Temporary Research Project Specialist

The Center for Positive Youth Development (CPYD) seeks a Research Project Specialist with contributions scheduled during the academic year (September-May). Qualified applicants will have prior experience executing projects and developing and implementing protocols. This role will implement and monitor CPYD grant deliverables and administrative procedures. The Project Specialist will focus on maintaining the quality and fidelity of interventions to meet specific project goals and timelines. Key responsibilities include program assessment and support, data collection and reporting for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers and other Positive Youth Development (PYD) initiatives.

The Center for Positive Youth Development (CPYD) is a research and practice focused center investigating positive youth development and after school/out-of-school time learning. Center for Positive Youth Development exists to:

• Offer integrated youth development research, training, support, and practice.
• Provide youth development programs access to recent and relevant research, thus equipping the workforce to better respond to needs of youth, increase quality of afterschool/out-of-school time, and advocate and educate different sectors of society on the authentic needs of youth.
• Advance knowledge through research and projects that contribute to the field and address pressing issues.
• Facilitate connections at the local state and national levels for promoting positive youth development.
• Support graduate education and create experiential learning opportunities for the future youth development workforce.
• Create sustainable systems that enhance youth development programs impact.

CPYD primarily pursues its mission by convening and assisting partners, including state-level and community-based organizations. These efforts include facilitation of the Kansans Enrichment Network, the statewide afterschool focusing on program quality, partnerships and policy impacting the OST sector. CPYD believes that the afterschool / out-of-school time (OST) learning field has unmet needs for high-quality, integrated research and practitioner-focused capacity building services and supports in Kansas and nationally, including but not limited to professional and workforce development, technical assistance and coaching, networking among regional, state, and federal agencies, assessment, data analysis, and research assistance, and concurrent research and practice knowledge dissemination.

We are seeking candidates to join the CPYD team who are passionate about impacting the field of PYD and the lives of youth and families. The person in this position will promote increased observations, and provide support services, technical assistance, and coaching for afterschool/out-of-school time partners. The person in this position will also promote healthy, happy, thriving communities by fostering a statewide learning environment that enables growth for both academic, staff, and partners practicing in the PYD field. The successful applicant should have prior nonprofit experience working with community stakeholders, program implementation, and communicating with internal and external customers. The ideal candidate will also possess strong oral and written communication skills, work independently, and work collaboratively and creatively in a deadline-driven environment. Experience working on issues related to youth and families is helpful.

70% - Support of Programs

• Provide support for new and existing projects and ensure that they meet the goals and objectives of the funder(s) in cooperation with state and local partners including 21st Century Community Learning Center projects.
• Execute grant and contract activities related to this funding opportunities, to include monitoring programs and reporting, conducting observations, technical assistance, etc.
• Track and coordinate deliverables, work plan, and timelines to ensure completion of work.
• Train project partners on data collection, facilitation, project management tools and out-of-school time best practices.
• Conduct regular on-site visits to partner programs to support their project delivery
• Assist in curation of a repository of resources, including instructional guides, templates, and best practices, to support out-of-school time programs.
• Support the delivery of workshops, training sessions, and one-on-one consultations to help partners deliver quality out-of-school time strategies
• Other duties as assigned by Leadership Team.

20% - Report Preparation and Dissemination

• Execute reports and documentation related to grant projects, including progress reports and summary reports, in conjunction with/response to the funder.
• Represent CPYD projects and teams at relevant meetings, conferences, and webinars, as needed.
• Deliver presentations and technical assistance related to the project's activities and findings.
• Track and coordinate deliverables, work plan, and timelines to ensure completion of work.

10% - Other Duties as Assigned

• Special projects and other duties as assigned.

A complete application consists of:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• 3 Professional References

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Apply online.

Application review begins Tuesday, January 28, 2025, and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants are identified.

James Martinson - james.martinson@ku.edu

$22.00/hour

Variable 9:00-7:00 M-F; 10-40 hrs/wk

Tuesday January 28, 2025

Monday February 17, 2025