Research Assistant

IMCI Overview

(PART-TIME RESEARCH ASSISTANT)

Its My Community Initiative (IMCI) offers programs that serve a number of special population groups, including veterans, the historically unemployed or underemployed, individuals with a criminal background including those reentering communities from incarceration, incumbent workers, and low-skilled or low-wage workers. IMCI also works with TRUE Dads. This is a free program in Oklahoma City that helps dads be the kind of father they want to be. Over the years, IMCI has developed a reputation for and continues to demonstrate the value and efficacy of well-thought approaches to incorporating soft skills, vocational training, continuing education, job placement, job coaching and career advancement in ways that make obtaining consistent employment with a living wage more accessible. Additionally, IMCI continuously looks for opportunities to innovate within the workforce development field and, where appropriate, develops and fosters social enterprises that include employment opportunities for the populations served and whose financial success can be reinvested in the services and resources needed to build the Work Ready Oklahoma model.

Position Summary

PART-TIME RESEARCH ASSISTANT: TRUE Dads is the first and only large-scale, community-based, and comprehensive continuum of services in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area that seeks to enhance the quality of life of low-income fathers, particularly men of color, by improving their knowledge, strengthening their skills, helping them to build cooperative and effective relationships with co-parents, and providing opportunities to achieve economic stability as a means of providing for their families and improving outcomes for their children. TRUE Dads (TD) is named for the traits that embody great fathers and the characteristics that will be fostered by the program Trustworthy, Responsible, United, Educated.

TD is seeking an individual to join a select group of ambitious collegiate students interested in Social Work, Public Policy, Psychology, Applied Research, or related field to engage in talent development while assisting in a random assignment research study this groundbreaking program serving low income families in Oklahoma. TD is a responsible fatherhood program poised to transform the field of fatherhood services because of its innovative design and approach, providing fathers with a comprehensive range of services and supports. This program is research informed, aligned with best practices, and is engaged in rigorous evaluations led by some of the most respected human services researchers in the country today. Individuals will gain knowledge about gold-standard research and its impact on public policy by participating in high-quality data collection, assisting in monitoring the ongoing alignment of research objectives to program operations, and supporting other evaluation and data collection activities.

This competitive position is an excellent opportunity for students seeking research training and/or experience in Social Work, Public Policy, Psychology, Applied Research, or related field. It is a seasonal position with the possibility for long-term employment. The individual in this position will contribute to IMCIs mission developing and expanding efforts to strengthen communities by building strong, healthy families by providing assistance in a federally funded, rigorous program evaluation.

The Research Assistant will report to the Assistant Project Director of TRUE Dads under the daily supervision of the Research Specialist.

Essential Job Functions

Participate in data collection for the research teams, including data collected at intake, six-months, 1-year follow-up, and at other times as agreed
Support program participants throughout the data collection process to ensure that they provide honest and thorough information for program management and evaluation purposes
Assist in writing reports, such as those based on collected data, required by federal grant funders, or as needed to support the research teams
Assist in ensuring that all research activities are implemented consistent with defined research protocols, in the broader context of TD commitment to customer service
Participate in staff training to improve services for families
Seek ways to work with the TD leadership team to integrate current human service research and findings into program strategies
Work on projects as assigned by the Assistant project Director and members of the research team

Education/Training

Undergraduate or graduate level student in Social Work, Public Policy, Psychology, Applied Research or related field.

Experience

Demonstrated experience working with teams.
Demonstrated understanding of financially vulnerable families.
Ability to relate effectively with people across numerous professions and all economic income levels, building trusting relationships.

Special Requirements

Ability to work evenings and weekends, with some hours Monday-Thursday 5pm-9pm and Saturday 8am-1pm.
Personable, a critical thinker, self-motivated, hard-working, detail-oriented, and flexible

Essential Physical Requirements

Sufficient mobility and strength to move about the facility. Ability to be mobile throughout the community.

IMCI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.