Senior Director, Data Hub

Project Evident • Boston, MA

10h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Data Hub reports to Project Evident’s Chief Data Scientist/Managing Director of the Data Hub. The Senior Director is the operational and analytical leader of the Data Hub, Project Evident’s practice responsible for AI-enabled analytics, rigorous causal evaluation, and the secure analytics environment Project Evident uses to deliver evidence-building services. The Data Hub operates across three distinct functions, and the Senior Director leads across all three: Direct Data Hub projects and services. Client-facing engagements (1:1 advisory and cohort-based) delivering an integrated suite of capabilities, including data audit, ETL, descriptive, predictive, prescriptive, and evaluative analytics, and rigorous causal modeling, alongside training, capacity-building, and field-building research and thought leadership. Backbone / partnered projects with other Project Evident practices. Joint client engagements where the Data Hub provides the analytical and methodological backbone while sister practices contribute domain expertise and client relationships. Partner practices are OutcomesAI (OAI), the AI implementation practice; Evidence for Outcomes (E4O), the evidence-strategy practice serving nonprofits and funders; and the Education Agency Practice (EAP), serving state and local education agencies, intermediaries, and education-focused nonprofits. Shared services for Project Evident as an organization. This covers internal data and analytics work that isn't scoped or budgeted under any single client engagement. It includes Data Hub work (whether delivered directly or through partners), the Impact Dashboard (PE's "walk-the-talk" evidence generation), and other recurring internal data services that support the organization as a whole. The right candidate brings deep applied research and evaluation expertise, including causal inference and quasi-experimental methods, and hands-on experience using and building AI agentic workflows, and the leadership skill to bring a research-and-evaluation team into the era of applied AI. Project Evident operates in an Anthropic-based environment for direct Data Hub projects and services, with flexibility around the use of Claude Code and Claude Cowork. Strong coding proficiency in R and/or Python paired with demonstrated willingness to rapidly learn AI agentic tooling is an ideal foundation. We are looking for an entrepreneurial leader with an established network and a track record of generating six-figure engagements.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; master's or doctorate preferred in applied research, data science, statistics, public policy, education, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience across data science, applied research and evaluation, education, and/or nonprofit sectors in operating or consulting contexts.
• Including 7+ years of management of high-performing teams, project management, technology adoption, business development, and change management.
• Demonstrated experience with business development and client management, and generating and closing six-figure engagements.
• Hands-on experience using and building AI agentic workflows for research, evaluation, or analytics work.
• Strong coding proficiency in R and/or Python paired with demonstrated willingness to rapidly learn AI agentic tooling is an acceptable foundation.
• Project Evident operates in an Anthropic-based environment for direct Data Hub projects and services, with flexibility around the use of Claude Code and Claude Cowork; direct experience with those tools is strongly preferred.
• Candidates without either demonstrated agentic-workflow experience or solid R/Python proficiency paired with clear willingness to ramp on agentic tooling will not be considered.
• Applied research and causal inference: designing, executing, or directing rigorous quasi-experimental, observational, or experimental studies that produce defensible causal evidence.
• Leading research-and-evaluation or analytics teams through technology adoption, including transitions to applied AI, machine learning, and modern AI development environments.
• Direct experience with Claude Code, Claude Cowork, or comparable agentic development tooling is strongly preferred; strong R and/or Python coding paired with willingness to rapidly learn agentic tooling is acceptable.
• The ability to direct, evaluate, and govern such work is required without exception.
• Deploying common AI applications to solve business and program problems, including recommendation engines, natural language processing, large language models, and decision-support tools.
• Building practitioner trust around analytics and AI, including data security protocols, de-identification, regulatory compliance (FERPA, HIPAA-adjacent, and IRB-relevant contexts as applicable), and the transparent communication of model behavior and uncertainty.
• Working across both the K-12 / education sector (SEAs, LEAs, intermediaries) and the broader nonprofit and foundation ecosystem.
• Managing clients, projects, processes, and teams under tight timelines; accurately assessing problems and developing implementable solutions.
• Creating and executing work plans, processes, and documentation that streamline and codify existing practices.
• Developing curriculum, training content, and facilitating successful workshops, coaching, and implementation support, and direct experience with train-the-trainer or external facilitator certification models is a plus.
• Translating data and evidence into action: communicating findings and methodology to practitioner, funder, policymaker, and board audiences in clear, actionable language.
• Attracting, developing, supervising, coaching, and retaining high-performing team members; giving and receiving actionable feedback; and elevating others' responsibility, span of control, and performance.
• Interest in and demonstrated commitment to the social and education sectors; knowledge of evidence-based policy and practice, nonprofit evaluation, and performance management disciplines is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment on multiple projects with stakeholders who may have evolving priorities.
• Proven ability to work under tight timelines, accurately assess problems, and develop solutions; ability to effectively prioritize time and tasks.
• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to respond adeptly to rapidly changing priorities; comfortable in an entrepreneurial environment with fast deadlines.
• Problem solver and active listener who seeks clarification, asks questions, and surfaces solutions.
• Commitment to high-performance culture, participation in giving and receiving feedback, and belief in continuous and self-improvement.
• Impeccable attention to detail and extremely high standards for accuracy.
• Comfortable in a virtual, distributed environment with fast deadlines.
• Experience working with diverse communities and a deep commitment to learning, performance, racial equity, and building a culture of belonging.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with a proven ability to write and copy-edit clear and concise narratives and presentations.

