Associate Director of Program Evaluation and Impact

University of Illinois Extension
seeks an accomplished, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as Associate Director of Program Evaluation and Impact.
The successful candidate will provide statewide leadership for organizational
planning, program evaluation, reporting, needs assessment, data systems, and
impact analysis across Illinois Extension.

WHO WE ARE
As part of the Land Grant system, the University of Illinois
was established not only to provide world class education and pioneer research
and discovery, but to put learning and discovery into practice, to benefit the
health and wellbeing of residents and communities in every part of Illinois.
Extension is the university's statewide network of educators, faculty experts,
and staff dedicated to that mission. To learn more about University of Illinois
Extension, visit https://extension.illinois.edu/global/who-we-are.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EMPLOYEES
We will invest in our employees, our most important
resource, by providing professional development and training that enables you
to learn and grow to your full potential. We will strive to provide a healthy
work-life balance for all our employees, regardless of role. Together, we will
maintain a culture that promotes inclusivity, teamwork, and an environment that
challenges and rewards our employees.

JOB PURPOSE
The Associate Director leads efforts to strengthen a culture of data-informed
decision-making and continuous program improvement. Working collaboratively
with Extension leadership, program teams, Extension Units, faculty specialists,
data analysts, as well as College of ACES and university partners. The
Associate Director develops and advances systems and processes that connect
community needs, program planning, organizational priorities, evaluation,
reporting, and demonstrated impact.

The Associate Director provides
strategic leadership for the collection, analysis, interpretation, and
communication of organizational data and ensures that Illinois Extension can
effectively demonstrate the reach, outcomes, and public value of its programs
to communities, stakeholders, funders, university leadership, and state and
federal partners. The Associate Director also leads federal planning and
reporting requirements and ensures organizational systems support Illinois
Extension's strategic priorities and the land-grant mission.

The
Associate Director cultivates a culture of collaboration, accountability,
innovation, and continuous improvement while ensuring that reporting and
evaluation efforts align with the strategic priorities of Illinois Extension,
the College of ACES, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

• Master's degree in evaluation, program development, data analytics, or another relevant field. Master's degree in progress may be considered for
  interviews, but degree must be completed by hire date.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in program planning, evaluation, organizational assessment, reporting, data analysis, or a closely related area.
• Demonstrated experience developing or leading organizational planning and evaluation.
• Demonstrated experience interpreting quantitative and qualitative data and translating findings into information useful for organizational decision-making.
• Experience collaborating across organizational units, disciplines, or functional areas.

• Experience with complex public-serving organizations, federal accountability requirements, and data visualization.
• Supervising and developing professional staff.
• Valid driver's license.

SPECIFIC
JOB INFORMATION:
One full-time position is available.
Location: Urbana-Champaign
Campus. Hybrid work may be available, but onsite work in Urbana-Champaign is
required.
This is
a security-sensitive position. Comprehensive background checks, including but not limited to a criminal
conviction information check, a CANTS check, and a review of the Registered Sex
Offender list, will be conducted.

• Ability to provide strategic leadership and articulate a compelling vision for organizational planning, evaluation, reporting, impact assessment, and continuous improvement.
• Strong knowledge of program development, evaluation methodology, needs assessment, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
• Ability to translate complex data and evaluation findings into clear, actionable information for all audiences.
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and organizational communication skills.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively across organizational boundaries.
• Ability to lead organizational change and promote adoption of new systems, technologies, and practices.
• Ability to balance organizational accountability and compliance requirements with the practical needs of Extension professionals delivering programs in communities.
• Knowledge of, or ability to develop knowledge of, Cooperative Extension, the land-grant university mission, University of Illinois Extension, and applicable University policies and procedures.
  

