CHILD TRENDS INCORPORATED

Role Description Child Trends is seeking a senior educational research leader to help grow and lead our portfolio of federal, state and philanthropic work in K12 and postsecondary education. We are looking for someone with deep expertise and a strong track record leading large scale applied research and evaluation projects and who will be compelling to funders and partners. This role is especially well suited for a senior leader who is excited by the opportunity to help build a new portfolio of work in collaboration with other senior staff at Child Trends. Initially, this is an hourly position, with workload tied to proposal activity and project needs. This role is structured as a fellowship to allow senior leaders who are affiliated with other institutions or organizations to formally partner with Child Trends. Outside employment and professional affiliations are expected and welcomed. We envision this role transitioning to a full-time position as new work is secured, with the expectation that the individual in this role will play a central role in shaping, winning, and leading those efforts. The person in this role will help shape what Child Trends pursues, how we partner, and how we deliver high-quality work in education research. The ideal candidate brings both strong subject-matter expertise and senior leadership experience. They understand the education field deeply, know how to lead in competitive funding environments, and are excited to help expand Child Trends’ impact. Typical Duties and Responsibilities - Lead or co-lead education research and evaluation business development efforts, including opportunity shaping, technical approach development, partner strategy, and proposal writing for NSF, IES, and state and philanthropic funders. - Serve in senior roles on awarded projects, such as principal investigator, project director, senior advisor, or subject matter expert. - Provide deep education expertise to strengthen research design and methodology, project management, product development, and funder and partner engagement. - Build and maintain strong relationships with federal, state and philanthropic funders, research partners, state and local education agencies, and leaders in the education field. - Mentor and support staff contributing to education projects and proposals. - Help identify and pursue new opportunities aligned with Child Trends’ mission and education strategy. - Contribute to thought leadership through presentations, publications, briefs, and other dissemination activities. Qualifications - Deep expertise in education research and evaluation, with at least 8 years of relevant experience in applied research, evaluation and program leadership. - Demonstrated success leading competitive education research and evaluation funding, including as PI or Task Lead on awards from NSF, IES, and/or state and philanthropic partners. - Strong track record contributing to competitive proposals through technical writing, capture strategy, partnership development, or related activities. - Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., Education, Public Policy, Economics, Sociology), or equivalent combination of education and substantial senior-level experience. - Expertise in one or more of the following areas: school readiness, language & literacy, postsecondary success, AI in education, and the educator workforce. - Excellent writing, presentation, and collaboration skills. Requirements - Experience as a Principal Investigator on an IES or NSF-funded research project. - What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) certification in Group Design. - Experience working collaboratively with state and local policymakers and educators. - Experience mentoring multidisciplinary research teams. Benefits - Flexible remote work arrangement; in most states. - Initial schedule is not expected to exceed 10-15 hours a week. - Opportunities to take on a sustained increased workload as work is awarded. - Potential transition to a full-time position contingent on successful project wins and organizational need. How to Apply Please follow the “apply” link to submit your application. Please upload your resume/CV and cover letter as well as a brief writing sample, and three professional references. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Role Description Child Trends is seeking a senior child welfare leader to help grow and lead our federal child welfare portfolio. We are looking for someone with deep child welfare expertise and a strong track record leading federal grants and contracts who will be compelling to partners and clients and highly competitive in federal proposals. We are especially interested in candidates who want to help build a growing federal child welfare portfolio. This role is especially well suited for a senior leader who is excited by the opportunity to help build. Initially, this is an hourly position, with workload tied to proposal activity and project needs. This role is structured as a fellowship to allow senior leaders who are affiliated with other institutions or organizations to formally partner with Child Trends. Outside employment and professional affiliations are expected and welcomed. As part of our process, we review outside affiliations for potential conflicts of interest and will reach out to candidates to discuss any concerns before proceeding. We envision this role transitioning to a full-time position as new work is secured, with the expectation that the individual in this role will play a central role in shaping, winning, and leading that work. The person in this role will help shape what Child Trends pursues, how we partner, and how we deliver high-quality work in child welfare. We expect this role to play a visible leadership role in both winning and leading work. The ideal candidate brings both strong subject-matter expertise and senior federal leadership experience. They understand the child welfare field deeply, know how to lead in competitive federal environments, and are excited to help expand Child Trends’ impact. Typical Duties and Responsibilities - Lead or co-lead federal child welfare business development and proposal efforts, including opportunity shaping, technical approach development, partner strategy, staffing, and proposal writing. - Serve in senior leadership roles on awarded projects, such as principal investigator, project director, senior advisor, or subject matter expert. - Provide deep child welfare expertise to strengthen project design, implementation, deliverables, and client engagement. - Build and maintain strong relationships with federal clients, partners, and leaders in the child welfare field. - Help identify and pursue new opportunities aligned with Child Trends’ mission and strengths. - Provide quality assurance for written products, presentations, and other client-facing materials. - Mentor and support staff contributing to child welfare projects and proposals. - Contribute to thought leadership through