Application Guide

How to Apply for Program Officer for Measurement & Evaluation, Campuswide Immersion

at Institute for Citizens & Scholars

🏢 About Institute for Citizens & Scholars

The Institute for Citizens & Scholars uniquely focuses on developing young people as effective citizens to strengthen American democracy and civil society. Unlike typical think tanks, they work directly with higher education institutions, businesses, and philanthropic partners to create tangible civic development hubs across campuses and communities. Their mission-driven approach offers the opportunity to contribute directly to improving civic engagement and democratic participation nationwide.

About This Role

This Program Officer role is central to measuring the impact of the Campuswide Immersion initiative across 40+ higher education institutions. You'll build and maintain the analytical infrastructure that determines whether these campuses are successfully creating cultures of civic fluency. Your quantitative analyses will directly inform program decisions and demonstrate the initiative's effectiveness in developing engaged citizens.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve cleaning and preparing incoming survey data from multiple campuses, running statistical models to assess program impact, and collaborating with program staff to refine measurement instruments. You'll likely spend time documenting reproducible workflows, conducting validity tests on new assessment tools, and preparing findings for presentations to university partners and internal stakeholders.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Institute for Citizens & Scholars Is Looking For

  • Has 5+ years of hands-on experience with advanced statistical modeling (regression, t-tests, factor analysis) specifically in applied research or program evaluation contexts
  • Can independently manage the entire data pipeline from cleaning multi-institutional datasets to creating reproducible workflows in R/Python/SQL
  • Possesses both technical expertise in validity/reliability testing AND the communication skills to translate complex findings into actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders
  • Demonstrates experience working with higher education data or institutional assessment, particularly in civic engagement or student development contexts

📝 Tips for Applying to Institute for Citizens & Scholars

1

Highlight specific experience with multi-institutional datasets - describe how you've managed data from multiple sources while maintaining consistency and quality

2

Provide concrete examples of validity and reliability testing you've conducted on surveys or measurement instruments in previous roles

3

Mention any experience with civic engagement, higher education assessment, or student development metrics to show domain knowledge

4

Detail your reproducible workflow practices - explain how you ensure analyses can be replicated and updated as new data arrives

5

Quantify your impact: show how your previous quantitative analyses led to specific program improvements or decisions

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Demonstrate understanding of the Campuswide Immersion initiative's goals and how measurement supports civic fluency development", 'Provide specific examples of translating statistical findings into actionable program recommendations', 'Highlight experience with the full data lifecycle from collection through analysis to reporting', "Connect your skills to the institute's mission of strengthening democracy through civic development"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review the Institute's current initiatives beyond Campuswide Immersion to understand their broader civic development strategy
  • → Study their partner institutions and previous research publications to understand their measurement philosophy
  • → Explore their website for specific civic fluency frameworks or assessment tools they've developed
  • → Look into their leadership team's backgrounds to understand their approach to higher education transformation
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk me through how you would design a validity test for a new civic engagement survey being used across 40+ campuses
2 Describe your approach to creating reproducible workflows for longitudinal data analysis in a multi-institutional setting
3 How would you communicate complex statistical findings about program effectiveness to university administrators with limited data background?
4 What challenges have you faced when cleaning and integrating datasets from multiple institutions, and how did you overcome them?
5 How do you stay current with best practices in measurement and evaluation specifically for higher education or civic engagement programs?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on technical skills without demonstrating how your analyses have informed real-world program decisions
  • Using generic evaluation examples instead of specific experience with higher education or civic engagement metrics
  • Failing to show understanding of the unique challenges of multi-institutional data management and analysis

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Institute for Citizens & Scholars!

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