Dissertation Development & Research Support Lead

Avila University; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 75,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition remission

Health insurance

Retirement benefits

Vacation and sick leave

Job summary

Avila University is seeking a Dissertation Development and Research Support Coordinator in Kansas City, MO. This full-time faculty administrator role provides academic leadership, faculty mentorship, and research consultation across the dissertation process, supporting Chairs and candidates with guidance on design, methodology, analysis, and ethical research practices.

The candidate will mentor new Chairs, coordinate milestone management, and promote scholarly standards and program improvement

Qualifications

• Earned doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent) from a regionally accredited institution.
• Expertise in doctoral research design and methodology for applied/project-based dissertations.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience teaching at the graduate level; doctoral-level teaching preferred.
• Record of teaching and scholarship appropriate for rank at Associate Professor or higher.
• Proven experience serving as a doctoral Dissertation Chair or committee member.
• Knowledge of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research approaches for consultation.
• Familiarity with institutional dissertation standards, IRB processes, and ethical research practices.
• Ability to assess alignment among a candidate’s problem, research questions, design, data collection, and applied contribution.
• Experience in faculty mentoring, academic leadership, or program oversight.
• Demonstrated capability providing methodological consultation online and in-person.

Responsibilities

• Mentor and support faculty serving as Dissertation Chairs, especially new chairs.
• Provide guidance on dissertation supervision, candidate progression, and milestone management.
• Facilitate professional development related to dissertation advising and research ethics.
• Help chairs identify methodological expertise for committees or targeted consultation.
• Offer consultation on research questions, design, data collection, analysis plans, and interpretation of findings.
• Assist candidates in evaluating feasibility and scope of project-based dissertations with Chairs.
• Provide guidance on research resources and specialized expertise.
• Refer beyond-Coordinator expertise to qualified methodological specialists as needed.
• Guide candidates and chairs through IRB processes and institutional requirements.
• Promote consistency in dissertation expectations and scholarly rigor.
• Review proposals/drafts to align with program standards and identify gaps.
• Advise on addressing challenges in scope, design, or candidate readiness.
• Contribute to refinement of policies, templates, rubrics, and assessment tools.
• Support dissertation enrollment, milestones, review processes, and completion timelines.
• Monitor progression patterns to identify support needs and program improvements.
• Provide feedback to the Ph.D. Program Director on processes and resource needs.
• Serve as a consultative resource for complex methodological or ethical issues.
• Collaborate with leadership to ensure coherent support across dissertation stages.
• Communicate research support opportunities clearly to candidates and Chairs.
• Maintain records of consultations and program-level issues.

Skills

Mentoring

Leadership

Research consultation

Communication skills

Online instruction support

Education

PhD or equivalent

Job description

Avila University is seeking a Dissertation Development and Research Support Coordinator in Kansas City, MO. This full-time faculty administrator role provides academic leadership, faculty mentorship, and research consultation across the dissertation process, supporting Chairs and candidates with guidance on design, methodology, analysis, and ethical research practices.

The candidate will mentor new Chairs, coordinate milestone management, and promote scholarly standards and program improvement