Manager Research & Development

YMCA of Greater Toronto•Toronto, ON

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Research & Development, Manager leads initiatives that advance the YMCA’s impact and strengthen well-being across the Greater Toronto Area. The role provides leadership for research and evaluation projects, integrating innovative approaches to assess community needs, program effectiveness, and organizational sustainability. It ensures that insights from research and evaluation inform decision-making, support operational planning, and enhance member experiences. As a key contributor to the management team, the position fosters collaboration across departments to drive continuous improvement and accountability. Through strategic analysis and evidence-based leadership, the Manager shapes the organization’s ability to deliver meaningful outcomes for both participants and the broader community.

Requirements

University degree in Social or Health Sciences, or related fields, or equivalent experience.
Minimum 3 years’ experience in a social or health sciences setting.
Experience with assessment of community health and well-being, the evaluation of community health initiatives, and/or analysis of geodemographic data.
Experience with program evaluation and performance measurement, and understanding of developmental, formative, and summative evaluation approaches as well as the evaluation of complex interventions.
Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills, including survey research and appropriate univariate and multivariate statistical methods.
Proficiency with statistical software such as SPSS or SAS and advanced skills in MS Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access.
Demonstrated analytical and report creation skills, including the ability to write documents such as project plans, evaluation plans, and progress reports, and to use data visualization techniques.
Demonstrated project management skills.
Superior presentation, training, and facilitation skills.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and in plain language.
Well-developed interpersonal and relationship-building skills; ability to establish rapport and communicate effectively with members, participants, families, youth, children, staff, and volunteers.
A demonstrated ability to work well in collaborative cross-functional project teams.
Dependable, detail-oriented, and thorough.
Excellent understanding of diversity, inclusion, and equity, including the ability to identify and address barriers, work effectively with diverse stakeholders, and integrate equity into program design.
Commitment to the YMCA’s Mission, Vision and Values
Focus on the health, safety and wellbeing of all children, youth, and vulnerable people in YMCA programs including understanding legal and moral obligations related to reporting suspected child abuse to Child Protection Services
YMCA Competencies: Accountable, Relationship-Builder, Improvement-Orientated, Team Player & Leader, Equity and Wellbeing Promoter

Nice To Haves

Level of education, training, and experience equivalent to a PhD or a Master’s degree in Social or Health Sciences, preferred.
Knowledge and/or experience in the non-profit or charitable sector preferred; knowledge of YMCA organization an asset.
Understanding of relational databases, data warehouses, analytics, and the ability to manipulate large datasets is an asset.
Understanding of approaches and systems for managing research knowledge and mobilizing or transferring knowledge across the Association.

Responsibilities

Monitor community needs, evaluate Association impact, and support efforts to sustain and improve the impact of the Association’s programs and services.
Lead and support initiatives that enhance the Association’s reach, sustainability, and long-term growth.
Design, execute, and interpret research methodologies to understand member needs and behaviors, consumer trends, and YMCA performance, collaborating with external and internal partners.
Manage market research projects and relationships with external consultants and vendors.
Support geodemographic analyses using appropriate software platforms to guide operations, senior leadership, and the board.
Maintain and update feedback processes for operations, fundraising, marketing, senior leadership, and the board, including performance metrics.
Maintain an understanding of YMCA databases and analytical applications.
Lead and support program evaluation and impact measurement projects, ensuring that methodologies are rigorous, evidence-based, and aligned with organizational priorities.
Apply evaluation evidence to strategic decision-making, supporting organizational sustainability, growth, and continuous improvement.
Mobilize evaluation findings into practice, providing actionable insights that strengthen participant experiences, program quality, and overall organizational impact.
Support efforts to understand and track member needs, interests, and responses to programs and services.
Support monitoring processes for YMCA member and participant experiences, establish linkages to member behaviors, and provide feedback to operations, fundraising, marketing, senior leadership, and the board.
Coordinate and respond to research support requests within the Association.
Collect information about Association research needs and activities to support the development of work plans.
Develop and maintain processes for ensuring data integrity, and monitor key statistics and data used by the Association.
Analyze Association data and prepare reports as required.
Provide leadership as part of the program management team.
Lead and support the production of funding proposals, research reports, case studies, and presentations.
Manage project work plans, budgets, documents, and timelines, and support departmental planning and budget processes to ensure effective resource management.
Establish and maintain inventories of Association research projects, programs, and research partnerships.
Support the VP of Development and Research.
Perform other duties as assigned.