COMPANY Sylvan Learning
POSITION Director, Research and Evaluation
LOCATION Baltimore, MD
REPORTING Reports to the Chief Academic Officer
COMPANY BACKGROUND
Established in 1979, Sylvan Learning, Inc. is a franchise system that has
served more than two million students, offering supplemental educational
services to students at all skill levels and ages. Sylvan instruction is
based on a proprietary method that uses assessments to pinpoint a student’s
academic strengths and weaknesses, and creates a personalized learning plan
that addresses each student’s individual needs and meets parents’
objectives. For additional information regarding Sylvan’s educational
services, please refer to www.sylvanlearning.com.
The Company employs 175 full-time employees. There are 1,071 learning
centers (located primarily in the United States and Canada). The Sylvan
brand enjoys greater than 90% awareness among its target audience. The
Company provides comprehensive support to franchisees, offering training in
marketing, operations, human resources and education program delivery
through Sylvan University to help them realize their financial goals. For
additional information regarding franchise sales and operations, please
refer to www.sylvanfranchise.com.
With its headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland, Sylvan is an entrepreneurial
and fast-moving company with a collegial, yet focused operating style. The
corporate culture focuses on strong teamwork and individual accountability,
and it also emphasizes excellence in customer service. Above all else, the
culture reflects a deep commitment to education, as well as a dedication to
helping children grow. As a private equity backed company, the focus is on
increasing the long-term value of the company and demonstrating strong
growth in net operating profits. To that end, the Company recently
developed a new strategic plan and is poised for growth. The Company is
looking for someone who will help implement this plan.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Director, Research and Evaluation is responsible for designing and
implementing a systemic and ongoing research and evaluation program that
supports the revenue generating goals of the Sylvan franchise community.
He/She will oversee the development of the assessment strategy for Sylvan’s
new educational delivery platform that will build upon passed experiences
and help position Sylvan for the future through systematic research and
evaluation activities.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Oversee the development of Sylvan’s new assessment
o Work collaboratively with stakeholders to refine the assessment
requirements for Sylvan
o With a cross-departmental team develop, implement and continually
refine Sylvan’s assessment process.
o Collaborate with assessment experts and internal teams to produce the
most useful, cost-effective and efficient assessment process for Sylvan.
o With a cross-departmental team determine the academic reporting needs
for Sylvan.
o Working cross-departmentally to implement new academic reporting
processes that promote effective communication with a wide range of Sylvan
customers (from school districts to parents) and promote center
profitability.
Institute an ongoing research and program evaluation process
o Document research and evaluation requirements in association with
stakeholders.
o Develop and implement a cross-department research and evaluation plan.
o Interview, hire and manage research and evaluation consultants to
complete research and evaluation activities.
o Oversee the creation of research and evaluation reports and
publications related to Sylvan programs.
Represent the assessment, research and evaluation activities of Sylvan
o Serve as an assessment, research and evaluation resource for all of
Sylvan’s product managers.
o Create documents that articulate Sylvan research base.
o Make presentations to Sylvan management and franchisees on Sylvan’s
assessment, evaluation and research.
o Provide subject matter expertise for training on Sylvan’s assessment,
research and evaluation strategies and activities.
o Write and publish articles on Sylvan’s assessment and evaluation
activities.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Qualifications for Prospective candidates for the Director, Research and
Evaluation include, but are not limited to, the following:
• 5-10 years experience in research and evaluation
• 3+ years experience as a successful manager
• Understanding of the role that assessment, research and evaluation play
in the development, implementation and ongoing improvement of K-12
educational programs
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate research, assessment
and evaluation results to a broad range of audiences
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Experience with and understanding of how technology can be used to
effectively facilitate assessment, research, evaluation and reporting
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Confident presentation ability
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
The successful candidate must possess an exceptional level of
intellectual, professional, and interpersonal agility and flexibility,
combined with strong analytical and problem-solving skills. He/She will be
a confident self-starter, comfortable in a start-up environment where there
are big expectations to be delivered by small teams. Prospective candidates
must possess strong influencing skills and exceptional integrity and
ethics. He/She will share a passion for Sylvan’s business strategies and
corporate philosophies, and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to creating
exceptional customer service, both internal and external
EDUCATION
Masters degree required in research, evaluation or related area with strong
knowledge of assessment, Ph.D/ED.D preferred.
COMPENSATION
Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with experience.
Interested applicants should go to
http://educate.hodesiq.com/apply_online_1.asp?jobid=1556656 to submit their
resume.