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizational Leadership and Strategic Planning:

• Provide visionary leadership for Illinois Extension's statewide program planning, reporting, evaluation, and organizational assessment enterprise, developing long-term strategies that strengthen organizational effectiveness and demonstrate Extension's value and impact.
• Lead and continuously improve an integrated framework connecting needs assessment, strategic planning, program development, implementation, evaluation, reporting, and organizational learning.
• Collaborate with Extension leadership and Strategy, Planning, and Implementation efforts to support implementation, monitoring, and assessment of the Illinois Extension Strategic Plan.
• Lead the development, implementation, communication, and periodic review of state, Unit, and other organizational plans of work, ensuring alignment among locally identified needs, statewide priorities, and Extension's strategic direction.
• Provide leadership for organizational needs assessment processes that use primary and secondary data, stakeholder input, community engagement, and other appropriate methods to identify emerging needs, opportunities, and gaps.
• Foster strong partnerships with Illinois Extension's 27 Units and statewide program teams to ensure planning and assessment processes are relevant, useful, and responsive to local and statewide needs.
• Advise the Associate Dean and Director as well as Extension leadership on organizational performance, program impact, emerging trends, data needs, and opportunities for continuous improvement.

Reporting, Data Systems, and Organizational Impact:

• Provide strategic leadership for Extension-wide reporting priorities, protocols, systems, and standards that document the scope, reach, outcomes, and impact of Illinois Extension programs.
• Lead the short-term continued development and effective use of PEARS and other organizational reporting systems, ensuring systems and processes provide meaningful information for program improvement, organizational decision-making, accountability, and impact communication.
• Engage with staff to identify needs and opportunities for changes within the current PEARS system and determine future use of the platform.
• Collaborate with Extension data analysts, program teams, Marketing and Communications, web development staff, and other partners to develop organizational metrics, dashboards, reports, and analyses that effectively communicate Extension's reach, outcomes, and public value.
• Provide leadership for the development and continued improvement of statewide and Unit-level dashboards that make organizational data accessible and actionable for planning, assessment, reporting, and decision-making.
• Establish data quality standards and processes that promote accurate, consistent, timely, and meaningful organizational reporting.
• Provide timely analysis and information in response to requests for Extension data from university leadership, government partners, funders, Extension Units, stakeholders, and other internal and external audiences.
• Collaborate with Extension Marketing and Communications to translate programmatic and organizational data into compelling evidence of Extension's value and impact.
• Regularly submit success stories and metrics to the National Land-Grant Impacts Database.

Program Evaluation, Needs Assessment, and Continuous Improvement:

• Provide statewide leadership for program evaluation and impact assessment strategies that help Illinois Extension improve programs, demonstrate effectiveness, quantify outcomes, and document short- and long-term impacts.
• Consult and collaborate with program area evaluation leads, faculty specialists, educators, and other Extension professionals to develop logic models, theories of change, evaluation frameworks, instruments, and approaches appropriate to program goals and organizational priorities.
• Promote evaluation practices that balance rigor, usefulness, feasibility, and organizational capacity while encouraging greater evaluation investment in high-priority, high-impact, and scalable programs.
• Develop strategies for using evaluation findings, audience information, program demand data, needs assessment findings, and other evidence to inform program development, resource allocation, and continuous quality improvement.
• Support the development of common organizational measures, where appropriate, to better demonstrate collective Extension outcomes and impact across programs, Units, and audiences.
• Identify emerging approaches, technologies, and methodologies in evaluation, data collection, analytics, visualization, and impact assessment that can strengthen Extension's ability to understand and communicate its work.

Federal Reporting, Accountability, and Compliance:

• Lead development and submission of the University of Illinois Extension components of required USDA-NIFA plans of work, reports of accomplishments, financial capacity reports, and other required federal reports.
• Collaborate with the College of ACES Associate Dean for Research, the ACES Office of Research, and other college and university partners on integrated Research and Extension reporting and other federal requirements.
• Provide leadership for the collection, quality assurance, analysis, and reporting of data necessary to meet federal, university, and organizational accountability requirements.
• Collaborate with Extension leadership, Units, and program teams to support collection and reporting of participant demographic and other information required for Civil Rights compliance and efforts to provide equitable access to Extension programs.
• Collaborate with the Access and Civil Rights Office on unit-based and USDA-NIFA civil rights compliance reviews and audits.
• Maintain awareness of evolving federal and university reporting requirements and proactively adapt Extension systems and practices as needed.

Leadership, Personnel, and Organizational Development:

• Lead, supervise, coach, and develop the statewide Program Evaluation and Impact team.
• Build organizational capacity in program planning, needs assessment, evaluation, reporting, data literacy, and impact communication through professional development, consultation, resources, and technical assistance.
• Provide leadership and oversight for training that enables Extension personnel to effectively use reporting systems, dashboards, evaluation tools, and organizational data.
• Develop onboarding and continuing professional development opportunities that strengthen employee understanding and application of effective program development, evaluation, reporting, and continuous improvement practices.
• Promote collaboration among program teams, Regional Offices, Unit Offices, campus-based faculty and staff, and university partners.
• Foster a service-oriented culture in which data and evaluation systems support Extension professionals while simultaneously meeting organizational accountability needs.

Professional Development and Innovation:

• Remain current on emerging trends and best practices in Cooperative Extension program development, evaluation, needs assessment, data analytics, visualization, reporting systems, artificial intelligence, and organizational performance.
• Identify and evaluate emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and automation, that can improve data collection, analysis, reporting, visualization, and organizational decision-making.
• Represent Illinois Extension through appropriate university, regional, national, and professional organizations and collaborations.
• Develop relationships with peer Extension systems and national partners to identify and advance innovative approaches to planning, reporting, evaluation, and impact assessment.

Other Responsibilities:

• Personal transportation required; occasional state-wide travel will be required.

Physical
Demands/Working Conditions
When working, the employee may be exposed to a variety of
environmental factors to include, but not limited to, hot or cold weather,
exposure to noise and allergens, and uneven ground. In performing the functions of this position,
the employee may be subjected to various physical demands including ability to
move, transfer and/or transport items that may occasionally weigh up to forty
(40) pounds and frequently weigh up to twenty (20) pounds, and twisting,
pushing and pulling movements.

Work Schedule, Travel, Or Other Job Expectations
To perform the functions of this position, the employee will
be required to perform work both within an office and outside in the
communities that are served and must have the capability to travel from one
location to the other in a timely fashion. Employee is responsible for securing personal transportation. Some work
will be required during evenings and/or weekends.

Administrative Relationship
The Associate Director of Program
Evaluation and Impact is currently administratively responsible to the Associate
Dean and Director, University of Illinois Extension.

Appointment
Information
This position is not eligible for any type of sponsorship for work
authorization. This position is a full-time, benefits-eligible, non-tenure
academic professional position appointed on a 12-month service basis. The expected start date is as soon as
possible after the closing date. The previously
determined salary range for this position was $85,000 to $100,000. We strive to
provide a competitive salary while taking into consideration internal equity,
candidate experience and qualifications, as well as budget constraints. The
final salary offer will be determined through a calculation involving these
elements. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at the top
of the full range for this position.

Application
Procedures & Deadline Information
Applications must be
received by 6:00 pm (CST) on December 4, 2026. Apply for this position
using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Please upload a resume, cover letter, and
the names and contact information for three professional references. Resume
dates submitted must be in month/year format and employment history, at
a minimum, should include all work dating back to the completion of your
undergraduate degree. Positions that were less than full-time/100% must be
noted as being part-time. Transcripts may be requested at a later date. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered.

For further information about this specific
position, please contact Janice McCoy at janmc@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application
process, please contact 217-333-2137.

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - the state's flagship public university and one of the world's leading research institutions - every staff member helps shape what's next. Founded in 1867, Illinois is home to a vibrant community of 59,000 students from all 50 states and 129 countries, supported by 15 colleges and instructional units, more than 20 research institutes, and one of the most comprehensive student service ecosystems in the nation. Whether you're empowering first-generation students, fueling breakthrough innovation, or strengthening communities across Illinois and beyond, your work here has a far-reaching and deeply meaningful impact. The university offers a highly competitive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and financial security. Join a top 10 public university that has launched over 330 startups and continues to redefine excellence - where the Illinois Value Proposition ensures that your contributions are recognized, your potential is nurtured, and your career can thrive.

Champaign-Urbana

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodation portal, or by contacting the Office for Access & Equity at 217-333-0885, option #1, or accessibility@illinois.edu.

Requisition ID: 1038946

Job Category: Off-Campus

Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu