Associate Director, Strategic Research & Insights

Understood•New York, NY

1d•$140,000 - $155,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Understood is a nonprofit focused on shaping the world for difference. We raise awareness of the challenges and strengths of people who learn and think differently. Our resources help people navigate challenges, gain confidence, and find support and community so they can thrive. Having a shared commitment to our values is a key factor in any hire we make. We have five core values: Continuously learn. Act with intention. Champion difference. Inspire change. Grow together. Come be part of an organization with an entrepreneurial spirit that’s helping to shape the world for difference. Together, we can build a world where everyone can reach their full potential. To learn more about Understood, please visit: www.understood.org. To advance Understood’s mission and to further our impact, we’re hiring an Associate Director, Strategic Research & Insights, reporting to our Director of Research. You bring deep experience in management consulting, strategic planning, or client-side insights, and you know how to turn complex market data into clear narratives that inform executive decisions. You brief VPs, represent Understood to external partners and funders, and identify where the market is heading—and where Understood should invest its resources. This is a hybrid role that requires a minimum of three (3) days a week in our NYC office, with a focus on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. We are a Mac-based environment, and team members are provided a Mac laptop for their work.

Requirements

7-10 years of professional experience, high-level management consulting (e.g., McKinsey, Bain, BCG) or a senior role in strategic planning, market intelligence or client-side insights.
Proven ability to deliver insights and counsel to Directors, VPs, and Executive Leadership Teams (ELT).
Must demonstrate multi-category expertise and be viewed as a core authority in research and landscape analysis.
Experience owning material, complex projects that are cross-departmental and external-facing.
Skill in partnering with more junior researchers to refine raw data and initial insights into executive-level narratives.
Committed to embodying and being a steward of our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MBA or relevant Master’s).
Experience in the venture capital or social impact investment space.
Experience in manipulating AI (e.g. Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity) to automate areas of the research process
Background in disability, neurodiversity, or education.

Responsibilities

Synthesize complex market data and competitive intelligence into actionable insights, delivering high-level strategic narratives, SWOT analyses, and clear implications for business decision-making.
Use market trends and consumer insights to recommend resource allocation and organizational priorities.
Identify “what space” opportunities for growth within the LTD field and adjacent markets by analyzing consumer and product dynamics.
Collaborate directly with the Partnerships, Giving, and Grants teams to provide the high-level market, literature, and competitive research required to establish new funding channels and build credibility with key funders.
Serve as a principal authority with external clients of Eco’s “Play for Every Brain” universal design research offering; selling, briefing, and delivering research insights that drive impact and resources.
Drive impact by briefing partners on high-level research insights and translating complex data into strategic narratives that secure new opportunities and funding.