The UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest multidisciplinary centers devoted to the study of children and their families. As one of the nation’s leading child development research centers, we generate scientific evidence, inform policies, and support practices to promote positive developmental and educational outcomes for children of all backgrounds and abilities from infancy to adolescence.

FPG has a particular focus on the study of vulnerable populations and those who have special needs. In addition, FPG is committed to creating a place where everyone is welcome, supported, and has the resources they need to grow and thrive regardless of identity, origin, or difference in circumstances as well as engaging in work that addresses critical issues related to educational inequality and barriers to inclusion that impact children’s wellbeing.

Approximately 280 researchers, implementation and technical assistance specialists, staff, and students work on more than 75 projects related to developmental disabilities; physical, social, and emotional health; early care and education; early intervention and special education, prevention science, and more to address important issues facing all children and families. Our work spans across disciplines from education and psychology to social work and public health.

We collaborate with researchers across campus and throughout the nation. At FPG, transdisciplinary collaboration is a way to leverage collective expertise for comprehensive and relevant research and outreach, and is embodied in our motto: Advancing knowledge to transform children’s lives.

This position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement that may include a partially remote work location, consistent with System Office policy. UNC Chapel Hill employees are generally required to reside within a reasonable commuting distance of their assigned duty station.

The Senior Implementation Specialist serves as a project leader on funded implementation science project(s) at the Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill. This includes serving as Co-Principal Investigator or Principal Investigator; leading or co-leading team meetings, conferences, and calls; budget and personnel management; and serving as a lead or co-lead liaison to funding agencies or foundations.

The Senior Implementation Specialist also:
(1) delivers a range of direct implementation supports to statewide partners, community coalitions, and/or child and family-serving agencies to support their effective implementation of evidence-based or evidence-informed programs and practices;
(2) facilitates the development of the science and practice of implementation, organizational change, and system transformation in human services and education, including through the development of theories, models, tools, measures, coaching systems, and learning resources that may be useful to implementation support practitioners and system partners engaged in implementation and scaling activities; and
(3) engages in implementation evaluation or research.

The Senior Implementation Specialist will initially join the Implementation Capacity for Triple P (ICTP) projects (http://ictp.fpg.unc.edu).

The Senior Implementation Specialist will also become a member of The Impact Center at FPG workgroup (http://impact.fpg.unc.edu). The mission of The Impact Center at FPG workgroup is to catalyze social impact through effective implementation practice, primarily by building capacity in systems and communities to scale effective child-, family-, or community-support strategies for population-level or system-wide benefits. The Impact Center at FPG is a workgroup at FPG that includes implementation specialists, evaluation and improvement specialists, communications specialists, research scientists, and learning and design specialists. Guided by this workgroup’s theoretically- and empirically-informed implementation support practice model, implementation support is delivered primarily to leaders and teams within community service organizations and coalitions. Projects involve close collaboration with state agency, support, and funding partners.
In addition to membership in this FPG workgroup, the position is expected to be a senior member of the FPG community of Investigators. Expectations include independent leadership of the development of implementation science resources for practice, policy, and research/evaluation; serving as a mentor and supervisor to staff and students; guiding systems policies and practices at state, national, and/or global levels; making regular contributions to the field of implementation science in areas related to healthy child, family, and community development; contributing to the leadership of the Impact Center at FPG and institutional activities within FPG and UNC; and evaluation of professional performance.

Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required (or foreign degree equivalent); for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity, will accept a relevant Bachelor’s degree (or foreign degree equivalent) and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. May require terminal degree and licensure.

A Master’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, Public Health, Prevention Science, Implementation Science, or closely related fields of study and eight or more years of relevant experience.

Mastery of implementation science and practice models, frameworks, and concepts.

Demonstrated experience, commensurate with required years of experience:
* using implementation science and practice frameworks to support state, national, or global partners, including their community coalitions or child and family-serving agencies, to operationalize innovations, develop implementation teams, build infrastructure supports, and foster enabling contexts;
* working with professional or community teams towards collective goals and actions;
* working with evidence-based prevention, treatment, and/or other wellbeing strategies for children, families, and communities;
* using data and information for research, evaluation, or quality improvement activities related to the implementation or scale-up of innovative practices;
* leading or co-leading project teams;
* making substantial scientific contributions to the design, proposal, and operation of projects related to the implementation or scale-up of evidence-based programs and practices;
* making innovative scientific, professional, or applied contributions within the field of implementation science;
* providing leadership for multiple functional areas within project or professional teams, including oversight of project staff activities or responsibilities; and
* participating in projects, professional development opportunities, or activities advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in community and academic settings.

The following skill sets:
(1) the development of collaborative working relationships with leaders and other professionals;
(2) application of equitable and inclusive practices with diverse partners, including power sharing;
(3) formal assessment of individual, team, and/or organizational attitudes, resources, and behaviors;
(4) providing individual or group-based facilitation;
(5) the delivery of learning to adults using best practices;
(6) translating scientific concepts and terminology to practice and policy audiences;
(7) supportive behavioral coaching for adults;
(8) supervision and mentoring for staff and students;
(9) organizational thinking and conceptualization;
(10) systems thinking and conceptualization;
(11) adaptive leadership and/or transformational leadership;
(12) strong written communication;
(13) strong public speaking and presentation; and
(14) using data for quality improvement.

Preference for a Ph.D. in Psychology, Social Work, Public Health, Prevention Science, Implementation Science, or closely related fields of study and five or more years of relevant experience.

Supervised training in the delivery of evidence-based models of behavior change (e.g., prevention or treatment programs, technical assistance, community intervention, consultation, counseling) is especially encouraged.

Demonstrated experience, commensurate with required years of experience, participating in projects, professional development opportunities, or activities advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in community and academic settings.

The following skill sets:
(1) facilitating groups with a co-facilitator and
(2) qualitative and quantitative evaluation methodologies.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.