Social Science Research Analyst

The Social Science Research Analyst will provide services for our client at the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF). This position will support federal staff and carry out responsibilities related to supporting research and evaluation activities related to human services programs.

OFA strengthens families by promoting the dignity of work, supporting marriage, and safeguarding the integrity of public benefits. OFA works with states, territories, and tribes to ensure that assistance is work-oriented, time-limited, and rooted in personal responsibility, allowing families to build lasting independence from government programs. While welfare can offer temporary support, no government program can substitute for the dignifying power of work or the loving support of a strong family. These are the foundations on which people grow, communities flourish, and future generations prosper.

• Information on ACF is available at acf.gov
• Information on OFA is available at acf.gov/ofa

In this position, you will support OFA by supporting research activities and assisting with cross-divisional and cross-agency work. This Office includes programming for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Tribal TANF, Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF),Native Employment Works (NEW), and Tribal TANF Child Welfare (TTCW). In this position, you will develop and use knowledge of youth development, family systems, economic self-sufficiency, research and evaluation methodology, and statistics to assist federal staff in preparing program announcements or requests for proposals; communicating with grantees and contractors; and coordinating evaluation, performance measurement, continuous quality improvement, or other research activities.

Responsibilities:

• Develop knowledge of select contracts and grants to assist federal staff in overseeing research contracts and grants from inception through completion, including the satisfactory reporting and dissemination of results. This includes:
  • Tracking contract and grant deliverables, such as reports, briefs, work plans, and analysis plans, and reviewing these deliverables to ensure appropriate language and the use of sound research methodologies.
  • Monitoring contractor invoices and project spending, maintaining records, processing invoices, and managing necessary procurement actions.
  • Tracking grant-related actions, including progress reports, amendments, and noncompeting continuations.
• Monitor new and emerging research relevant to ACF programs in order to:
  • Assist federal staff in integrating research findings into current projects and future planning efforts.
  • Identify emerging issues and questions that require new research, synthesis, and/or interpretation.
• Support effective and constructive working relationships with federal staff within OFA and other ACF program offices, OFA and ACF leadership, and external experts and stakeholders to ensure research and evaluation activities remain responsive to the needs of government programs and the broader field.
• Facilitate communication and dissemination of OFA research by:
  • Working with federal staff to keep experts and stakeholders informed through written and verbal updates, scheduling and facilitating meetings, preparing briefing materials, memoranda, and PowerPoint presentations, and participating in conferences.
  • Supporting federal staff in coordinating collaborative efforts among grantees, contractors, researchers, and federal partners to promote the sharing of research findings, methodologies, and measurement approaches.
  • Assisting in the preparation and delivery of presentations on OFA research at local and national conferences.
  • Supporting the development of position papers, issue analyses, written comments, briefing documents, and fact sheets related to data, research findings, and program operations.
• Participate in the development of funding opportunity announcements, statements of work, and solicitation materials, and assist with proposal reviews and the preparation of award materials.
• Provide input to OFA on data analysis and research methodologies, including the planning, design, monitoring, and implementation of evaluations, applied research, performance management initiatives, and policy analyses.
• Perform other duties as assigned.