presentations, publications, briefs, and other dissemination activities. Qualifications - Deep expertise in child welfare, with at least 10 years of relevant experience in policy, research, evaluation, technical assistance, implementation, systems improvement, or program leadership. - Demonstrated success leading federal child welfare projects, including serving as PI or PD on contracts, task orders, cooperative agreements, or other major federally funded initiatives. - Strong track record helping win competitive federal work through proposal leadership, technical writing, capture strategy, oral presentations, partnership development, or related activities. - Strong understanding of federal contracting and what it takes to deliver high-quality work on time and within budget. - Recognized national standing in the child welfare field, including a track record of being sought out by state and federal clients, field leaders, or media for expertise, and ability to represent Child Trends effectively with clients, partners, and collaborators. - Excellent writing, presentation, and collaboration skills. - Advanced degree in a relevant field, or equivalent combination of education and substantial senior-level experience. - Candidates will be considered for placement at the Research Scholar (Level 8) or Senior Research Scholar (Level 9) level depending on qualifications. - Candidates with a strong national reputation in child welfare, a demonstrated track record winning multiple large federal awards across funding cycles, and existing federal client relationships where clients have proactively brought work will generally be considered for placement at Level 8. - Candidates who are recognized as among the leading national experts in child welfare, including those who have shaped federal research or funding priorities, created new lines of work that others have joined, or won very large or innovative awards that built an entirely new area, will be considered for placement at Level 9. - We encourage candidates across this range to apply and will discuss level placement during the interview process; salary range reflects both roles. Requirements - Expertise in Plans of Safe Care. - Expertise in child welfare data system integration, interoperability, or cross-system data use. - Expertise in adoption, permanency, or related policy and practice. - Experience with federal child welfare technical assistance, implementation support, or systems change efforts. - Experience partnering with state, local, tribal, and community-based child welfare stakeholders. - Experience mentoring multidisciplinary teams. Work Arrangement This is an hourly position, and hours will vary based on proposal activity and project needs. Initial schedule is not expected to exceed 10-15 hours a week but workload is expected to be higher during peak proposal periods and early project startup, with opportunities to take on a sustained increased workload as work is awarded. Child Trends anticipates that this role will convert to a full-time position contingent on successful project wins and organizational need, with this individual well positioned to step into a senior leadership role on awarded projects. Candidates should meet the must-have qualifications even if they do not bring expertise in every nice-to-have topic area. Note: All applicants with a current academic appointment or full-time organizational affiliation are expected to seek approval from their institution/organization if seeking dual employment with Child Trends while working in an hourly capacity. Why This Role This is an opportunity to help shape and lead the next phase of Child Trends’ child welfare work. The person in this role will have meaningful influence on business development, project leadership, partnerships, and thought leadership, and will be positioned to transition into a full-time senior role as the portfolio expands. Location Flexible remote; in most states. Child Trends does not yet operate everywhere in the US and may require additional start up time in certain states. We currently do not support fellows living primarily overseas. Background Investigation Jobs that involve interactions with children and positions that rely on high levels of trust to perform duties are subject to a background check at the time of hire. Employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history. We will always conduct interviews of qualified individuals prior to requesting a criminal background check and never inquire into an applicant's criminal history until interviews have been conducted and offer decisions are being made. Current employees may also be subject to future background checks depending on the nature of their duties. A criminal history will not automatically disqualify a candidate or current employee from employment; however, any convictions related to the responsibilities and requirements of the position may do so. How to Apply Please follow the “apply” link to submit your application. Please upload your resume/CV and cover letter as well as a brief writing sample, and three professional references. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Role Description Child Trends is seeking a senior research fellow to help deepen our education research and evaluation efforts. The fellowship program is designed to allow individuals working with other institutions and organizations to become formally affiliated with Child Trends. This position is not a full-time role, and outside employment or affiliations are expected. Research fellows will work closely with senior staff to develop and cultivate new applied research and evaluation projects in key priority areas. Fellows are also expected to mentor less experienced staff, provide quality assurance for research products and support proposal development efforts. The position is fully remote. The ideal candidate will possess deep content and methodological expertise in education research and evaluation. Topical areas of interest include: - Literacy and mathematics - School climate and culture - Rural education - Postsecondary readiness and success Additionally, we are interested in candidates with experience working collaboratively with state and local policy makers and educators and a track record of winning work and producing research products for: - The National Science Foundation (NSF) - The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) - Philanthropic partners Schedule is somewhat flexible and will vary based on availability of work. We are expecting a range of 10-15 hours a week, with higher engagement expected in the Spring and Summer of 2026. Typical Duties - Lead and/or support the development of grant and/or contract proposals - Serve as a subject matter expert and quality reviewer across new and existing projects and products - Develop proposals, concept papers and scopes of work in collaboration with the Program Area Director for Education (PAD) and other senior education team members - Support the start-up of newly funded