Lead, Program Evaluation - AmeriCorps

Join Our Mission. Shape the Future.

At NCOA, we are on a mission to create the conditions for all to age well in America—today and into the future. Every day, we work to improve the lives of millions of older adults through innovative programs, trusted advocacy, and meaningful partnerships that advance health, economic security, and equity.

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Lead, Program Evaluation – AmeriCorps to bring their expertise, vision, and passion to help drive our mission forward. This leader will play a pivotal role in leading a federally funded program evaluation that generates actionable evidence, informs program improvement, and strengthens workforce readiness initiatives that improve outcomes for older adults nationwide.

The ideal candidate is an accomplished evaluation leader who thrives on designing rigorous research, translating data into actionable insights, and collaborating with partners to drive evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement. They will embrace and exemplify NCOA's core values of Caring for All, Collaboration, Innovation, Integrity, and Respect , fostering a culture of excellence while helping ensure that every older adult has the opportunity to age with dignity, purpose, and security.

If you are ready to make a lasting difference while leading with purpose, we invite you to join our team.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Lead, Program Evaluation - AmeriCorps will oversee and execute a federally funded mixed-methods program evaluation focused on a workforce readiness model for older adults. This role provides end-to-end leadership for a phased evaluation-to-expansion initiative, including longitudinal outcome tracking, implementation fidelity monitoring, labor market assessment integration, and cross-site learning.

The Lead, Program Evaluation is responsible for ensuring that evaluation activities generate decision-ready evidence to inform program refinement, scalability, and funder reporting. This role requires strong applied evaluation expertise, implementation science orientation, and experience managing complex, multi-site program evaluation efforts.

Positions at this level typically report to a director or senior director and require deep subject matter expertise, advanced knowledge and experience, as well as the ability to independently lead complex or high-impact work. Incumbents are required to exercise independent judgement within their scope of work and require minimal oversight. These roles often serve as recognized subject matter experts and may represent an area of specialization across the organization. Incumbents generally have five or more years of experience in their discipline and a graduate degree or the equivalent.

*This grant-funded position is a short-term, temporary position that is funded for 24 months through June 30, 2028, and designed to be filled by a W-2 employee.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Evaluation Strategy & Leadership

• Lead design, implementation, and interpretation of a mixed-methods program evaluation.
• Establish evaluation questions, measurement systems, and analytic approaches.
• Align evaluation strategy with program operations and funder priorities.
• Manage and motivate Research & Evaluation Associate to achieve program goals. Provide training and support to optimize their skills and performance.

Data & Methodological Oversight

• Oversee and conduct quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis activities.
• Ensure methodological rigor, data quality, and analytic integrity.
• Maintain appropriate documentation, compliance, and reproducibility standards.

Implementation Monitoring & Learning

• Develop and oversee implementation fidelity and performance monitoring systems.
• Interpret outcomes in light of site-level variation and program delivery.
• Identify core versus adaptable program components to inform scaling decisions.

Evaluation Compliance and Data Governance

• Lead preparation and submission of IRB materials as required.
• Ensure compliance with human subjects protections and data privacy standards.
• Maintain evaluation documentation and audit-ready records.

Labor Market & Contextual Assessment Integration

• Design and lead structured labor market assessment activities across sites.
• Engage employers, workforce partners, and older adult job seekers to inform sector alignment.
• Integrate labor market findings into program design recommendations and evaluation interpretation.

Reporting & Dissemination 

• Prepare funder-facing evaluation reports and implementation briefs.
• Translate findings into actionable program refinement recommendations.
• Present evaluation findings to internal leadership and external stakeholders.
• Help translate technical findings into audience-appropriate outputs.

Project Management & Coordination

• Develop and manage study workplans and timelines.
• Coordinate cross-team inputs.
• Lead research project meetings.
• Provide direction to junior research staff assigned to the project.
• Report progress, risks, and decisions to R&E leadership.

Other responsibilities as required.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in evaluation, public policy, public health, social sciences, or related field (Doctorate preferred).
• 5+ years of experience leading applied program evaluations.
• Demonstrated experience managing mixed-methods evaluation projects from design through reporting.
• Experience developing and overseeing performance measurement and implementation monitoring systems.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytic skills, including experience working with longitudinal or cohort-based data.
• Experience supervising evaluation staff and/or vendors.
• Experience working within federally funded or funder-driven environments.
• Strong technical writing skills and ability to translate analytic findings into decision-ready reports.

Other Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience evaluating workforce development, aging, volunteer, or human services programs.
• Experience working with multi-site or implementation-focused evaluations.
• Familiarity with implementation fidelity frameworks or applied implementation science.
• Experience operating in small-sample or quasi-experimental evaluation contexts.
• Experience presenting findings to funders or external stakeholders.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequently required to sit or use a standing desk. 
• Occasionally required to walk. 
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. 
• Frequently required to talk or listen. 
• Occasionally required to bend, lift or climb stairs.
• Occasionally required to lift light weights (less than 25 pounds). 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Primarily office-based in Wheeling, WV, or Arlington, VA, with a hybrid schedule.
• Occasional travel is required for partner meetings, conferences, and other partner engagements.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you are a strategic, mission-driven leader with a passion for generating evidence that strengthens programs and improves outcomes for older adults, we encourage you to apply.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume through the application link provided. Applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered. Please note that we are unable to accept phone calls regarding this position.

NCOA offers a competitive salary and incentive compensation structure, with total compensation commensurate with education, experience, demonstrated qualifications, and performance.

NCOA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering an equitable, inclusive, and respectful workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Compensation details: 88000-100000 Yearly Salary

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