About the Obama Foundation

Founded in January 2014, the Obama Foundation is a living, working center for citizenship in the 21st century aimed at identifying, training, and connecting the next generation of leaders and engaged citizens. The Foundation is developing the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago to serve as headquarters for the projects it will undertake across the city, the nation, and around the world.

As President Obama said in his farewell address, "I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change — but in yours.” That concept is one the Obamas championed from the beginning, and it is now a cornerstone of the Obama Foundation’s efforts to support and develop the next generation of active citizens and emerging young leaders at home and around the world.

Real change—big change—takes many years, and requires each generation to believe that its participation matters and embrace the obligations and opportunities that come with the most important office in a democracy: that of Citizen. Together, we have made extraordinary progress. Because there is more to do, this work lives on in the Obama Foundation.

For more information on the Obama Foundation, please visit www.obama.org.

About the Role

As a member of the Program Team, the Impact and Evaluation Senior Associate will support the development of a learning culture within the Foundation and implementation of the Foundation’s Learning and Evaluation strategy. Reporting to the Impact and Evaluation Manager, the Senior Associate will design and implement evaluations of Foundation programs and initiatives. The Senior Associate will also serve as an evaluation expert and learning partner, helping staff in data collection, analysis, and reporting. 

Outcomes

The Impact and Evaluation Senior Associate will be responsible for achieving the following outcomes within the first year:

• Within three months of hire and with support from the Impact and Evaluation Manager, finalize the Learning and Evaluation Strategy document and develop clear work plans to implement the strategy in 2019 and beyond
• Develop quarterly implementation reports showing the progress the Program team is making in the implementation of our learning and evaluation strategy
• Within six months of hire, developed strong relationships with Program team and be considered a trusted advisor
• Within six months of hire, has designed and is conducting one or two evaluations
  

Responsibilities

The ultimate aim of the Impact and Evaluation Senior Associate is to achieve the outcomes listed above. In order to achieve those outcomes, we imagine that the Impact and Evaluation Senior Associate will spend their time in the following ways:

• Support the development and implementation of the Foundation’s Learning and Evaluation Strategy
• Work with Program Team staff members to develop and implement evaluations and/or monitoring systems
• Develop data collection protocols and analysis tools, including working with data platforms, databases, and selected technologies to capture, organize, and analyze data
• Support the development of spaces and protocols for learning within and across teams
• Contribute to the Foundation’s understanding of how to best evaluate civic engagement work and how to embed equity into the Foundation’s learning and evaluation work
• Provide coaching support to staff on learning, measurement, and evaluation
• Facilitate conversations and learning activities related to evaluation findings

Qualifications

• 4+ years of relevant evaluation experience
• Proven track record designing and conducting evaluations and measurement systems
• Experience helping organizations use data for reflection and strategic refinement
• Proven experience collecting and drawing conclusions from quantitative & qualitative data and exceptional Excel skills
• Demonstrated interest and experience considering issues of marginalization and equity in evaluation
• Proven track record developing high-quality evaluation reports that communicate complex technical concepts well to a non-technical audience
• Effectively planning and executing long-term, complex projects, investing, managing, and communicating effectively with others to achieve objectives and meet deadlines
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, ability to conveys complex concepts in a structured and effective way, and exceptional PowerPoint skills
• Proven ability to build effective relationships across different teams and influence others to pursue a course of action
• Graduate degree in relevant field (e.g., MPA, MPP, MPH, MBA) preferred but not required
• Experience with SPSS or STATA preferred but not required

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please email us at [email protected] if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.