Director, Research & Strategic Advisory Services (Professional and Adult Education)

Vista Equity Partners•Washington, WA

48d•Remote

About The Position

At EAB, our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve. At EAB, we serve not only our partner institutions but each other-that's why we are always working to make sure our employees love their jobs and are invested in their communities. See how we've been recognized for this dedication to our employees by checking out our recent awards. For more information, visit our Careers page. The Role in Brief: Director, Research & Strategic Advisory Services Focus Area: Professional and Adult Education Directors on our Strategic Advisory Services team (within the Research Discovery & Design division) develop the ideas, products, and services that help higher education executives navigate the major strategic, management, and operational issues facing the industry today. Our researchers conduct in-depth interviews with campus executives at diverse institutions and perform data and root-cause analyses to identify market-leading strategies and best practices in our pursuit to make education smarter. As a member of our team, you will play an important role in innovating and producing syndicated research and high-value advisory services for partner organizations, including on-site workshops, executive roundtable events, diagnostic tools, and strategy briefs. You will also be a valued expert to EAB partner organizations, advising them on strategy and best practice implementation. We currently have an opening on our Professional and Adult Education (PAE) team, which provides strategic and implementation advice for higher education executives in online, graduate, professional, continuing, and adult education. PAE research helps institutions explore and implement new models for higher education, from innovating on modality to experimenting with alternative credentials to leveraging employer partnerships to deepen work-based learning. Across our work, we help institutions grapple with the changing demography of higher education and better understand how to serve adult students, from identifying market-responsive programs to approaching marketing, recruiting, and student services in new ways. A successful candidate for this position will: Bring exceptional judgment and professionalism, with the ability to communicate complex ideas succinctly and confidently in executive conversations Be energized by intellectual challenge and motivated by results, showing initiative, adaptability, and follow-through in fast-moving settings Bring the mindset of a strategic advisor, not just a researcher, combining analytical rigor with a deep understanding of institutional strategy, governance, and market dynamics Possess a business- and product-oriented mindset, contributing to EAB's product strategy and identifying opportunities to strengthen our market position Be eager to shape EAB's thought leadership, getting smart on a wide variety of topics quickly (e.g., demographic and enrollment trends, economic and labor force dynamics, academic portfolio management), developing distinct points of view on key issues in professional and adult education (e.g.,the place of alternative credentials in moving institutions toward a lifelong learning model), and contributing to strategic and intellectual debates with peers and senior leaders Have experience beyond academic research and publications to include consulting, client-responsive projects, or advisory work that translates insights into strategy and action This role can be based in Washington D.C. and is also open to remote candidates in the continental U.S. The position may require occasional travel (up to approximately 10%) for presenting research findings to our partners as well as facilitating strategy sessions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree, with an excellent academic record
7-9+ years of post-Bachelor's work experience
Willingness to travel up to 10%
Experience with at least two of the following:
Management or strategy consulting
Strategic planning
Conducting long-term strategy research (at least 3 months in duration)
Conducting primary and secondary research
Higher education knowledge and expertise

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or equivalent experience demonstrating strategic, analytical, and business problem-solving capability (MBA, MPP, JD, PhD, or similar)
Academic background or professional experience reflecting strength in quantitative reasoning, economics, data interpretation, and/or policy analysis
Experience working in a team environment, as well as independently and autonomously in ambiguous and fast-changing contexts
Proven ability to communicate effectively with senior executives in both oral and written formats
Commercial and product intuition, including experience linking ideas to market opportunities, competitive differentiation, and portfolio positioning
Experience with solution-focused and creative problem solving
Experience working with clients in a consultative or advisory role, ideally within business, policy, or education sectors
Demonstrated experience in managing projects and meeting deadlines
Commitment to embracing a continual learning environment and contributing to a dynamic and welcoming culture of fairness, authenticity, and belonging in support of EAB's mission, values, and aspiration

Responsibilities

Lead start-to-finish projects, including strategic and root cause analyses, inductive and deductive reasoning, qualitative interviewing, and hypothesis generation and testing
Formulate and defend original points of view
Synthesize complex ideas into actionable insights for executive audiences
Use persuasive writing, storytelling, and graphics to communicate ideas and create polished deliverables (e.g., presentations, briefings)
Manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including EAB executives and campus leaders
Lead project teams and manage deadlines in fast-paced, evolving contexts
Conduct market-sizing, testing calls, and product design analysis for new research and product enhancements
Collaborate with individual project leads, subject matter experts, and delivery teams to ensure that deliverables are designed for scalable execution and interactive partner engagement
Coach junior-level researchers by developing analytical skills, providing actionable feedback, and managing workloads
Deliver initial services and presentations to executive-level clients and leadership teams