Associate Director of Community & Public Health

Special Instructions to Applicants: In PDF form, applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in how we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity,

Position Summary

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research is seeking a full-time Associate Director of Community and Public Health to oversee research produced in cooperation with a set of partner organizations in and around the Houston region on topics such as non-medical drivers of health/social determinants of health, mental health, immigrant health, community health needs assessments, chronic illness, wellness and well-being among marginalized communities, and access to healthcare. The Associate Director for the Health Center will support the Director of the Center in the development and implementation of studies, grant proposals, research briefs, and publications, and supervision of research staff at the Health Center, utilizing research-practice partnership principles.

The Associate Director is responsible for improving and sustaining the quality of research at KIUR by providing review and input on research products, communicating findings to wide and varying audiences, and helping lead and strategically plan the development of the Community and Public Health Research Center. The Associate Director of Community and Public Health will work collaboratively with the Director of Community and Public Health, other center directors, the Executive Director, and other leadership throughout the institute. The position also offers opportunities for teaching and affiliation with an academic department, contributing to the academic mission of Rice University.

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research aims to improve lives through data, research, engagement, and action. The institute is currently working to build out five research centers focused on critical aspects shaping the social and cultural landscape of the Houston area. The five centers will research housing, education, community and public health, economic mobility and inequality, and population dynamics. Each center will investigate its topic area and will work across centers. To achieve this, each center is building interdisciplinary teams specializing in solutions-oriented research while using a partnership model of research. The partnership model works to jointly design, develop, and conduct research that values diversity in expertise and prioritizes the community in identifying and addressing the most pressing questions and challenges facing the Houston area. The goal is for the institute’s research to inform decision-making and bring about systemic change.

The ideal candidate thrives in a team environment, actively leading, collaborating, and motivating others. They will have superior interpersonal, scientific, and numerical skills with meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.

Workplace Requirements

This position is located on-site in the Houston area and has the potential of being a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the proposed salary range is $100,000 to $110,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

Minimum Requirements

• Ph.D. or Doctoral Degree in a health or social science field, such as psychology, public health, epidemiology, sociology, or a related discipline
• 3+ years of postdoctoral experience leading and mentoring research staff and conducting quantitative and/or qualitative research projects
• Two years of supervisory experience

Skills:

• Excellent analytical and research skills, including experience with peer-reviewed publications and grant writing
• Excellent listening, verbal, and written communication skills
• Ability to translate and present research findings to diverse audiences
• Ability to work in a team environment, participate actively, collaborate, and motivate others
• Must demonstrate skills such as flexibility, determination, and decisiveness
• Ability to manage multiple projects and direct and distribute the workload of staff researchers

Preferences

• Five or more years of experience developing and managing research projects, managing data, and conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses, such as multilevel modeling, causal modeling, quasi-experimental methods, survey design, focus groups, and qualitative interviews
• Adept leader with five or more years of experience leading a team and supervising others
• One year of experience conducting community-engaged research or other types of collaborative or partnership work
• Adaptable to change and able to think creatively to address issues
• Works well in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Bilingual and fluent in Spanish

Essential Functions

• Consults and plans with the Community and Public Health Research Center Director and other staff to develop, strategize, and facilitate the research process
• Performs research by conducting independent studies, facilitating other ongoing research, and developing and validating new protocols, methodologies, and/or theories
• Actively works to improve the institute’s reputation and research capabilities.
• Collaborates with the Community and Public Health Research Center Director in the development of grant funding opportunities
• Leads the research design and oversees the analysis of multiple projects
• Supervises, trains, and mentors a team of researchers and students at various stages in their careers
• Establishes, builds, and maintains relationships and partnerships with community organizations and other external stakeholders in Houston and the surrounding area
• Develops and presents research findings to diverse audiences via varied means (e.g., research briefs, presentations, interactive data tools)
• Attends weekly staff and research team meetings
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Co-presents grant-related research findings at appropriate professional conferences
• Locates new data and acquires any necessary permissions needed to use, extract, and merge data with data from other sources
• Collects, organizes, manages, and maintains original data as needed, and works with KIUR’s data team to secure original and existing data products
• Analyzes data according to the research agenda

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits 

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.