Position Title: Associate
Location: Remote-based
Reports to: Senior Associates and Principals
Salary Range: $120,000 – $145,000
Application Deadline: April 28, 2024
rpk GROUP is looking for our next team member. The ideal candidate is an individual who believes in the transformational power of higher education, but wants to work with institutions, systems, and foundations to drive change in support of equitable student success.
The Associate supports Senior Associates and Principals as part of client facing teams, playing an active role in all aspects of client engagement. This includes executing on project design and approach, gathering and analyzing information, conducting analyses, visualizing the results of analyses, and developing and communicating recommendations. Associates also have the opportunity to present results to client management and implement recommendations in collaboration with client team members.
rpk GROUP is seeking an Associate with demonstrated experience leading change within higher education. Examples include assessment of and execution on an academic portfolio/program review or organizational restructure, creation of shared service models, developing and implementing new budget or resource allocation models, assessment of opportunities to leverage technology to improve service delivery, creation of strategic sourcing purchasing models, or the establishment of performance metrics to guide operational excellence.
The Associate will work remotely from their own home office and report to a Senior Associate or Principal for supervision and support. Travel will be required for some client meetings and several staff meetings per year. Work may be required outside of normal business hours to meet client demands (i.e., in the evenings and weekends), but a flexible schedule during the workday is permitted and is determined with the input of the supervisor for the position.
Job Responsibilities
Responsibilities will include, but may not be limited to, the following areas and items:
Research and Client Engagement
- Conduct primary research (e.g., interviews, focus groups) and secondary research (e.g., using online sources) for clients in support of strategy development, business planning, and other projects.
- Manage the entire analytical process of research and analysis related to client projects, including collecting and vetting client data, analyzing results, and surfacing findings.
- Draft, revise, edit and format client communications including memos, interview protocols, worksheets, agendas, project work plans, surveys, presentations, minutes, etc.
- Lead, with support of analysts, efforts to develop graphics and/or data visualizations to be used in client communications, presentations, and reports.
- Present results to client management.
Project Management and Support
- Support client projects as a member of the team from start to finish, including meeting planning, monitoring deadlines and deliverables, updating work plans, communicating in a timely fashion with clients, and managing workflow and documentation.
- Support project execution by serving as a thought partner to project leads and other members of the project team, reviewing and providing feedback on analyses produced by other team members, and anticipating client needs.
Firm Advancement
- Take on internal roles to help strengthen rpk GROUP as a firm, including but not limited to writing for the website and newsletter, and presenting the results of rpk’s work at conferences.
- Support business development by contributing to brainstorming sessions and reviewing proposals.
- Participate in ongoing, firm-wide trainings.
- Drive process improvements and operational optimization, including new technology adoption.
Required Qualifications
The Associate position requires superb communication skills and mastery of common technology tools. This individual must be engaged, diplomatic, patient, and helpful; communicate challenges in order to solve problems; and take direction as well as work independently.
Required qualifications include:
- Bachelor’s Degree required; graduate degree preferred
- Minimum of 5 years professional experience
- Experience in higher education in the United States
- Exceptional analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills
- Ability to identify and quickly comprehend research questions, and then independently pursue relevant information from secondary sources
- Ability to work collaboratively in a virtual setting
- Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, both verbally and in writing
- Willingness to travel (up to 25% of time)
- Strong Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint skills
Compensation
rpk GROUP’s compensation package includes a competitive salary (dependent upon experience) including an annual bonus of up to 15%, and liberal paid-time off (PTO). We outfit staff’s home offices as needed (including a laptop, monitor, keyboard, printer/scanner, etc.); provide monthly stipends for telecommunications; and cover all travel expenses for staff meetings and other required travel.
To Apply
To be considered for the Associate position, please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected] with the subject header “Associate Position 2024.” We will review submissions as they are received and will contact applicants to request more information and/or to schedule interviews as appropriate. No phone call inquiries about the position will be accepted.
rpk GROUP is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applications for employment on the basis of an individual’s race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all terms, conditions and privileges of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, compensation, promotion, discipline and termination.
rpk values diversity in its hiring. At this time, however, we are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa. All applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States.
