Associate​/Project Scientist; Community Schools

Position overview

Position title:

Associate Director, UCLA Center for Community Schooling

Salary range:
See Table 37-B. The salary range for this position is from $107,600 to $158,200.

Open date:
February 4, 2026

Next review date:
Friday, Mar 6, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date:
Friday, Mar 6, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date.

The UCLA Center for Community Schooling advances democracy, justice, and public education by helping schools become vibrant, community-centered places where young people learn and thrive. Bringing research, policy, and practice into close conversation, the Center partners with students, families, educators, and public agencies to support meaningful and lasting school transformation. This work is grounded in long-term research‑practice partnerships with the two UCLA Community Schools in LAUSD, where democratic values and community voice shape everyday learning.

At the state level, the Center co-leads California's $4 billion Community School Partnership Program, supporting more than 2,000 public schools and reaching over one million students and families. Through applied research and implementation support, the Center demonstrates how universities can be powerful partners in advancing equitable, community‑driven change.

UCLA has established and maintained an active program of engaged scholarship and research at the UCLA Community School since 2009, when the school opened. Given the success of the UCLA Community School and the establishment of the Mann UCLA Community School in 2016, the UCLA Center for Community Schooling was established to study and share research and practice at both sites—supported by a Regional Training Center grant from the University of Pennsylvania to expand university-assisted community schools on the West Coast.

Since that time, the Center has become a nationally recognized leader in community school transformation. Its work synthesizes emerging research, rigorous documentation of practice, and strategies for continuous improvement to generate insights and tools that support educators and communities.

As part of the State Transformational Assistance Center (STAC) for the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), the Center plays a pivotal role in shaping and supporting the community schools movement across California. In this statewide capacity, the Center designs and facilitates professional learning networks, provides guidance on implementation planning, curates evidence‑informed resources aligned with the California Community Schools Framework, supports coherence across state and local partners, and evaluates the impact of the CCSPP.

Through these efforts, the Center strengthens the conditions necessary for community schools to take root and flourish.

The Associate Director, under the direction of the Co-Directors, works to advance the research and practice priorities of the Center through leadership, coordination, and collaboration across multiple domains of work. Core responsibilities include:

STAC Leadership

• Lead and support the Center's statewide role as the State Transformational Assistance Center (STAC) for the CCSPP and build alignment across district, regional, and state partners.
• Attend and contribute to STAC leadership meetings, statewide advisory board gatherings, statewide implementation and strategy convenings.
• Convene and attend meetings with members of the California Department of Education and the State Board of Education.
• Represent the Center in state‑level working groups and committees related to community school implementation and improvement.
• Oversee day‑to‑day management of the STAC contract, ensuring timely deliverables, partner communication, and alignment with state priorities.

CCSPP Impact Evaluation

• Oversee the CCSPP statewide impact evaluation, including research design, partner coordination, data management, and reporting.
• Work with evaluation…