Nice To Haves

• Master's or doctorate preferred in applied research, data science, statistics, public policy, education, or related field.
• Direct experience with Claude Code, Claude Cowork, or comparable agentic development tooling is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of evidence-based policy and practice, nonprofit evaluation, and performance management disciplines is a plus.
• Direct experience with train-the-trainer or external facilitator certification models is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day Data Hub practice operations: team coordination, workflow adherence, delivery oversight, and internal cadences across concurrent engagements.
• Manage and develop the team: an Associate Director (part-time, Shared Services, open), an Associate II (open), two Analysts II, and contractor developers engaged for data architecture and agentic-tool development.
• Lead the team's transition to applied AI and modern AI development environments.
• Partner with the Chief Data Scientist / Managing Director on practice strategy, OKRs, and Board reporting; serve on the Project Evident management team.
• Attract, develop, coach, and retain high-performing team members.
• Lead delivery of Data Hub external engagements: 1:1 advisory data and analytics services, cohort-based engagements, and partnered engagements where the Data Hub provides the analytical backbone for OutcomesAI-, Evidence for Outcomes-, or Education Agency Practice-led client work.
• As senior project lead, ensure on-time, on-budget, high-quality delivery (target NPS > 0.70): managing project plans, deliverables, team and consultant expertise, and client feedback.
• Co-develop frameworks, resources, and tools that scale Project Evident's 1:1, 1:some, and 1:many service offerings, including a train-the-trainer certification model and domain-specific learning networks.
• Lead the trust-building and explainability agenda: codify de-identification, compliance, and transparency standards that make rigorous causal methods credible to clients, funders, and the field.
• Own the Data Hub's shared-services mandate: serve as the analytical backbone for Project Evident itself, most notably the Impact Dashboard and other recurring internal data services that are not specific to any single client project (Data Hub direct or partnered).
• Ensure internal and external mandates advance in parallel without diluting each other; protect the team's capacity to deliver on both.
• Co-design partnered-engagement on-ramps with OutcomesAI, Evidence for Outcomes, and the Education Agency Practice: defining where Data Hub analytics and methodology integrate with sister-practice services.
• Independently generate and close a sustainable pipeline of six-figure grants, contracts, and partnerships in service of Data Hub revenue OKRs.
• Cultivate funder, government, intermediary, school system, nonprofit, and technology-partner relationships from initial outreach through signed agreement.
• Serve as a thought leader: author or co-author case studies, methodological briefs, op-eds, and frameworks on rigorous causal evaluation, AI-enabled evidence building, and the responsible adoption of applied AI in the social and education sectors.
• Identify and lead (or support, as appropriate) grant and proposal development.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Benefits — Generous medical, dental, and vision plans, a 403(b) retirement plan with employer match, and life and disability insurance.
• Flexible Time Off — Unlimited vacation days, Summer Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and organizational-wide closure from December 25 to January 1.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior