ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

Chapin Hall is an independent policy research center at the University of Chicago that provides public and private decision-makers with rigorous research and achievable solutions to improve the lives of children, families, and communities. Chapin Hall partners with policymakers, practitioners, and philanthropists at the forefront of research and policy development by applying research, real-world experience, and policy expertise to deliver actionable information, practical tools, and positive change for children, youth, and families. Chapin Hall's partnership mindset is demonstrated in a collaborative and innovative work environment committed to diversity and inclusion in our culture, projects, and workforce. Established in 1985, Chapin Hall's main impact areas include child welfare systems, community capacity building, and youth homelessness. For more information about Chapin Hall, visit www.chapinhall.org or @Chapin_Hall. Take a moment to view a video clip of staff on why they enjoy working at Chapin Hall.

Chapin Hall's unwavering partnership mindset is also demonstrated in its commitment to employees by always fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment that is committed to reflecting diversity and inclusion in its culture, projects, and workforce. We embrace diverse backgrounds, diverse perspectives, and diverse experiences in everything we do, in every partnership, and in our workplace. Our inclusive approach to people, partnerships, and communities makes us a better and stronger organization by bringing in innovative, highly motivated, multidisciplinary staff committed to fostering a truly collaborative work environment. We are committed to a respectful and inclusive work environment, work life flexibility, and partnerships that support both the diversity amongst our staff and within the communities we serve.

We are committed to maintaining a flexible, family-friendly work culture that meets the needs of our staff and external partners. We embrace a work from anywhere mindset that allows our staff to be empowered regarding their work and personal commitments while working remotely.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago is seeking a Senior Policy Analyst to work with jurisdictions across the country to successfully embed evidence-based practices and implement child welfare transformation efforts as the field moves towards a greater emphasis on prevention, race equity, and promoting child and family well-being. Specifically, the Senior Policy Analyst will work with jurisdictions designing and implementing community pathways and installing continuous quality improvement infrastructure for prevention services, inclusive of but not limited to evidence-based program models, in the context of the Family First Prevention Services Act. The Senior Policy Analyst will work with public, private and community-based child welfare leaders integrating the best available knowledge, scientific research and policy expertise, and designing and implementing policies, strategies and programs that achieve the agency's goals, ultimately, creating positive change and improving child and family outcomes.

The Senior Policy Analyst will work with a collaborative and integrated research and policy team to bring a unique blend of scientific research, real world experience, and implementation and policy expertise to select jurisdictions. Work is designed to strengthen public and private agency capacity by adjusting existing practices, operationalizing and evaluating outcomes, leveraging research to support clinical skills and competencies, as well as restructuring routines and relationships to be attuned to the full integration of safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes. The Senior Policy Analyst will cultivate relationships, empower leaders (both internal and external), engage community leaders and individuals with lived expertise, critically examine and apply research evidence, and provide concrete, strategic, and nuanced at-the-elbow policy analysis and implementation support to policymakers and practitioners as they build capacity to effectively manage toward their own goals.

The successful candidate will bring real world experience and a deep understanding of how jurisdictions can improve child outcomes through strategic levers like the federal Family First Prevention Services Act. The Senior Policy Analyst will contribute to the iteration, deployment, and testing of Chapin Hall's suite of implementation tools and frameworks. The individual will have a track record of successfully implementing empirically-supported practices, tracking and monitoring effectiveness of programs, drafting or enhancing policies to support implementation of prevention services, cultivating community and lived experience engagement, experience working with and promoting kinship care, and building infrastructures to promote safety, permanency, and well-being for children in foster care or at risk of entering foster care.

The Senior Policy Analyst will be charged with leading substantial tasks within broader scopes of work and overseeing the work of junior staff towards the completion of project goals and deliverables.

This position will report directly to a Chapin Hall Policy Fellow and allows for remote work and periodic in-person attendance at Chicago, IL meetings. Additionally, this position will participate in daily virtual meetings and travel to the east and/or west coast for in-person meetings depending on assigned projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary responsibilities of the position are as follows:

• Supports jurisdictions in their efforts to leverage opportunities like the Family First Prevention Services Act towards child welfare system transformation.
• Provides leadership in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of community pathways to prevention services in the context of the Family First Prevention Services.
• Engages and successfully collaborates with public and private child welfare and human social services leaders and staff, partnering public agencies (e.g. TANF, housing administrations, etc.), community based organizations, and individuals with lived expertise toward the (re)design and enhancements of preventive service continua.
• Conducts policy, fiscal and evidence reviews to develop innovative approaches to system transformation efforts.
• Leverages the existing knowledge to its fullest and identifies opportunities to build evidence within jurisdictional contexts.
• Identifies targeted opportunities and creates and leads strategies and analytical support for the effective implementation of evidence-informed best practices.
• Convenes stakeholders from multiple service sectors to design and implement a CQI performance measurement framework inclusive of identifying associated data sources that align with project scope.
• Together with colleagues, applies a synthesis of research findings and implementation experiences to the development and execution of plans for effective, tailored implementation.
• Collaborates with colleagues to articulate and validate essential elements of capacity-building and effective engagement toward systems change and integration.
• Develops, deploys, tests, and refines capacity building and implementation tools, frameworks, and resources.
• Through results-based organizational development, coaching, education, and facilitation of meetings and change processes, builds capacity of jurisdictions to:
  -use data and evidence in decision making;
  -build and sustain structures that support large scale systems improvement across multiple sites and providers;
  -further effective and sustainable implementation of practices and programs that lead to intended outcomes;
  -understand and leverage policy and financing as tools for progress; and
  -use continuous quality improvement to promote progress- monitoring and mid-course improvements.
• Manages and, as appropriate, leads the implementation of projects of varying size and complexity, including planning, organizing, and managing resources to achieve specific project goals and objectives.
• Leads or supports the translation of data and research findings into practical decisions, continuous quality improvement, and, ultimately, policy change.
• Manages and contributes substantively to teams working to effectively write and present relevant findings and reports, issue briefs, materials, memoranda, and other communications related to team efforts.
• Writes major sections or full reports for projects.
• Identifies opportunities and initiates ideas for communications to external stakeholders.
• Edits and reviews the written work of other professionals.
• Leads and/or contributes significantly to meetings with key external stakeholders.
• Represents Chapin Hall, engaging stakeholders in discussions related to current or potential work, accurately assessing each situation to determine the approach and discussion topics appropriate for one's role.
• May begin cultivating relationships with key funding and policy stakeholders necessary to develop and carry out one's own policy work.
• Understand the complex relationships between key funding and policy stakeholders relevant to work and navigate those relationships effectively.
• Performs additional duties as assigned.