Evaluation Research Manager

Evaluation Research Manager

The Evaluation Research Manager supports the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in their responsibility to help the Church remain one in Christ. By leading researchers who evaluate Church products, programs, and initiatives worldwide, this role helps advance the vision of the Correlation Executive Committee (CEC) and assesses effectiveness in supporting God's work of salvation and exaltation. Under the direction of an associate director and the Correlation Research Division (CRD) leadership council, the manager oversees a team of researchers, supports their development, and helps provide timely, relevant, and reliable research to General Authorities, Church councils, committees, areas, and departments.

Candidates must be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and currently temple worthy.

Responsibilities

Evaluation Research Management (35%)

• Set and communicate standards related to evaluation, research methodologies, partner interactions, cultural sensitivity, and faith-based scholarship. Regularly reassess standards to ensure they remain current.
• Allocate staff and prioritize projects to ensure resources are aligned with organizational priorities, researcher development goals, and timely delivery of high-quality evaluations.
• Collaborate with study leads in managing evaluations, including maintaining ClickUp, monitoring timelines and deadlines, and tracking tasks.
• Ensure evaluations align with First Presidency direction and clearly defined product, program, or initiative objectives, with evaluation plans, instruments, analyses, and reporting deliverables remaining aligned throughout the project lifecycle.
• Review research plans, data collection instruments, analyses, and reporting deliverables, providing constructive feedback that strengthens quality, researcher development, and cultural sensitivity.
• Facilitate vendor management.
• Maintain alignment with the associate director and other evaluation research manager regarding vision, standards, and processes.

People Management and Development (35%)

• Facilitate staff development as faith-based scholars (e.g., Christlike attributes, leadership pattern) so research is conducted through a lens of discipleship.
• Develop researchers' technical, interpersonal, and cultural competencies by identifying strengths and growth areas, creating development plans, providing opportunities for growth, and enabling accountability.
• Ensure researchers have the support, resources, and capacity needed to perform high-quality work, pursue development opportunities, and maintain work-life balance.
• Build a culture of trust, collaboration, and communication through regular one-on-ones, team meetings, team-building activities, and ongoing support.
• Align the team with Correlation leadership direction by consistently communicating and modeling CRD's mission, vision, and values.
• Work with associate director to address staffing changes, recruitment, hiring, training, orientation, and other people-management matters.

Communication and Coordination with Church Departments and Areas (5-10%)

• Maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, leaders, departments, and areas to ensure evaluation efforts meet evolving needs and that partners understand the purpose and value of evaluations.
• Ensure researchers communicate effectively with partners, set clear expectations, build trust, and provide expert consultation to General Authorities, councils, committees, departments, and areas throughout evaluation projects.

Support Strategic Planning and Operational Improvement (5-10%)

• Support implementation of short- and long-term strategic plans by ensuring research teams understand and follow CRD goals, priorities, policies, processes, and direction from Church and Correlation leadership.

Conduct Research (5-10%)

• Conduct research as a researcher or study lead as time permits, to provide backup support, mentoring, professional development opportunities, or specialized expertise.

Qualifications

Required

• Education: Master's or PhD in a social science field (e.g., psychology, sociology, economics, education).
• Work Experience: 8+ years of applied research or a closely related field.
• Must reside in or be willing to relocate to the greater Salt Lake area.

Demonstrated skills and abilities in the following:

• Leadership and Management: Proven ability to lead diverse research teams, foster collaboration, and inspire innovative approaches to research design, execution, and reporting.
• Process and Project Management: Experience managing research processes and ensuring successful completion of research projects.
• Mentorship and Staff Development: Demonstrated ability to mentor researchers, support career development, and strengthen professional capabilities.
• Evaluation and Research Skills:
• Ability to clearly define and translate program objectives into effective evaluations.
• Understanding of evaluation theory and guiding principles.
• Expertise in research methodologies, particularly causal inference, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, non-experimental causal designs, sampling methods, and measurement.
• Experience developing, conducting, and analyzing surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations.
• Fluent English language abilities.
• Communication and Presentation Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to counsel with leaders and researchers, effectively present findings, and provide insightful analysis to diverse audiences. Strong presentation design skills with the ability to communicate findings concisely.
• Relationship-Building and Collaboration: Skilled at building trust, establishing credibility, and collaborating effectively with stakeholders at all organizational levels.
• High Initiative, High Deference: Ability to work within broad parameters while determining how the team should implement leaders' vision.

Preferred

• 3+ years of management experience.
• Fluent abilities in a language other than English.
• Deep understanding of a culture outside the United States (beyond missionary service alone).

About Us

Church employees find joy and satisfaction in using their unique talents and abilities to further the Lord's work. From the IT professional who develops an app that sends the gospel message worldwide, to the facilities manager who maintains our buildingsgiving Church members places to worship, teach, learn, and receive sacred ordinancesour employees seek innovative ways to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. They are literally working in His kingdom. Only members of the Church who are worthy of a temple recommend qualify for employment. Apart from this, the Church is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its employment decisions on any basis that would violate U.S. or local law. Qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, national origin, color, gender, pregnancy, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or other legally protected categories that apply to the Church. The Church will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities.