Child Nutrition Policy Senior Researcher, Deputy Area Director
Company: Mathematica
Location: Chicago
Posted on: January 27, 2023
Job Description:
Position Description: Mathematica applies expertise at the
intersection of data, methods, policy, and practice to improve
well-being around the world. We collaborate closely with public-
and private-sector partners to translate big questions into deep
insights that improve programs, refine strategies, and enhance
understanding. Our work yields actionable information to guide
decisions in wide-ranging policy areas, from health, education,
early childhood, and family support to nutrition, employment,
disability, and international development. Mathematica offers our
employees competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits
package, as well as the advantages of being 100 percent employee
owned. As an employee stock owner, you will experience financial
benefits of ESOP holdings that have increased in tandem with the
company's growth and financial strength. You will also be part of
an independent, employee-owned firm that is able to define and
further our mission, enhance our quality and accountability, and
steadily grow our financial strength. Mathematica is seeking Senior
Researchers to lead research and evaluation projects to support the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS),
as well as state and local agencies, school food authorities, and
other organizations, that implement child nutrition programs. In
particular, we are seeking candidates with expertise in the
National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program
(SBP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), or Child
Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) and a range of methodological
skills to lead evaluations of these programs. Some examples of
recent projects include:
- Examining the nutritional quality and cost of school meals and
associations with student participation, dietary intakes, and plate
waste and describing the characteristics of school food
environments and policies and practices
- Providing federal staff with support to conduct research and
analysis of child nutrition program data, annual surveys of state
agencies and school food authorities, and secondary analysis of
state administrative data to monitor child nutrition programs
- Evaluating the impact of child nutrition programs on the diet
quality and health outcomes of program participants and assessing
the costs of meeting existing nutrition standards for schools
participating in NSLP and SBP
- Leading a nationally representative study of providers and
children that participate in the CACFP to examine outcomes
measuring provider wellness policies and practices, nutritional
quality, and cost of producing CACFP meals and snacks, plate waste,
and children's dietary intakes
- Describing WIC agency staff perspectives on why children
discontinue participation in WIC and their recommendations for
policies and practices that could improve child retention
- Overseeing the administration of qualitative interviews with
state WIC, Medicaid, and vital record agencies to assess the impact
of WIC on birth outcomes and healthcare utilization
- Working collaboratively with school food authorities to
iteratively test implementation strategies and gather information
on their success, using techniques such as rapid cycle
evaluation
- Assessing how federal, state, and local child nutrition
agencies collect, validate, and use data for program monitoring and
program improvement and what technical assistance is needed Senior
researchers will join our large, interdisciplinary staff with
backgrounds in public policy, sociology, economics, social work,
psychology, and data science in the Children, Youth, and Families
(CYF) division within the Human Services unit. The senior
researchers will contribute to continuing growth in the CYF
division by directing projects, identifying and obtaining new
opportunities, designing and leading analyses and evaluation
activities, and mentoring staff. Responsibilities may include:
- Design studies, determine appropriate analytic methods, and
conduct analyses to evaluate child nutrition policies, review and
synthesize existing evidence, draft briefs and reports, and develop
data visualizations to enhance the accessibility of findings
- Support child nutrition program administrators and policymakers
in their decision-making by cleaning, organizing, analyzing, and
presenting large amounts of data
- Coordinate the cleaning of large, complex data sets and lead
quantitative analyses to estimate nutrition-related outcomes
- Lead coding work using USDA's nutrient and food group
databases
- Engage with FNS, state, and local staff to understand the
challenges they face and develop, implement, or test strategies for
improving program performance and services
- Design analyses of child nutrition data, policy, regulations,
and operations
- Engage with groups of clients and community groups to build
trust and rapport, gather input, and provide thoughtful
recommendations
- Communicate with team members, clients, and external experts on
design and technical issues, and in project reports and
presentations
- Contribute to business development and proposals for new
projects for FNS, other government agencies, and foundations
- Provide thought leadership in the area of children, youth, and
families through communications, publications, and conferences in
professional, practitioner, and research settings
- Present findings and develop innovative approaches to
disseminating information to policy, practitioner, and researcher
audiences
- Mentor other research staff working in the CYF division
- Conduct case studies of state-specific policies and practices
related to child nutrition program administration, including
conducting semi-structured interviews with agency staff, reviewing
state documents describing policies and guidelines, and conducting
focus groups with program staff to highlight best practices that
can be shared with other states
- Work collaboratively to improve programs using rapid cycle
learning to iteratively test implementation strategies and gather
information on their success Position Requirements:
- Ph.D. or equivalent in public policy, social work, economics,
sociology, psychology, or a related field; a combination of
equivalent education and work experience is acceptable
- Strong quantitative and/or qualitative analytical skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an
ability to translate complex research methods and findings into
non-technical language suitable for program practitioners,
policymakers, state and federal agency staff, and program
funders
- Extensive knowledge of NSLP, SBP, WIC, CACFP, SFSP, and other
child nutrition programs
- Experience working with or evaluating programs/interventions
designed to support children, youth, and families through improving
child nutrition program operations
- Evidence of successful business development activities with FNS
and/or non-profit or public agencies
- Strong interpersonal skills, including a demonstrated ability
to deal tactfully and diplomatically with clients
- Five or more years of experience working on projects focused on
estimating nutrition-related outcomes (such as the Healthy Eating
Index and usual nutrient intakes) is desirable
- Direct experience working with FNS or other USDA agencies at
the state, regional, and national levels is desirable Senior
researchers are expected to devote most of their time to leading
projects and engaging in business development. However, Mathematica
is also seeking a Deputy Area Director of nutrition research who
will contribute to strategic development of the nutrition area
under the guidance of the Director. Responsibilities of the Deputy
Area Director of the Nutrition Area include:
- Collaborate with the Nutrition Area Director to develop and
execute the strategy, emphasize growth consistent with strategic
priorities (such as data analytics, equity, providing technical
assistance to program staff, and expanding our advisory services
work at FNS)
- Learn about the nutrition projects and type of work conducted
by partners and potential partners
- Engage with current and potential FNS federal clients to better
understand their needs and raise their awareness of our
capabilities. Develop an empathetic understanding of these
clients
- Engage with partners and potential partners to develop
opportunities for joint proposals and projects
- Help identify needs for recruiting, staff capacity, and
training to support growth
- Identify thought leadership activities to inform the field and
raise our profile with clients
- Help lead staff meetings to improve client-centered approaches
including understanding client needs and developing empathy for
clients
- Foster staff relationships with area clients
- Contribute to change initiatives and drive adoption of changes
that improve our ability to meet existing and emerging client
needs
- Serve in proposal leadership roles on key proposals and provide
guidance to proposal teams across FNS program areas, particularly
related to insights on client needs and expectations
- Promote innovation on proposals. Share insights, innovations,
and lessons learned across proposal teams Please submit a cover
letter; CV, and a writing sample or presentation on a
policy-related topic for a relevant area that demonstrates analysis
skills (published report or brief, a meeting design or summary, or
a tool or resource for practitioners). Candidates who wish to be
considered for the Deputy Area Director position in addition to the
Senior Child Nutrition Researcher position should state their
interest and describe their experience leading business development
and proposals for FNS in the cover letter. Mathematica offers a
strong benefits package, which includes a profit-sharing 401(k)
plan, health, dental, disability, and life insurance plans,
comprehensive paid time off, and tuition benefits. Training and
professional development are also provided. We take pride in our
employees and in their commitment to excellence. We encourage staff
to collaborate in developing creative solutions to difficult
problems and to share the responsibility and enjoyment of carrying
out complex projects. This collegial spirit has helped us earn our
reputation for innovative and high quality work. As a winner of the
'Excellence in Diversity Award,' we know that building an inclusive
culture based on the diverse strengths of employees from different
backgrounds is key to our success. One of Mathematica's core values
is a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our
research is more robust because it is informed by a variety of
diverse perspectives, and our mission to improve societal
well-being is strengthened by a greater understanding of issues and
challenges facing the populations we serve. Mathematica's ongoing
commitment to diversity and inclusion is woven into our everyday
actions, policies, and practices-including decisions regarding
recruitment, training, compensation, and promotion. We are
dedicated to maintaining a work environment in which everyone is
treated with respect and dignity. We offer Employee Resources
Groups on a variety of topics, local diversity and inclusion
activities in each office, and a Diversity council. This position
offers an anticipated annual base salary of $115,000 - $155,000.
This position may be eligible for a discretionary bonus based on
company and individual performance. Available locations: Princeton,
NJ; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; Oakland, CA; Cambridge, MA;
Seattle, WA; Ann Arbor, MI; Remote We are an Equal Opportunity
Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant
for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin,
religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran,
and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local
protected class.
Keywords: Mathematica, Chicago , Child Nutrition Policy Senior Researcher, Deputy Area Director, Executive , Chicago, Illinois
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