projects and serve as a project team member where available - Develop thought leadership pieces in collaboration with the PAD Qualifications - Doctoral degree in a related discipline (e.g., Education, Public Policy, Economics, Sociology) - An established track record of winning education research and evaluation funding - Experience conducting collaborative research with policy makers and practitioners and producing relevant and rigorous research products - Experience as a Principal Investigator or Task Lead on an IES funded research project (Preferred) - What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) certification in Group Design (Preferred) The level of this appointment (Research Fellow I or II) will be determined based on the candidate's experience and qualifications. Candidates with a demonstrated track record of leading large, multi-year awards across multiple funders, managing a sustained line of research, and overseeing senior staff may be considered for the Research Fellow II role. The salary range reflects both levels. Note: All applicants with a current academic appointment or full-time organizational affiliation are expected to seek approval from their institution/organization to serve as a Research Fellow with Child Trends. Location Flexible remote; in most states. Child Trends does not yet operate everywhere in the US and may require additional start-up time in certain states. We currently do not support fellows living primarily overseas. Background Investigation Jobs that involve interactions with children and positions that rely on high levels of trust to perform duties are subject to a background check at the time of hire. Employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history. We will always conduct interviews of qualified individuals prior to requesting a criminal background check and never inquire into an applicant's criminal history until interviews have been conducted and offer decisions are being made. Current employees may also be subject to future background checks depending on the nature of their duties. A criminal history will not automatically disqualify a candidate or current employee from employment; however, any convictions related to the responsibilities and requirements of the position may do so. How to Apply Please follow the “apply” link to submit your application. Please upload your resume/CV and cover letter as well as a brief writing sample, and three professional references. Company Description We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Role Description We are currently seeking a seasoned technical assistance fellow for a senior-level position to direct technical assistance initiatives to support state educational agencies, tribal educational agencies, and local educational agencies in implementing evidence-based practices, strengthening the teacher workforce, and redesigning education systems to improve student outcomes. The fellowship program is designed to allow individuals working with other institutions and organizations to become formally affiliated with Child Trends. This position is not a full-time role, and outside employment or affiliations are expected. As part of our hiring process, we'll review outside affiliations for potential conflicts of interest and will reach out to candidates to discuss any concerns before moving forward in the interview process. Fellows will work closely with senior staff to develop and cultivate new technical assistance and capacity building projects in key priority areas. Fellows are also expected to mentor less experienced staff, provide quality assurance for products, and support proposal development efforts. The position is fully remote. Schedule is somewhat flexible and will vary based on availability of work, estimation of no more than 15 hours a week initially but could transition to FT if additional funding is secured. Typical Duties and Responsibilities: - Serves as the project director on one or more large federally funded technical assistance centers. - Leads successful proposals for large federal technical assistance contracts or cooperative agreements. - Develops relationships with local, state, and federal education officials and other external partners and conducts reconnaissance research ahead of potential bids. - Serves as a mentor and supervisor. - Leads the writing of reports, toolkits/playbooks, issue briefs, and other technical assistance products. - Develops and conducts presentations for diverse audiences, including researchers, policymakers, and state and local practitioners. - Supports best-place-to-work environment and participates in organizational events and meetings. Qualifications - Extensive experience providing evidence-based technical assistance, particularly in the context of U.S. Department of Education-funded technical assistance centers. - Advanced degree (e.g. Masters or PhD/EdD) or equivalent in a related field (e.g., education, public policy, business). - Deep familiarity with current federal and state education policy and practice issues and needs. - Experience serving in a project management role for large federal contracts. - Demonstrated ability to write successful proposals to private and public funders. - Demonstrated ability to manage technical assistance projects effectively. - Demonstrated ability to work effectively and grow client relationships. - Experience effectively managing technical assistance work and team members. - Excellent oral and written communication. - Desire to grow (or continue to build) a line of technical assistance practice. - Desire to serve as a national thought leader in improving the lives and prospects of children and youth. - Experience working for a state education agency desirable but not required. Locations - Flexible Remote Work; in most states, we are not yet operating everywhere in the US and may need to delay start to get set up. We do not have any overseas operations. Background Investigation Jobs that involve interactions with children and positions that rely on high levels of trust to perform duties are subject to a background check at the time of hire. Employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history. We will always conduct interviews of qualified individuals prior to requesting a criminal background check and never inquire into an applicant's criminal history until interviews have been conducted and offer decisions are being made. Current employees may also be subject to future background checks depending on the nature of their duties. A criminal history will not automatically disqualify a candidate or current employee from employment, however any convictions related to the responsibilities and requirements of the position may do so. How to Apply Please follow the “apply” link to submit your application. Please upload your resume and cover letter as well as a writing sample, transcripts if recently graduated, and contact information for three professional references. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.