About LA’s BEST

Established 35 years ago, LA’s BEST is a safe and engaging afterschool enrichment program for elementary school students in neighborhoods with the highest needs, yet fewest resources. Beyond academics, our programming nurtures social and emotional connections with trained and caring adults. LA’s BEST prepares and inspires staff to empower children to create lives full of choices and supports working families across Los Angeles.

LA’s BEST is a unique partnership between the private and public sectors providing afterschool enrichment. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) operates the program. Advocating for public, government allocations and fundraising from the private sector comprise the nonprofit entity. These branches collaborate to maintain, expand and enhance equitable programming that benefits children, their families, and staff living across Los Angeles.

Job Overview and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, the Director of Evaluation is responsible for designing and implementing evaluations examining the impact of distinct recreational, educational and enrichment services provided by LA’s BEST, managing external research studies or evaluations contracted by the organization and managing the department research team. The primary responsibilities are to design and report findings of research and evaluation projects as needed to meet all required conditions for funder requests as well as for reporting essential data to the California Department of Education’s Expanded Learning Division as well as for meeting the requirements of other public and private sector grants.

The Director of Evaluation also participates in the training of staff for collecting data to support high quality programming. The Director of Evaluation also oversees a team of traveling staff who collect, process, and analyze data to produce reports for private sector grants. The Director of Evaluation is a key member of the LA’s BEST leadership team, collecting and disseminating data to multiple audiences and using evaluation to drive organizational strategy and continuous quality improvement. Core responsibilities may also include:

• Overseeing departmental traveling staff and monitoring the collection of data to assess the effectiveness of out-of-school organized program activities by on-site observation;
• Ensuring ongoing assessment of programs and activities and compliance with all evaluation requirements;
• Drafting reports for funders to meet grant terms;
• Supporting the various LA’s BEST departments in generating reports for funders;
• Participating in state, regional and local committees developing policy and programmatic procedures for the field of expanded learning in California;
• Conducting research on selected aspects of afterschool programming to support grant and proposal writing as well as the services the organization offers to youth;
• Designing and conducting in-service training sessions for the Evaluation Department;
• Working with the Development team to craft specialized evaluation and assessment plans to include in grant proposals, and overseeing the implementation of these plans;
• Providing the nonprofit office with evaluation and assessment data to inform fundraising, advocacy, and communications; and
• Collaborating with other nonprofit staff on key initiatives or special projects as assigned.

Core Competencies

• Proactive and flexible in a changing and fast-paced environment, while working with tight resources and a small team
• Ability to manage and prioritize concurrent projects with grace and meet deadlines
• Ability to communicate clearly, warmly and professionally while representing LA’s BEST (in-person and via written communiques) with diverse stakeholders and audiences
• Eager to continue learning and developing within the role; excited to take on new challenges with support and outlined deliverables
• Culturally responsive and committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Adept at using technology and working remotely with colleagues to facilitate daily work
• Committed to the mission, vision and values of LA’s BEST
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team and adapt to changing organizational needs
• High analytical skills with a strategic mindset
• Excellent presentation skills
• Ability to create synthesized and impactful data visualizations across multiple projects for variety of data sets (qualitative and quantitative) and audiences

Qualifications and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university in a relevant field is required; Master’s degree in a related education or social science field or equivalent professional experience is preferred
• Strong knowledge and understanding of afterschool principles and best practices is preferred
• Proficiency in using digital learning platforms and software
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or related software
• Knowledge of instrument construction, data collection processes, data reduction and analysis, and assessment tools is a plus
• Excellent writing skills
• Two or more years of proven experience in research, measurement and evaluation efforts in nonprofit, education, government, or private sector
• Four or more years’ experience in expanded learning, youth development or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience providing training or presentations on assessment, data collection and analysis to non-technical stakeholders

Compensation

$100,000 - $120,000; commensurate with experience.

Work Location

This position is required onsite five days per week, primarily working from the LA’s BEST Operations office. Candidates must also be able to travel to LA’s BEST school sites throughout Los Angeles Unified School District and have access to reliable and timely transportation.

Company Benefits

LA’s BEST provides Employer paid medical, dental, & vision insurance for employees, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% match after one year of continuous employment, cell phone stipend, flexible spending account, and other benefits.

Equal Opportunity

LA’s BEST is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, and disability or veteran status. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request (LA’s BEST is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request).

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