The National Association of Counties (NACo) in Washington, D.C., announces an opening for a Deputy Research Director. Under the general guidance of the Director of Research and Outreach, the Deputy Research Director for the National Association of Counties manages the operations of the Research Department.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
This position has overall responsibility for management, quality control, and on time delivery of the projects of the Research Department. In cooperation with the Director of Research and Outreach, the Deputy Research Director will:

Implement NACo’s research priorities to support NACo’s strategic plan and mission and maintain NACo as a thought leader in the policy arena.
Develop research concepts, policy questions and work plans for large-scale studies in at least one of the following areas: health care, human services, or public lands.
Act as lead investigator for research projects without a specialized researcher part of the project team.
Author research studies, County News articles and other research materials.
Work with the Public Affairs Department and other NACo colleagues to coordinate the distribution of NACo’s research products and content.
Manage the Research Department staff.
Delegate work assignments, hire interns and provide leadership to permanent and temporary research staff.
Supervise timelines and deliverables for NACo’s research projects.
Oversee external and internal research conducted on behalf of NACo.
Supervise speedy, accurate and complete responses to inquiries from member counties, media and other interested persons.
Improve internal systems with an eye toward future needs and budget realities.
Represent NACo in meetings and at conferences.
Develop workshops, forums, etc. for NACo conferences.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate for this position will have significant experience in policy research and analysis (ideally in a think-tank environment), demonstrated experience in managing a team of researchers and the ability to translate research and data into coherent and persuasive policy narratives. Other qualifications include:

● Graduate Degree required, JD preferred, plus at least five years’ experience managing a research team
● Passion for public service
● Strong track record of publishing media-friendly pieces and delivering high impact policy research
● Attention to detail, strong data analysis and policy writing
● Ability to remain focused in the face of pressure, deliver against timelines
●Thorough knowledge of research methodology
●Ability to interpret data and terminology in a concise way
●Experience with presenting at conferences, conducting workshops, and publishing research
●Proficiency in proofreading
● Knowledge of local government issues, preferred

Application Procedures:
Persons interested in this position should submit a resume, writing sample and cover letter with salary requirements to: resumes@naco.org

In the cover letter, please discuss specifically your track record in managing a research team and delivering media-friendly research projects.