Pine River Institute (PRI) is a unique adolescent and family serving not-for-profit organization. PRI’s predominate program initiatives are to provide live-in treatment services for youth from across Ontario, who struggle with addictive behaviors and mental health challenges. These programs are based in Dufferin County, Simcoe County, Muskoka, and Toronto. PRI also offers a range of other programs including parent/caregiver education programs, training initiatives aimed at clinicians working with youth with addiction or mental health challenges to provide them tools to work with families/caregivers and an outpatient initiative partnering with some Toronto based hospitals.
One of the hallmarks of PRI has been our commitment to research and evaluation. We use this information to understand the impact of our programs, determine what works, why it works, and what could be improved, as well as providing measurable results to funders.
The Director of Research and Evaluation is a key member of the PRI management group. The Director will be expected to work with varying parts of the organization in order to provide research and evaluation support to a number of initiatives. In particular, the Director must forge close relationships with the clinical staff in order to foster an ongoing dialogue about questions, concerns, and directions that might capture the impact of the treatment or explore new areas of clinical practice. In short, the person in this position should incite and support a sense of curiosity within the organization. While cooperation and collaboration with academic partners will always be important including publishing in peer review journals, we are eager to put an emphasis on disseminating what we learn through research and evaluation to a broader public audience such as our colleague providers, youth and families, policymakers, and funders.
Position
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, this role is responsible for the organizations research and evaluation activities.
Some of the key responsibilities are:
- Evaluation design, implementation, and reporting
- Research design, implementation, and reporting
- Data gathering, tracking, management, analysis, and interpretation
- Networking with researchers in colleague agencies, postsecondary institutions, etc.
- Development of research grant applications
- Collaboration and support to varying parts of the organization
- Participation in PRI management structure
- Engage in an on-going dialogue with the Research Advisory Committee about opportunities and challenges in the research and evaluation agenda and practice
Some of the key deliverables for the role are:
- Oversight of data collection for program evaluation for a variety of programs
- Maintenance of the robust data management system, new development as required
- Seek and maintain the appropriate research and evaluation ethics approvals
- Production of the Annual Evaluation Report
- Dissemination of research and evaluation findings to a broader audience.
- Research, or evaluation, especially in areas of interest to the Clinical department
- Lead and mentor research staff which includes participating in the interview process for hiring and ongoing coaching/ performance management
- Deepen PRI’s reputation as a recognized leader for youth mental health and addictive behaviours, effective clinical services, research and evaluation, and knowledge mobilization
- Establish processes for knowledge mobilization and translation
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:
- An extensive background designing applied research programs using mixed methods approaches; conducting evaluation studies; leading or coordinating complex research projects; and working in a collaborative setting.
- Outstanding academic credentials (an earned doctorate in education, psychology, social work, or related discipline).
- Experience in conceptualizing and preparing briefs, reports, articles, and proposals and responding to media requests for research-based information related to adolescent mental health and addictive behaviors.
- Experience in leading and mentoring a small research team.
- A customer service orientation
- A curiosity and passion for the work
- The ability to travel to various PRI points of service, currently Mulmur, Orillia, North Muskoka, and Toronto, and represent the agency at conferences from time to time in Ontario, the rest of Canada or the United States.
Location: Hybrid
Salary: 90,000 + commensurate with experience. Wage Level 3.
As an employer, PRI endeavours to create an environment where staff can reach their full potential through ongoing learning. Our workplace strives to embrace individual differences, to recognize, appreciate, and respond to uniqueness, to encourage every member of our team to bring their whole self to work.
We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, and the opportunity to be part of an exciting and innovative program.
Interested candidates should send resume and cover letter to Jen Rutledge, Human Resources Director, hr@pineriverinstitute.com or by Fax at 519-964-8440 or mail to 606060 River Road, Mulmur ON L9V 0S9 by September 27, 2024.
We thank all candidates who apply. Please note that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Pine River Institute ensures that all recruiting processes are non-discriminatory and barrier-free. If you require accommodation, please advise in advance of attending an interview.