Director of Policy Research

The Director of Policy Research at Torchlight delegates and oversees the completion of evidence-based, original research. They supervise and support the Research Request Officer in their delegation of the completion of research requests, and support the Policy Assessment Officer and State Senate Legislative Officer in their duties. 

While the Student Policy branch focuses on policy within the FSU environment, the Policy Research branch focuses on policy from the State and Federal legislatures, so some familiarity with those bodies is preferred. The Director of Policy Research approves all projects under their branch and maintains adherence to the Center's mission, values, and operating procedures. They are responsible for communicating with FSU's Office of Institutional Research to acquire data, and serve as a subject matter expert in the formation, writing, and editing of outputs. They may also choose to take on higher-level research projects of their own, setting the standards of expectations for all members. 

Expected initial tasks for this position are learning Torchlight's standard operating procedures alongside their three Officers. Torchlight also maintains a knowledge base of research methods and techniques which the Director of Policy Research would preferably contribute to writing and revising once settled in. 

This individual must possess experience engaging in undergraduate research, and preferably experience leading or cooperating with others in completing their research. To fulfill these responsibilities, this individual must be able to find the solutions to research problems, manage the delegation of multiple projects, and work under time-sensitive deadlines. The expected time commitment for this position is 8-12

Primary Responsibilities

• Delegating and approving completed tasks to and from the Research Request Officer, State Senate Legislative Officer, and Policy Assessment Officer

• Using strong discretion to guide research along organizational values, mission, and operating procedures

• Serving as a resource on policy research and assessment for members

• Serving as one of four voting members on the Executive Board

Necessary Characteristics

• Discretion in approving and modifying project proposals to adhere to our mission, values, and operating guidelines

• Experience in undergraduate research and project management

• Knowledge of research methods and ability to judge research quality and how to improve the quality of writing for all policy audiences