Director, Research - Work-Based Learning

Strada Education Foundation•Washington, DC

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Strada’s postsecondary education research team develops evidence and insights that connect people to opportunity through postsecondary education, particularly people who face the greatest barriers. The Director, Research leads research supporting Strada’s work-based learning portfolio, designing studies that estimate the economic and institutional value of programs, policies, and practices. Findings inform decisions by state leaders, higher education systems and institutions, employers, and Strada’s grantmaking and technical assistance. The Director works with the Vice President, Research to develop and pursue a research agenda for the work-based learning focus area, including studies anchored in the State Opportunity Index measures of student experiences and career outcomes. The role conducts rigorous quantitative and economic research, communicates findings to nontechnical audiences, and builds relationships with internal colleagues and external partners. The position is hybrid, with two days per week in Strada’s Washington, DC or Indianapolis, IN office, and involves occasional travel of up to 10%.

Requirements

PhD, completed or imminent, in education, economics, public policy, political science, sociology, demography, or a related discipline.
Advanced quantitative research methods skills, including causal inference.
Experience conducting economic evaluation, such as cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, or ROI modeling, and assessing research design quality and rigor.
Experience using administrative and linked education-workforce data to estimate economic returns to education or training programs.
Expertise in Stata.
Experience designing surveys, writing survey questions, and producing descriptive reports using survey data.
Strong knowledge of research and innovations in postsecondary education and training policy and practice, with a focus on work-based learning.
Ability to synthesize and communicate complex research findings and experience developing research communications and thought leadership strategies.
Strong writing and editing skills, including the ability to communicate clearly and concisely for public audiences.
Experience managing projects with internal and external partners, with strong skills in planning, coordinating, aligning, and completing projects collaboratively.
Knowledge of effective partnership development and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Ability to connect projects and initiatives to organizational priorities and make specific recommendations to improve strategic alignment.
Ability to build and manage positive, mutually beneficial relationships at all organizational levels and with outside partners, supported by sound judgment and emotional intelligence.
Commitment to equitable pathways to opportunity through postsecondary education and training, particularly for people who have faced significant barriers, and alignment with Strada’s values.
Commitment to and professional experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, including incorporating stakeholder perspectives into the design, implementation, and evaluation of strategic efforts.
Comfort working in a fast-paced, high-profile environment with internal and external deadlines, and an operationally minded approach to improving efficiency, quality, and effectiveness.
Positive, energetic, collaborative approach and sound judgment.

Nice To Haves

Training or demonstrated experience in applied microeconomics, labor economics, public finance, or program evaluation.
Two to five years of experience after completing a PhD working in a state or national higher education or workforce development organization. Candidates with less experience may be considered at the Senior Researcher level.

Responsibilities

Develop and pursue a research agenda with the Vice President, Research to support the work-based learning focus area.
Design and execute rigorous quantitative studies using survey data and administrative datasets.
Develop primary surveys and write survey questions for multiple stakeholder audiences.
Conduct descriptive, statistical, and econometric analysis, including causal inference methods such as matching, regression, fixed effects, and quasi-experimental designs.
Design and conduct cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, and return-on-investment analyses of education and workforce interventions, estimating individual, institutional, and public returns.
Assess the impact of work-based learning and related strategies across student populations, fields of study, and institutional contexts.
Collaborate with internal colleagues and external partners to produce actionable research under tight timelines.
Ensure methodological rigor, transparency, and reproducibility in analyses.
Author research briefs, reports, and presentations for policymakers, institutional leaders, and practitioners.
Translate economic findings into practical implications for decision-making and resource allocation.
Contribute to thought leadership on the economic value of postsecondary education.
Represent Strada at external events, including panels, conferences, symposia, and partner convenings.
Synthesize data and insights across topics to develop organizational knowledge and subject matter expertise.
Work with colleagues to develop research agendas, annual budgets, and project plans.
Build and maintain relationships with state agencies, higher education systems, institutions, research partners, and other stakeholders.
Collaborate with external partners on data access, study design, and dissemination.
Identify emerging research questions and opportunities aligned with Strada’s strategic priorities.
Incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into research design, topic selection, vendor selection, analysis, and interpretation.
Support an inclusive, collaborative team culture and knowledge sharing across the organization.
Travel occasionally, up to 10%, for all-staff events, professional development, research presentations, convenings, and partner initiatives.