OVERVIEW OF SMILING MIND

Smiling Mind has been at the forefront of mental wellbeing innovation for over 12 years, helping minds thrive with evidence-based tools and resources. We’re proud to have impacted the lives of millions of people globally.

Our mission is Lifelong Mental Fitness. We aim to create generational change in mental health, providing proactive tools and programs that help every mind thrive. So far, we’ve reached more than 8.6 million people through our renowned mental fitness app and more than 12.8 million young people through our app and school-based programs - but this is just the beginning.

ROLE OVERVIEW

This is a role for an extremely thorough, pragmatic, and passionate end-to-end early-career researcher who is interested in the science of wellbeing, the intersection of research and technology, and children’s mental health and wellbeing within school and home environments.  

You will have the opportunity to take ownership of critical Smiling Mind research and evaluation programs, deliver insights to our passionate team across the organisation, and further understanding in the field of wellbeing science and social and emotional learning. 

Above all, you have an appetite to learn and grow, a solution-oriented approach, and a willingness to dive into complex concepts and ideas that ensure our products and programs integrate the latest science and remain leading in our field. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Research and Evaluation Officer will manage all evaluation projects being undertaken by Smiling Mind and will manage research and evaluation initiatives both internally and externally. This position will require end-to-end research and evaluation management skills, including but not limited to literature reviews, study design, protocol development, ethics submissions, recruitment of participants, management of participants, data collection, data management, data visualisation, statistical analysis, report/manuscript writing, effective communication of insights across teams, and external research partnership management. 

Research and evaluation design input 

• Working closely with a senior research and evaluation advisor and the broader team, the Research and Evaluation Officer will provide input into research and evaluation design, including:

  • Design of quantitative and qualitative studies for a range of audiences, including students and teachers, children and families

  • Statistical analytics to test and further develop the organisational theory of change and program logic

  • Co-writing of research proposals and protocols, and documenting the end-to-end process for all research and evaluation undertaken internally and externally (in collaboration with key stakeholders)

  • Explore psychological theory and literature and contribute knowledge to study design, data interpretation and dissemination, both internal and external

End-to-end management of research and evaluation activities

• Take ownership of research and evaluation projects and reporting of impact data, including short-term and longer-term outcomes relating to mental fitness and wellbeing, and programmatic feedback on implementation, satisfaction, among other aspects

• Oversee ethics approval processes and ongoing management

• Ensure all data collection systems are robust, accurate and optimised for participation

• Recruit participants for quantitative and qualitative research studies, and conduct focus groups or interviews, as needed

• Explore and consolidate data and information from multiple sources to help answer research and evaluation questions, including processing quantitative and qualitative data, and conducting statistical and thematic analyses, to better understand our impact, theory of change and measure psychometrics

• Report internally and externally on outcomes

Collaboration and contribution across the organisation 

• The Research and Evaluation Officer will be responsible for day-to-day research and evaluation representation across the organisation, including participation in team concepting, program development and support for thought leadership activities 

• Collaborate and communicate research and evaluation insights to our cross-functional team

• Develop and manage effective research partnerships with external academic groups and clinical/commercial research organisations

• Present complex ideas to a non-technical/non-scientific audience

KEY TEAMS / STAKEHOLDERS

The Research and Evaluation Officer will work under the supervision of the Senior Research and Evaluation Manager, reporting to them on a weekly basis.  The Research and Evaluation Officer will also have indirect support and supervision from the Director of Strategic Engagement. 

The Research and Evaluation Officer will work closely with our project, product and delivery teams to ensure that we have a thorough and meticulous approach to measuring the impact of our programs supporting children in the home and school environments.  

Within Smiling Mind, we are a friendly and highly driven small team with a big dream, so expect to be working closely with all teams to realise our vision of creating generational change in mental health.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Below are the skills, qualifications, and experience to be successful in the role.

Skills:

• Expertise in end-to-end research and evaluation from within psychology, mental health, education, clinical research or another related field

• Strong capacity to work independently to plan, prioritise and deliver multiple projects at once

• Confidence in data processing and conducting statistical analyses (e.g., descriptive statistics, correlations, t-tests/ANOVA, regression, logistic regression, and linear mixed or multilevel models) using quantitative data software (e.g., SPSS, R, Stata, Python) 

• Ability to discuss methods and results with statistically trained colleagues, while also explaining statistical concepts and findings clearly to non-technical audiences

• An ability to collaborate with a range of stakeholders internally and externally, building a shared understanding of research concepts and insights 

• Ability to analyse qualitative data using software (e.g., Dedoose, NVivo) preferred

• Ability to use dashboarding tools (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey) preferred

Experience:

• Previous experience working in a professional research and insights capacity, using various methods and techniques to answer research questions

• Experience using quantitative and qualitative research methods 

• Experience using research/data collection tools and platforms

• Experience in undertaking quantitative and qualitative research, including data analysis, interpretation and report/manuscript preparation

Personal Attributes:

• Attention to detail

• Ability to manage multiple competing tasks and prioritise 

• Ability to make the technical accessible to a non-technical audience

• Strong process and project management skills

• Passion for learning and an interest in child development and wellbeing

Qualifications:

• Tertiary degree in a relevant field (e.g. psychology, social science, mental health)

• Higher degree qualification, or working towards this (desirable)

• Appropriate level of expertise in a similar research environment (3+ years preferred) 

THE VALUES WE LIVE BY AT SMILING MIND

• 100% People-first: We are dedicated to creating impact with people at the centre of everything we do.

• Changemakers: We challenge the status quo and pave new paths towards helping every mind thrive.

• Curious: We ask questions, and we strive to keep learning and improving. 

• Intentional: We know action is required to achieve our goals, and we’re purposeful in every action we take.

WE LOVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE

• A belief in the purpose and philosophy of Smiling Mind - that we can achieve generational change in mental health by focusing on building mental fitness skills in young people and the adults that surround them

• A desire to have a positive impact on the world – particularly through behaviour change and learning design

• The ability to blend agility and pace, with the rigour required to deliver impactful health services

• A growth mindset and willingness to learn

• Attention to detail, accountability, and ability to work to timelines and manage competing tasks

• A warm, friendly, collaborative, and engaging approach 

• Alignment with our values 

We're a friendly and highly driven small team with a big dream so expect to be surrounded by people who are passionate about changing the future generations of Australians. Smiling Mind is a high-growth, fast-paced organisation more akin to a tech start-up than what you might perceive a not-for-profit to be like.

Our people have tenacity, creativity, and resilience in spades, meaning we punch well above our weight, working together as a tight-knit team to achieve great things.

You will be supported to succeed, but encouraged to use initiative to get the job done, will be challenged to perform at your very best, and in return, get the opportunity to learn from inspiring and skilled team members achieving life-changing results for our community.

Other perks include a hybrid work environment, your birthday off each year, planned development days each quarter and salary sacrificing.

Smiling Mind is a child-safe organisation and is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children at all times. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory background checks, including, but not limited to, Working with Children Check and Referee Checks.

All employees are required to adhere to Smiling Mind's Code of Conduct, Policies & Procedures, and relevant Clinical & Technical Governance frameworks. Additionally, all activities must comply with the National Digital Mental Health Standards to ensure safe, ethical, and high-quality service delivery and operational integrity.

We are committed to creating a workplace that promotes mutual learning, respect, dignity, cultural openness and an appreciation of differing perspectives and backgrounds. We encourage applications from all people regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, cultural background, or sexual orientation. It is our goal that Smiling Mind continues to evolve as a culturally safe and welcoming organisation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families, and communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply for this position.