Job Description
Description The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is seeking a strategic and analytical Associate Director of Outcomes and Evaluation to lead the design and execution of evaluation strategies across its health programs portfolio. This role is responsible for assessing the reach, effectiveness, and real-world impact of ADA’s health programs. The Associate Director will play a critical role in advancing ADA’s learning agenda by generating actionable insights that inform program optimization and demonstrate value to funders and stakeholders. The Associate Director will report to the Director of Outcomes and Evaluation and serve as a key thought partner in embedding evaluation into program strategy, execution, and continous improvement. Ideal candidates will bring deep expertise in health programs evaluation, with a strong preference for experience evaluating programs in chronic disease areas (e.g., diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease or related conditions). This including aligning assessments with multiple objectives, including measuring changes in knowledge, clinical practice, and patient-level outcomes. This is a grant funded opportunity. Responsibilities Strategic Evaluation & Learning Lead the design and implementation of evaluation strategies using established frameworks (e.g., REAIM, Precede-Proceed Model, Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research-CFR). Define and operationalize success metrics that capture reach, engagement, behavior change, and real-world impact. Embed evaluation insights into program design and decision-making to strengthen effectiveness and scalability. Serve as a strategic advisor to internal teams on evaluation design, interpretation, and application of findings. Manage and collaborate with external evaluation partners to enhance methodological rigor and internal capacity. Data Collection, Analysis & Reporting Design and execute data collection strategies across a diverse programs’ portfolio. Apply quantitative and qualitative methods to assess program effectiveness, including changes in clinician behavior and care delivery. Synthesize complex datasets into clear, actionable insights that highlight trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement. Ensure data quality, integrity, and alignment with reporting and compliance requirements. Reporting, Dissemination & Stakeholder Engagement Develop compelling, insight-driven reports and dashboards for internal leadership, funders, and external stakeholders. Translate evaluation findings into strategic narratives that demonstrate program impact. Present findings at internal briefings, conferences, and external forums to position ADA as a leader in health outcomes evaluation. Contribute to abstracts, manuscripts, and other dissemination efforts to advance ADA’s thought leadership. Program Optimization & Continuous Improvement Identify barriers to program and recommend improvements to enhance effectiveness and reach. Advance ADA’s evaluation practices by refining tools, methodologies, and reporting approaches. Support the evolution of scalable evaluation models across ADA’s health initiatives/programs. Collaboration & Cross-Functional Support Partner with programs, development, and communications teams to align evaluation with strategic goals and funding priorities. Support grant proposal development and reporting by integrating robust, outcomes-driven insights. Provide consultative evaluation support across ADA initiatives, particularly those focused on chronic disease prevention and management. Qualifications Education & Experience Bachelor’s degree with 9+ years of progressive experience in evaluation roles or a Master’s degree or higher in Public Health, Health Communication, Social Sciences, or a related field with 5+ years of experience in health program evaluation Strongly preferred: Experience evaluating programs in chronic disease areas (e.g., diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, or related condition), including assessing clinical, behavioral, or patient-level outcomes. Evaluation Expertise Demonstrated experience designing and implementing evaluation strategies for health initiatives/programs. Experience evaluating programs focused on chronic disease prevention and management, including measuring clinician behavior change and/or patient outcomes. Methodological Skills Expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods, including survey design, data collection, and outcomes meas