Description
Associate/Full Project Scientist (Community Schools) University of California Los Angeles Requisition Number: JPF10822 Overview: The UCLA Center for Community Schooling advances democracy, justice, and public education by helping schools become vibrant, community-centered places where young people learn and thrive. Bringing research, policy, and practice into close conversation, the Center partners with students, families, educators, and public agencies to support meaningful and lasting school transformation. This work is grounded in long-term research-practice partnerships with the two UCLA Community Schools in LAUSD, where democratic values and community voice shape everyday learning. At the state level, the Center co-leads California’s $4 billion Community School Partnership Program, supporting more than 2,000 public schools and reaching over one million students and families. Through applied research and implementation support, the Center demonstrates how universities can be powerful partners in advancing equitable, community-driven change. UCLA has established and maintained an active program of engaged scholarship and research at the UCLA Community School since 2009, when the school opened. Given the success of the UCLA Community School and the establishment of the Mann UCLA Community School in 2016, the UCLA Center for Community Schooling was established to study and share research and practice at both sites-supported by a Regional Training Center grant from the University of Pennsylvania to expand university-assisted community schools on the West Coast. Since that time, the UCLA Center for Community Schooling has become a nationally recognized leader in community school transformation. Its work synthesizes emerging research, rigorous documentation of practice, and strategies for continuous improvement to generate insights and tools that support educators and communities. As part of the State Transformational Assistance Center (STAC) for the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), the Center plays a pivotal role in shaping and supporting the community schools movement across California. In this statewide capacity, the Center designs and facilitates professional learning networks, provides guidance on implementation planning, curates evidence-informed resources aligned with the California Community Schools Framework, supports coherence across state and local partners, and evaluates the impact of the CCSPP. Through these efforts, the Center strengthens the conditions necessary for community schools to take root and flourish. The Associate Director, under the direction of the Co-Directors, works to advance the research and practice priorities of the Center through leadership, coordination, and collaboration across multiple domains of work. Core responsibilities include: A. State Transformational Assistance Center (STAC) Lead for CA’s Community Schools Partnership Program STAC Leadership Lead and support the Center’s statewide role as the State Transformational Assistance Center (STAC) for the CCSPP and build alignment across district, regional, and state partners. Serve as a core member of the STAC leadership team along with partner organizations and support the design and refinement of statewide technical assistance Attend and contribute to STAC leadership meetings, statewide advisory board gatherings, statewide implementation and strategy convenings Convene and attend meetings with members of the California Department of Education and the State Board of Education Represent the Center in state-level working groups and committees related to community school implementation and improvement Oversee day-to-day management of the STAC contract, ensuring timely deliverables, partner communication, and alignment with state priorities CCSPP Impact Evaluation Oversee the CCSPP statewide impact evaluation, including research design, partner coordination, data management, and reporting Work with evaluation partners to align methodologies and ensure high-quality data collection Support development of statewide dashboards, indicators, and tools to assess implementation and outcomes Work with evaluation partners to review and revise the Annual Progress Report Produce or contribute to annual STAC reports, policy briefs, and presentations for grantees and CDE/SBE audiences Technical Assistance and Implementation Support Provide guidance and support to County Offices of Education, Regional Technical Assistance Centers (R-TACs), and LEAs on implementation, guided by the state framework and five capacity-building strategies. Facilitate strong relationships and communication across state, regional, and district partners to support coherence and sustainability Collaborative Networks and Alignment Work with STAC partners to coordinate statewide learning networks involving educators, district leaders, family liaisons, and community partners. Represent the Center at external convenings focused on policy alignment, research-practice collaboration, and community school advancement. Ensure STAC initiatives are integrated with the Center’s other projects and informed by the work of the UCLA Community Schools as well as the broader university-assisted community schools movement. B. Center Leadership and Coordination The associate director will work closely with the co-directors to ensure oversight and leadership across all of the Center’s research projects. This work includes: Research Infrastructure and Administration Ensure maintenance and analysis of databases Oversee and review all contract deliverables Ensure compliance with IRB protocols, ethical research practices, data security, and internal review processes Manage research approvals, onboarding, and oversight for university-based researchers Coordinate timelines and alignment across research teams, university collaborators, school- and district-based partners, and state/national partners Oversee strategies for communicating the work of the center both internally and externally, including developing and holding presentations, writing scholarly articles, etc. Support co-directors in seeking external funding to advance research activities Internal operations, project management, and team communication. Oversee graduate student and undergraduate student researchers Prepare research reports, briefs, and presentations that share and disseminate findings Support research committees, leadership fellows, and practitioner collaboration groups Assist with scheduling, budgeting, grant management, and project timelines Work with UCLA Partnership Leads to coordinate site visits, study tours, and public events hosted by the Center Communications, Dissemination, and Public Engagement Assist in the development of content for newsletters, research briefs, and web-based resources Edit and procure blogs, articles, and multimedia products featuring educator, student, family, and policy perspectives Support dissemination strategies that bridge research, practice, and policy Assist in coordinating and support study tours and public engagement efforts, ensuring meaningful representation of school and community voices Required Qualifications Education PhD or equivalent terminal degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., education, public administration, social sciences, policy, or related field) Research Expertise, Leadership & Management Proven experience in research administration or center-level operations Experience managing budgets, grants, and compliance requirements Experience supervising and mentoring staff, postdoctoral fellows, and students Professional Attributes Excellent written and verbal communication skills Experience organizing and managing small to large-scale projects Preferred Qualifications Research & Program Development Strong record of publications and/or impactful research outputs Demonstrated experience developing, leading, or contributing to interdisciplinary research programs Experience securing external funding (e.g., federal agencies, foundations, industry partnerships) Ability to support strategic planning and growth of research initiatives Experience launching new research programs, cores, or collaborative initiatives Demonstrated capacity to translate institutional priorities into actionable research programs Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment Collaboration & Partnerships K-12 community schools leadership experience Strong record of interdisciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration Experience engaging external collaborators, including government agencies, industry, nonprofits, or community partners High level of integrity, professionalism, and collaborative leadership Ability to foster inclusive, collaborative research environments Able and willing to travel, approximately 6-8 times/year Communication & Outreach Experience representing a research center to internal and external audiences Ability to assist with reports, proposals, policy briefs, and public-facing materials Job location UCLA, with the possibility of remote work 1-2 days/week To apply, please visit: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF10822 The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see: UC Nondiscrimination & Affirmative Action Policy, https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/DiscHarassAffirmAction jeid-51ee6de47aea7b42a9a60174fe93b5c5