MDRC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan education and social policy research organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals, families, and children with low incomes. We are committed to finding solutions to some of the most difficult social problems facing the nation-from reducing poverty and bolstering economic mobility to improving public education and college graduation rates. We design promising new interventions, evaluate existing programs using the highest research standards, and provide technical assistance to build better programs and deliver effective interventions at scale.The position is in the Youth Development, Criminal Justice, and Employment (YCE) policy area, which currently has approximately 50 staff working on 20 projects ranging from small foundation-funded projects to large multi-year studies under contract to the federal government. As an Operating Director or Deputy Operating Director, you will have the opportunity to work as part of multidisciplinary teams in a dynamic and challenging environment. Candidates with immediate availability are highly encouraged to apply.Responsibilities:This position oversees all business-related aspects of the policy area's work, with a particular focus on project management, staff hiring and deployment, budget development and monitoring, and contracting. The role may also provide logistical, operational, and strategic management support to a small number of high-profile research projects. The position reports to the Policy Area Leader. Whether a candidate is considered for an Operating Director or Deputy Operating Director role will depend on their experience and ability to take on corporate-level responsibilities.Policy Area Management- Support day-to-day management of the policy area and its projects and supervise all resource management functions in the policy area.- Advise the Policy Area Leader on strategic plans and key decisions for the unit, including (but not limited to): program development, bid decisions, new areas of work, and staffing.- Oversee all aspects of staff deployment and staff development for the unit. This includes (in collaboration with the Policy Area Leader) determining needs for opening positions; overseeing recruitment, screening, hiring, and onboarding; overseeing staff assignments to projects (ensuring equitable treatment of all staff); and overseeing staff development for individuals in the unit, including ensuring that supervisors work with each staff person to identify development goals and training needs.- Manage the budgeting process for all projects in the policy area, provide ongoing guidance and direction to the project resource managers. Ensure that all project budgets are monitored on a consistent basis and that potential budget issues are identified and communicated to senior- Engage in problem-solving with project teams, Contracts, Legal, and Finance when challenges- Manage the project resource managers in the unit, including overseeing their career development, training needs, and performance evaluation.- Review unit spending on non-project charges and help make sure these charges are warranted and- Participate in strategic and management planning meetings and- Coordinate or contribute to policy area status reports for senior- Develop, test, and implement project management tools andProject Resource Management- Monitor and/or update project work plans, staffing levels of effort, and budgets for a small number of high-profile projects.- Monitor project- Work with project directors and task leads to develop new project work plans, staffing levels of effort, and modification budgets.- Identify project risks and elevate issue resolution to leadership as- Collaborate with staff from various departments, including Finance and Legal, on invoicing andProposal Development- Contribute to decisions about whether to respond to solicitations for- Work with proposal team leads to develop proposal budgets, including detailed work plans and budget assumptions.- Ensure that properly trained teams are in place, review practices are followed, and interact with Finance staff, as necessary, on pricing.Other Activities- Depending on workload and policy area demands, may serve as a member of project team to support site development, data collection, or analyses.Corporate Responsibilities (Operating Director level only)- Contribute to a corporate-level initiative related to resource management functions, such as proposal development, staff deployment, recruitment, budget monitoring, area/center strategic priorities, etc.- Contribute to corporate management- Serve as a corporate budget/proposal budget reviewer for other areas/centers.- Work with other Operating Directors to identify and address cross-area/centerQualifications- At least 7 years of project management experience required, preferably related to grants management or government contracting.- Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, public administration, public policy, social science, or a related field. Master's degree in public policy, nonprofit management. or similar field- Understanding of or direct experience working on research and program evaluation projects a- Understanding of the components of research and technical assistance projects and of the level of effort required.- Demonstrated interest in project management, budget and work plan development, and/or management process and systems improvements and innovations.- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven- Outstanding written and oral communication- Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to- Exceptional problem-solving skills, execution and implementation skills, and strategic- Ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with staff across the organization, as well as external contacts, such as subcontractors, consultants, and representatives from funding- Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced- Supervisory- Experience with Microsoft Office (especially Word and Excel). Knowledge of JAMIS and VenaTiming:Please see "" for more information.Compensation: Salary range is $120K - $135K and will be commensurate with experience. Some on-the- job training will be provided.Location: The position is ideally based in MDRC's New York City, Oakland, Los Angeles, or Washington, DC, offices. MDRC is also open to remote work.Instructions: When submitting your application, please include:- Resume- Cover letter- Writing sampleMDRC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. No qualified applicant, employee, intern, volunteer, or apprenticeship trainee will be discriminated against on the basis of his, her, or their race (including traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, national origin (including physical, cultural or linguistic characteristics), marriage to or association with persons of a national origin group, tribal affiliation, membership in or association with an organization identified with or seeking to promote the interests of a national origin group, name that is associated with a national origin group, accent, language use, immigration status, citizenship, possession of a driver's license issued to persons unable to prove their lawful presence in the United States, and other definitions under California or other states' laws, ancestry, creed, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), age, citizenship, veteran and/or military status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity (including transgender status), gender expression, gender transitioning or perceived gender transitioning, marital status or civil partnership/union status, physical or mental disability (actual or perceived), medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, protected medical leaves (requesting or being approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act) or similar state family medical leave laws, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state or local law. Legal work authorization is required. To request a reasonable accommodation during any stage of MDRC's employment process due to a disability, please contactMDRC's to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion exceed compliance requirements. We believe that recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce of all backgrounds and perspectives improves the quality and relevance of our research, as well as the daily experiences of our staff. By fostering an equitable culture of inclusivity and belonging, we seek an environment in which staff feel welcomed, valued, and engaged in their work.