After School Matters is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that annually offers after-school and summer programs to nearly 19,000 Chicago high school teens to explore and develop their talents while gaining critical skills that will set them up for success in college and beyond.

Thirty years later, now known as After School Matters, our program has engaged more than 350,000 Chicago teens and is the nation’s largest and most successful provider of after-school and summer programs for high school teens. No other organization offers programs to high school students at the scale and quality that we do.

We offer paid apprenticeships led by professionals in the fields of arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Our nationally respected youth development model has been replicated in cities across the country and earned us the City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Programs take place at community locations throughout the city, including three ASM buildings: downtown at Gallery 37 Center for the Arts, the Michael and Karyn Lutz Center in Belmont Cragin, and the Pullman community at Gately Park.

Currently, After School Matters' annual operating budget is approximately $35M and employs approximately 500 staff across the organization.

For more information, visit www.afterschoolmatters.org.

Summary of Position:

Reporting to the Manager of Research and Evaluation, the Seasonal Research & Evaluation Associate will support the implementation of various research and evaluation projects during ASM’s busiest program session. This individual will support the organization’s ongoing evaluative processes by conducting both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, as well as assist in the creation of reports and presentations that facilitate decision-making at all levels of the organization.  

This is a full-time, seasonal position that will begin in May/June 2024 and end in mid-October. Exact start and end dates dependent on time of hiring.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support key monitoring and evaluation initiatives and research studies (e.g., YPQA/I, teen surveys and interviews, teen demographic and performance data, and other special population studies), including data collection, cleaning, analysis, and quality control using quantitative and/or qualitative methods, as appropriate, and report data findings.

• Support the development of research and data resources to share with key stakeholders, as well as communication and technical assistance materials to support the ease of access and use.

• Conduct literature reviews and provide analysis and summary materials to inform internal strategy and key stakeholders. Curate and synthesize national research and program evaluations representing new trends, programs, or initiatives in the youth development field.

• Support creation of data visualizations (including maps), executive summaries, and other deliverables that interpret and disseminate outcomes and key findings from research studies and initiatives.

• Collaborate with research manager and specialists to provide technical assistance to internal and external partners on a range of research initiatives and ongoing queries into the literature base when appropriate. Respond to inquiries from funders, leadership, partners, and external agencies in a timely and professional manner.

• Present insights via written and verbal communications that can be understood and used by a broad audience to enhance decision-making.

• Support the Manager of Research and Evaluation in the oversight of contracted employees each year by submitting invoices, creating training materials, and tracking progress.

• Represent the Research & Evaluation team and/or After School Matters at internal and external meetings.

• Serve as a certified external assessor to conduct program observations using the Youth Program Quality Assessment.

• Perform other data management and analytical duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• N/A

Physical Demands:

The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to sit and work at a computer for long periods of time.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is not exposed to weather conditions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Qualifications:

• Minimum one year experience in research, evaluation, or analytical work

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required (e.g.  Education, Psychology, Social Work, Public Administration, Public Policy, Statistics); Master’s degree preferred

• Committed to the organizational mission to provide Chicago public high school teens opportunities to explore and develop their talents, while gaining critical skills for work, college and beyond

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – Committed to a workplace that values different backgrounds and life experiences and allows everyone to bring their authentic self to work. Builds equity into structure, systems, and processes for our employees and the teens we serve

• Bilingual (English and Spanish) language skills preferred, but not required

• Some evening and weekends availability required

Additional Requirements:

Staff are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or have an approved medical or sincerely held religious beliefs exemption prior to starting employment. If a medical or sincerely held religious belief exemption is approved, weekly Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing is required as part of any reasonable accommodation.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Proficient knowledge of statistical concepts and analytical software (SPSS, STATA, R, and/or SAS). Elementary proficiency with Tableau, ArcGIS, and software for qualitative analysis including Nvivo preferred.

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to write clearly, respond effectively to inquiries from external stakeholders, staff, and colleagues.

• Experience supporting quantitative and qualitative research projects, including data collection, management, and analysis.

• Professional working proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel.

• Exceptional attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to develop new procedures and to learn and apply new technologies as needed.

• Willingness and ability to undertake complex, uncommon research requests.

• Capacity to work collaboratively and proactively within a team environment, as well as independently.

• Experience in using Cityspan database is a plus.

• Experience with the Youth Program Quality Assessment is a plus.

How to Apply:

Submit a cover letter and resume at https://afterschoolmatters.applytojob.com/apply

EEO:

After School Matters is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, military discharge status, age, marital status, parental status, or source of income.

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