Job Description

JOB SUMMARY:

Join NORC at the University of Chicago as an Assistant Production Manager in our Telephone Survey and Support Operations (TSSO) group. This is an exciting opportunity for a survey research/call center professional with a successful track record to join the leadership team of a nationally renowned non-partisan research institute that informs decision- and policymakers around the world. This position requires an individual with leadership skills and management experience in a relevant industry. Successful candidates will have experience managing staff and working on projects with competing timelines and resource demands.

NORC’s three call centers employ more than 800 full-time and intermittent staff across three contact centers located in Chicago IL, Albuquerque NM, and Wichita KS, as well as a fully equipped mail center in Chicago. TSSO conducts surveys for use in research studies for clients that include governments, corporations, and nonprofits.

Assistant Production Managers are responsible for overseeing the activities of leadership staff within the various functional areas of the facility. They manage more complex components of studies such as the development of training materials and sample management. Responsibilities also include training and mentoring leadership staff; maintaining and improving quality standards and service levels.

Location and Office Presence This is an onsite role based in our Chicago Loop office, with the expectation of daily onsite presence 10:00am-6:30pm every day.

DEPARTMENT: Telephone Survey and Support Operations (TSSO)

TSSO is primarily responsible for screening and interviewing respondents over the telephone, but the department also prompts respondents by telephone, locates respondents, codes, and enters data from survey responses, manages hard copy documents, mails survey materials and performs receipt control operations.

TSSO staff are vital to our nationwide survey research operation. Interviewers talk to people from every conceivable walk of life to obtain information on issues such as health care, employment, and education. The work we do at NORC has lasting social significance, and the data we gather helps legislators and others involved in setting policy make informed decisions for the welfare of all Americans in an increasingly complex society.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee the activities of supervisors, and, indirectly, the activities of interviewers and clerks, within the various functional areas of the facility. Supervise more complex components of a specific study or studies, including maintaining and improving quality standards and service levels.
• Identify problems and troubleshoot any potential roadblocks to completing project on time, on budget and to specifications by clearly communicating those issues and proposed resolutions to Production Managers.
• Enforce systems, policies, procedures, and productivity standards while maintaining a skilled, productive, engaged and satisfied team of Production staff.
• Help achieve set goals and further develop professional growth. Implement NORC policies in area of employee relations, disciplinary issues and performance appraisals.
• Communicate clearly when distributing work assignments and establishing priorities. This includes outlining the end goal, how the work assignment fits into the overall process and the allocated hours.
• Monitor budgeted hours for QAATIC and leadership level tasks. Inform task leaders if the allocated hours are not being met.
• Investigate and escalate any systems issues that will impact production to IT as appropriate.
• Train and coach supervisory and QAATIC staff on any new applications that are established in the workplace.
• Serve as a role model to staff by fostering positive work environment, collaborative work, and active communication with your colleagues in remote sites.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• High School Diploma (or equivalency), Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• At least 1 year experience in telephone data collection.
• Record demonstrating positions of increasing supervisory responsibility.
• Problem identification, troubleshooting, problem solving, attention to detail, oral and written communication, and leadership skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Timekeeping, CATI, CADE, Case Management and Call Scheduling packages.
• Solid experience managing and mentoring staff.
• Ability to create a teamwork environment by working cooperatively with peers, subordinates, managers, and staff in other departments; ability to motivate, coach, counsel, and evaluate others.
• Ability to handle multiple conflicting responsibilities.
• Available to work onsite in our Chicago Loop office Monday through Friday from 10:00am-6:30pm.
• At least 18 years of age.
• Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We regret that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The pay for this position is $58,656/year.

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC’s comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment

• Dental and vision insurance

• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program

• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance

• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC is committed to equity and transparency in its pay practices. We publish salary ranges and benefit information for every job. The listed hiring range reflects what we, in good faith, expect to pay at the time of posting, though actual compensation may vary and may be adjusted over time. A candidate’s placement within the range depends on factors such as competencies, education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and organizational needs.

WHAT WE DO:

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

WHO WE ARE:

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

EEO STATEMENT:

NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics.

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