocks; Creates focus
BUSINESS & FINANCIAL ACUMEN
Knowledgeable in current and possible future policies, practices, trends, technology, and information affecting his/her business and organization; Knows the competition; Understands and communicates the goals, objectives, competencies, and metrics associated with business success; Understands and applies knowledge of key organizational business drivers; Keeps abreast of the overall performance of the organization and adjusts allocation of finances based on progress against goals; Sets priorities by aligning organizational finances with strategic goals; Fosters an environment that encourages fiscal responsibility
COMPOSURE
Is cool under pressure; Does not become defensive or irritated when times are tough; Can be counted on to hold things together during tough times; Handles stress well; Is not knocked off balance by the unexpected; Doesn’t show frustration when resisted or blocked; Is a settling influence in a crisis; Consistently behaves in a professional manner
DEALING WITH AMBIGUITY
Effectively copes with change; Can shift gears comfortably; Can decide and act without having the total picture; Isn’t upset when things are up in the air; Doesn’t have to finish things before moving on; Can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty
Physical Requirements and Environmental Conditions:
- Frequency of travel: Frequent travel is required for meetings, trainings, and conferences; location may vary and may require overnight stays
- Light physical activities and efforts required working in an office environment
(Reasonable accommodations will be made in accordance with existing ADA requirements for otherwise qualified individuals with a disability.)
Salary : $89,633 - $197,193
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