Director of Research, Policy and Governance Studies

Salary Range:

$130,000.00 To $130,000.00 Annually

The National Association of Counties (NACo), representing America’s 3,069 county governments with 40,000 elected officials, 3.6 million county employees, and more than $660 billion in annual community-based investments, seeks a Director of Research, Policy and Governance Studies. The Research, Policy and Governance Studies department conducts original research on county roles and authorities in a broad array of policy and issue areas, including the roles and responsibilities of county government within the intergovernmental system, the federal policy implementation impacts to local government, macro and microeconomic issues and fiscal conditions, land use trends and the disciplinary functions of county government including criminal justice, health and behavioral health, human services, disaster resilience and response.

Position Responsibilities and Activities:

• Under the direction of the Chief Economist and Chief Research Officer, contributes to and manages execution of the organization’s research agenda.
• Oversees the execution of the organizational research agenda and day-to-day activities of the Research, Policy and Governance Studies department, including personnel management; oversight of research product scope, data collection and analytical methods, quality assurance, writing and archiving; managing and optimizing workflow; managing the department budget; and ensuring research activities are strategically coordinated with other NACo departments’ workstreams.
• Provide oversight, supervision, and guidance of educational offerings and technical assistance to county officials, including responding to requests for information; making presentations at national, regional, state, and local meetings; and facilitating the exchange of information between county officials.
• Provides direction and coaching to Research staff on data collection and analytical methods; communicating complex information to a policymaker audience verbally and in written products, including best practices in data visualization; and edits and approves all NACo research products.
• Partner with NACo’s Government Affairs department and relevant Legislative Directors to stay apprised of current policy positions, policy developments, and develop relevant content for NACo members.
• In coordination with the Content Working Group, develops and executes effective communications and dissemination strategies to maximize uptake and impact of NACo research products.
• Develops and maintains effective and transparent systems, including internal meeting structures and schedules, onboarding staff and research interns, and tracking and ensuring timely completion of research deliverables.
• Participate in organization-wide activities, including conference planning and implementation, membership recruitment and retention, and internal reporting and planning.
• Promotes alignment of research activities with NACo’s vision, mission, objectives, and performance priorities and fosters successful collaboration between Research staff and other NACo departments.
• Performs all other duties as assigned by the NACo Chief Economist and Chief Research Officer.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in research methodologies, public administration or policy, the social sciences, or relevant subject matter field preferred.
• Demonstrated advanced research skills required; minimum 10 years’ experience in research and research methods, including progressively greater responsibilities related to research design, survey methods, managing datasets, quantitative and qualitative analytics, and research communications.
• Minimum three years’ people and team management experience.
• Experience in the local or state government context preferred.
• Strong project, budget, and supervisory people management skills.
• The ability to thrive and remain nonpartisan in a political environment.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills.
• The ability to set and meet deadlines and work well under pressure.
• The ability to coordinate partnerships with other organizations to achieve better services for counties.

Working Conditions:

• Hybrid work schedule is available, with minimum requirement of 2 days in the office to collaborate.
• Ability to travel up to 25% of time.
• Base Salary – $130,000.

Application Procedures:

Persons interested in this position should submit a resume with salary requirements to: [email protected]

Why Work at NACo:

Our vision is healthy, safe, and vibrant counties across America. Counties play an integral part of the intergovernmental responsibilities among federal, state, local, and tribal government officials. We are guided by the belief that stronger counties result in a stronger America.

NACo is committed to fostering a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our jobs are open to all applications regardless of race, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, disability, military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

Teammates of NACo enjoy a fun and challenging environment with a wide range of competitive benefits, including comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance; generous paid leave and federal holidays; transportation subsidy; tuition assistance; 401(k) match, pension plans, group life insurance, voluntary payroll deductions for pet insurance and credit union membership, and short/long term disability coverage including applicable parental leave.

We are passionate about advancing excellence in public service to help people and places thrive across America. We embrace and respect our diversity of experience, heritage, and thought and strive to cultivate an equitable workplace. As outlined in our Values and NACo Norms below, we pursue our mission through a ONE NACo mindset of genuine care, empathy, and respect for each other, our partners, and our members.