Evaluator [Detroit Institute of Arts]

GENERAL SUMMARY

The Evaluator’s role is to develop, implement, analyze, and report evaluation studies designed to assess audience attitudes, behaviors, interests, knowledge, and skills. The Evaluator is expected to contribute most significantly to the Department’s goal of providing efficient and useful answers to staff questions about audience attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, motivation, and skills.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Work with staff across every division of the museum to plan and implement front-end, formative, and summative evaluation related to exhibitions, programs, and services
• Collect visitor data through observations, interviews, focus groups, and other means as needed
• Conduct high-quality quantitative and qualitative analysis of collected data
• Report results of evaluation projects in useful formats and facilitate sessions to aid stakeholders in incorporating the findings in their work and to increase the impact of empirical evidence about visitors on the museum’s daily operations
• Increase the level of staff knowledge and skills related to evaluation methods and findings, as well as performance improvement techniques
• Advocate for the usefulness of evaluation as a tool for performance improvement, facilitate positive attitudes toward the value of evaluation, and promote evaluative thinking
• Develop connections with local community members and organizations to facilitate the recruitment and participation of a diverse range of individuals in evaluation projects
• Manage the work of contractual evaluators and data collectors, serving as liaison between the external contractors and DIA staff
• Develop and track budgets for projects funded by the museum’s operating budget, restricted funds, and grant funds
• Organize and archive data collection instruments, results, and reports to facilitate transfer of organizational knowledge for future projects
• Publish and present reinstallation evaluation methods and results within the broader field of visitor studies

QUALIFICATIONS

The Evaluator possesses the following training, skills, and knowledge or the equivalent:

• At least a Master’s degree in Evaluation, Museum Studies, Instructional Technology, Educational Psychology, or a related field
• Knowledge of evaluation methodology and statistical analysis, especially as applied to museum settings
• At least four years of experience in visitor evaluation, evaluation of educational products and programs, or applied social sciences research
• Excellent organizational skills, written and verbal communication skills
• Aptitude with statistical software, especially Excel and SPSS

If you are interested in applying for this position, please do so online at www.dia.org by close of business day, June 3, 2015.

THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER