Senior Social Research Scientist – TLT/SDA

Full Job Description

Internal Applicants Only.

This position is open only to current employees of APDE.

Those interested in the Special Duty opportunity must serve and pass their six-month probation period in their current position in order to be eligible to apply.

Public Health – Seattle & King County is seeking a Senior Social Research Scientist to join the leadership team of the Assessment, Policy Development, and Evaluation (APDE) Unit of Public Health – Seattle and King County.

We are looking for someone who will bring their professional and lived experience, as well as management and evaluation competencies, to work on a dynamic portfolio of projects that aim to improve the health of King County residents.

We seek to operationalize and embed equity in all our work.

The position will oversee an expanding portfolio of work to inform and evaluate public health initiatives to improve health equity in King County.

The position will supervise social research scientists, epidemiologists and/or program project managers; the primary work of staff will involve qualitative and mixed methods studies in practice and community settings, as well as the design and monitoring of performance measures.

Collaborations occur across epidemiologists, program managers, community and academic partners, other King County agencies, and elected officials. This position will report to the APDE Chief.

The successful candidate for this position will have a strong understanding of public health practice and principles and will possess strong community partnership, grant-writing, communications, collaboration, and supervisory/mentorship skills.

We are seeking individuals who have a strong equity framework and are skilled at leading teams through uncertainty and shifting priorities.

The responsibilities of this position include overseeing and managing multiple health studies, grants, and research projects and determining public health priorities based on study results. Incumbents will also supervise the work of assigned staff.

Background

Public Health-Seattle King County (PHSKC) is the metropolitan health department serving all of King County.

The mission of PHSKC is to eliminate health inequities and maximize opportunities for every person to achieve optimal health.

This position is primarily based in Health Sciences Division of PHSKC with the Assessment, Policy Development, and Evaluation (APDE) section.

APDE is a nationally recognized leader in community health assessment, providing health assessment data and analysis to inform planning, policies, and actions, and develop innovative interventions to improve the health of King County residents.

More information about the work of APDE can be found at http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/data.aspx.

Temporary opportunity. Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) positions are "at-will" positions but are eligible for benefits. This TLT is currently anticipated to last one (1) year.

However, funding sources for this work remain uncertain and dependent upon decisions actively being made at both the federal and local levels.

As a result, the end date of this position may be adjusted based on those decisions. The County and the Department continue to work to secure long term funding sources.

This vacancy can also be filled as a Special Duty opportunity.

For Special Duty Assignment interest, you must be a Career Service, Career Service Exempt or other regular (non-temporary) employee in King County who has completed their initial County probation.

You must have supervisor approval prior to taking a Special Duty Assignment.

Note: This posting will create a list of qualified candidates that may be considered for selection of additional vacancies of the same position type over the next 6 months.

Commitment To Equity and Social Justice

Named after Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world.

It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities.

With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups.

Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx

Work Schedule

The typical work week is 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some evening or weekend work may be required.

This position is not represented by a collective bargaining agreement. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime eligible.

This position may require travel throughout the County, during regular business hours and, at times, evenings and weekends.

Remote and Onsite Work

The APDE team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is Chinook Building located at 401 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. This position requires the ability to travel throughout the County in a timely manner.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely.

The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.

Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Requirements

• Provide training and technical supervision of assigned staff and community partners involved in data collection, management, and analysis.
• Design and/or lead multiple policy/program evaluations or studies.
• Design and oversee qualitative and/or mixed method study design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of findings; develop data collection tools and protocols; and design data management systems.
• Engage with community stakeholders, to assist in planning for community needs and developing policy/systems/ environmental change.
• Coordinate evaluation and research efforts with departmental staff and investigators in other agencies; ensure compliance with departmental guidelines and human subjects protocols for research projects.
• Identify and determine project scope of work for new and existing studies; identify and determine funding sources.
• Oversee and write major grant proposals and renewals, including coordinating research efforts with Public Health staff, investigators in other agencies, and local community partners.
• Serve as a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator, alone or in collaboration with other partners and agencies.

Plan optimal methods and avenues for disseminating findings through written reports, presentations, social media, infographics, etc.

Prepare content in a style suitable for a wide variety of audiences, ranging from members of the general public to community advocates, elected officials, and research scientists.

• Develop funding strategies for evaluation with external partners. Create and monitor budgets and coordinate procurement processes. Manage contracts, invoicing, and financial reporting.
• Provide technical assistance and consultation to colleagues and community partners on using qualitative and applied research methods for evaluation, community assessment, performance measurement, and policy development and implementation.
• Interpret data to identify and prioritize key issues to guide policymaking and develop effective interventions to achieve health equity.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate the following (Minimum):

• A Master's degree or equivalent in a social or health science, e.g. health services research, anthropology, sociology, psychology or a closely related discipline.
• Deep knowledge of equity and social justice principles and practices; lived experience with and understanding of the effect of place-based, race-based and policy & systems inequities on communities and populations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and/or experience in public health practice and principles; the determinants of population health; design and implementation of complex evaluation plans using community-based participatory and practice-based approaches; quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods and techniques; survey design; developing data collection methods for community assessments; synthesizing research and literature reviews; and computerized database systems.
• Demonstrated skill establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with a variety of individuals, including representatives of community-based organizations, government agencies and the public; convene and/or collaborate in community coalitions and partnerships.
• Demonstrated success writing major funding proposals, grants and reports, and/or collaboration with quantitative researchers in the development and execution of multi-method evaluation projects, coordination of research/evaluation efforts with local community groups, project staff, stakeholders in other agencies, and academic partners.
• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize, write, and present reports in multiple formats for multiple audiences; prepare and present data and translate findings and conclusions into clear and concise reports, presentations, infographics, etc. for lay and technical audiences.
• Demonstrated leadership and decision-making skills through ability to lead and mentor diverse staff and teams; maneuver through complex political situations effectively; manage multiple tasks requiring attention to detail, develop and implement complex assignments with multiple dimensions using project management techniques and tools; monitor and redirect efforts to achieve task/project objectives or enhance quality.
• Skill and demonstrated proficiency in project management, survey and visualization software, Dedoose or comparable software for qualitative analysis.

The most competitive applicants will have the following experiences and qualifications (Desired):

• Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience in leading all phases of practice-based research and program evaluation (design, data collection, analysis, reporting).
• Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience in community-partnered evaluation working with multiple stakeholders, including leading teams of other evaluators or students, and a track record of winning grants and publications/public facing reports.

Additional Information

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Who May Apply

This opportunity is open to all qualified APDE or PHSKC employees only.

The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

• NEOGOV Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Cover letter (Expressing interest in this position)
• Writing sample (Attach example(s) of your work from each of the categories below):
  • A writing sample you wrote for the general public or in a public facing position
  • A technical report or peer-reviewed article you wrote

Please note: additional attachments will not be reviewed as part of the evaluation process if not outlined as a required application material as outlined above.

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application.

Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

Necessary Special Requirements

Union Membership

This position is a non-represented position.

Contact

For questions about this recruitment, please contact Salyse Duckworth, HR Analyst at sduckworth@kingcounty.gov.