Job Details

Posting Details

Position Information

Job Title
Associate Director of Research

Department
Center for Excellence in Early Child - 23150

Pay Grade
0

Job Category
Faculty

Job Summary

Are you a visionary leader with a passion for early childhood research? East Tennessee State University (ETSU) invites applications for the position of Associate Director of Research at the Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Learning and Development. In this key leadership role, you will shape the Center's research direction, secure sustainable funding, and drive high-quality, interdisciplinary scholarship that supports young children-birth through age eight-with and without disabilities. This research faculty position is a full-time, 12-month position with on-site or hybrid work options.

As Associate Director of Research, you'll work alongside a dynamic team of faculty, staff, and community partners to enhance research outcomes that influence practice and policy across the Appalachian Highlands region and beyond. You will mentor graduate students in their early childhood research and scholarship. Your leadership will be instrumental in expanding the Center's impact locally, regionally, and nationally.

The Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Learning and Development is a prestigious institution in its 41st year, renowned for its research, academic training, and model services for young children and families. Partially funded by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the Center supports collaborative research and professional development initiatives within Clemmer College and across ETSU.

At ETSU, we value inclusion, innovation, and community engagement. This position is ideal for a researcher eager to mentor, lead, and collaborate on initiatives that make a tangible difference in the lives of young children. We encourage you to apply if you want to help us shape the future for young children and their families.

What You'll Do

• Lead the Research Mission: Oversee and grow the Center's research portfolio, ensuring alignment with its mission and priorities.
• Secure External Funding: Write and manage grants from federal, state, and private agencies to fund impactful research initiatives.
• Foster Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Build and strengthen partnerships within ETSU and across the community to support interprofessional research.
• Mentor and Inspire: Support the development of faculty, staff, and graduate students involved in early childhood research.
• Promote Research Excellence: Ensure high-quality outputs, engage in national and international scholarship, and represent the Center at key conferences and events.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of general higher education and research policies.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex research findings into actionable recommendations for practitioners, policymakers, and community stakeholders.
• Experience working across health, education, and social service sectors.
• Experience mentoring junior faculty, postdocs and/or graduate students in grant writing, data analysis, and scholarly dissemination.
• Advanced skills in research design, sampling strategies, and statistical analysis (e.g., multilevel modeling, structural equation modeling, longitudinal analysis).
• Experience designing and conducting program evaluations and policy-relevant research in early childhood education.
• Proficiency in research software (e.g., SPSS, R, Stata, NVivo, Mplus) and ability to guide staff and students in their use.
• Knowledge of federal and private research agencies and funding mechanisms.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with faculty, staff, and students within the center, college, university, and community.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal and external partners from a variety of disciplines.
• Ability to maintain a strong personal research program of national and international importance.
• Ability to recruit and involve faculty and graduate students in group research projects.
• Ability to write grants and obtain research funding from a variety of competitive funding agencies.
• Ability to oversee federal, state, and foundation grant projects.
• Ability to provide appropriate mentorship to students and center staff.
• Ability to engage in constructive problem-solving and to make sound decisions.
• Ability to promote student success and faculty excellence in research activities related to the Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Learning and Development.
• Ability to engage in constructive conflict management.
• Ability to present at international, national, regional, and state conferences.
• Ability to maintain fiscal responsibility for the Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Learning and Development.
• Ability to supervise, lead, and manage research staff.

Required Qualifications

• An earned doctorate or ABD in Early Childhood Education, Education, Special Education, Psychology, or related field.
• Minimum of two (2) years of managerial and supervisory experience (supervision experience relevant to graduate assistants, support staff, and/or professional staff).
• Experience in research/scholarship in a higher education setting
• Experience with grant management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience maintaining an active program of research.
• Demonstrated success in securing external research funding.
• Demonstrated track record of securing at least one major federal or foundation grant as PI or Co-PI and publishing multiple peer-reviewed articles annually in high-impact journals.
• Established record of impactful, peer-reviewed scholarship in early childhood or related fields.

Salary
Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Posting Detail Information

Posting Number
F00960P

Is this position subject to a criminal background check?
Yes

Is any part of the funding for this posting coming from a grant or outside funding source?
No

Open Date
09/15/2025

Close Date

Open Until Filled
Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please apply using this link: