Research Associate

Announcement

Details


Open Date
05/18/2026


Requisition Number
PRN45009B


Job Title
Research Associate


Working Title
Leadership Development and Systems Improvement Specialist


Career Progression Track
A00


Track Level

FLSA Code
Professional


Patient Sensitive Job Code?
No


Standard Hours per Week
40


Full Time or Part Time?
Full Time


Shift
Day


Work Schedule Summary


Monday-Friday. Occasional travel and weekends.

VP Area
Academic Affairs


Department
01323 - Utah Education Policy Center


Location
Campus


City
Salt Lake City, UT


Type of Recruitment
External Posting


Pay Rate Range
$90,000 - $120,000


Close Date
08/18/2026


Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time)
05/26/2026


Job Summary


The Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC) bridges research, policy, and practice by conducting rigorous research, performing comprehensive program evaluations, and providing expert, research-informed technical assistance and professional learning. We empower educators, policymakers, and leaders to make research actionable and impactful to transform education across early childhood, K-12, and higher education settings.

UEPC seeks a full-time practitioner-scholar with experience leading improvement in schools, districts, state agencies, and/or community-based organizations, and who can bring their expertise to support our professional learning and technical assistance/capacity-building partnerships, to serve on this dynamic team. The Leadership Development and Systems Improvement Specialist role is partner-facing. The person(s) in this role will design and facilitate high-quality, research-informed experiences for school, district, and state education partners, and actively cultivate new professional learning and technical assistance/capacity building partnerships to grow the UEPC's portfolio and impact.

Responsibilities

• Design and facilitate research-informed professional learning experiences, tools, and strategies for school, district, and/or organizational leaders and their teams to build leadership capacity, content knowledge, and sustainable improvement practices over time.
• Support school, district, and organizational leaders and leadership teams) in applying continuous improvement processes and developing coherent improvement systems that align goals, strategies, data use, and leadership practices.
• Translate research and evidence into practical tools, protocols, frameworks, and resources that support leadership development and improvement.
• Lead and contribute to technical assistance engagements (e.g., needs assessments, strategic planning processes, PDSA cycles, capacity building strategies tailored to partner programs and contexts) with schools, districts, and/or organizations.
• Use participant feedback, implementation data, and outcome evidence to continuously improve the design, content, and/or facilitation approaches of professional learning and technical assistance/capacity building.
• Lead or contribute to the development of proposals and scopes of work for new and continuing partnerships.
• Conduct targeted literature reviews and synthesize research and evidence to inform professional learning design, resource development, and technical assistance strategies.
• Contribute to data collection, analysis, and reporting across research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects.
• Collaborate on concurrent projects, including managing tasks, timelines, deliverables, and partner communications.
• Lead and contribute to written products, including professional learning or technical assistance guides, briefs, presentations, tools, and publications.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, or a related field.
• At least five years of professional experience in education with progressively increasing responsibilities and a minimum of three (5) years in a formal leadership role such as principal, assistant principal, district-level administrator, agency director, or an equivalent role in an education-focused technical assistance organization.
• Demonstrated success designing and facilitating professional learning for leaders and educators across varied contexts, formats, and audiences.
• Demonstrated experience applying structured improvement efforts (e.g., leading improvement at the school, district, or state level using structured improvement methods such as inquiry cycles, PDSA, root cause analysis, data-informed decision-making, theory of change, logic models) in ways that produced documented and measurable results for schools, districts, or organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply research and evidence to inform professional learning design, tools, and content development.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated strong communication, written and oral communication skills, including the ability to produce professional deliverables (e.g., tools, guides, briefs, reports/publications, and presentations).
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects while maintaining quality, rigor, and partner responsiveness.

Preferences

• EdD or PhD in educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, or a related field.
• Leadership experience in school turnaround, rapid improvement, or high-need contexts.
• Experience providing coaching to individual school or district leaders or leadership teams.
• Experience designing and facilitating research-informed professional learning through communities of practice, networked improvement communities, or other sustained collaborative learning structures.
• Experience working across multiple schools, districts, and/or organizational types, reflecting an ability to adapt to different local contexts and needs.
• Demonstrated content expertise in at least two of the following areas:
  • Leadership development and executive coaching
  • School or district improvement, including turnaround or rapid improvement
  • Instructional leadership and curriculum/assessment alignment
  • Instructional content area
  • Special education
  • Data informed decision-making
  • Continuous improvement, state education policy, accountability systems or strategic planning
• Experience providing technical assistance or capacity building support to programs or organizations outside of a traditional school or district context (e.g., out-of-school time, community-based organizations, state agencies).
• Experience managing partner relationships and project deliverables in professional learning, technical assistance, or grant-funded environments.
• Demonstrated track record of cultivating external partner relationships that generate new project opportunities.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and/or local education policy levers and how they shape the demand for professional learning and technical assistance.

Type
Benefited Staff


Special Instructions Summary


Please include the following in your application materials:

• A cover letter (no more than three pages) describing your interest and relevant experience and expertise for this position.
• A current resume or CV.
• Two examples of a professional learning session, tool, or resource you have designed (e.g., slide deck, protocol, guide, or similar product). For each example, include a brief note (2-3 sentences) describing your specific role and contributions, particularly if the work was collaborative.
  • Please attach examples of your Professional Learning Materials or other related technical assistance or research and evaluation products that you have developed under the Examples of Research 1 and 2 document options
• Contact information for three professional references who can speak to your leadership development and facilitation skills, ability to support school or district improvement, and effectiveness working with diverse partners and stakeholders. References will not be contacted prior to final consideration for the position. At least one reference should be someone who has directly supervised or observed you facilitating professional learning or leading improvement work. If possible, include at least one reference from a partner organization, district, or school you have served outside your home institution.

Additional Information


The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems ("URS"). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at View phone number on click.appcast.io for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS' post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at View phone number on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io or University Human Resource Management at View phone number on click.appcast.io if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.

Veterans' preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at the: University of Utah Non-Discrimination page .

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As per University of Utah policy 5-108: Transfer of Benefits Eligible Staff Members , a new hire to the University of Utah who is still serving a 12 month probationary period will not be hired into another University of Utah job (a transfer) until the successful completion of the probationary period.