Senior Director, Research and Strategic Advisory Services (Administrative Effectiveness)

Vista Equity Partners•Washington, WA

47d•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: Senior Director, Research and Strategic Advisory Services Focus Area: Administrative Effectiveness Senior Directors on our Strategic Advisory Services team (within the Research Discovery & Design division) oversee research studies for a specific terrain: Administrative Effectiveness. The Senior Director will manage a team of researchers to set and execute a compelling research, event, and service agenda for university Chief Business Officers (CBOs) and Chief Operations Officers (COOs). You will craft practical deliverables (e.g., self-audits, toolkits, executive briefings) and experiences (e.g., executive presentations, interactive workshops) that provide actionable advice and help partners translate that research into clear decisions and results on their campuses. You will work closely with Research leadership and other terrain teams, contributing to cross-silo projects like EAB's annual State of the Sector presentation. You will also work with other departments in EAB, including Research Commercial, Strategy, and Delivery teams. This Administrative Effectiveness team primarily works on research topics related to cost management, revenue generation, and efficiency and effectiveness. Recent research topics in this terrain have included financial planning, university space optimization, organizational transformation, and workforce development. 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, developing distinct points of view on key issues in business affairs, 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 15-30%) for presenting research findings to our partners as well as facilitating strategy sessions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree, with an excellent academic record
8-10+ years of post-Bachelor's work experience
In-depth understanding of education industry and the specific role that CBOs and COOs play in strategy, decision making, and operations
Superior verbal, written, facilitation, and presentation skills
Ability to create compelling narratives through written deliverables, data visualization, graphics, and slides
Excellent relationship building and collaboration skills
Willingness to travel up to 30%
Experience with at least three of the following:
Administration and business management
Facilities and operations management
IT and data strategy
Management or strategy consulting
Product strategy, market positioning, or brand management
People/team management
2-year or 4-year education
Long-term or primary and secondary research

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or equivalent experience demonstrating strategic, analytical, and business problem-solving capability (MBA, MPP, JD, PhD, or similar)
Background in quantitative data analyses, especially using national data sources like IPEDS
Experience working with client executives, either at a college or university, or as a consultant or advisor
Experience piloting and deploying internal AI support tools
Demonstrated ability to distill market and terrain insights, drawing on client interactions
Experience producing written content and deliverables for an executive-level audience (e.g., blogs, briefings, presentations)
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

Research Leadership: You are an intellectual leader of research initiatives in the administrative effectiveness terrain. You ensure EAB has a clear point of view on evergreen and emerging challenges, provide practical advice and implementation support to help CBOs and COOs - as well as broader university cabinets, including the provost, CIO and president - make critical decisions. In consultation with Research leadership and internal partners, you set and execute compelling research agendas that address real-world strategic and operational problems, balancing client needs with business priorities and terrain capacity and skillsets. You use market feedback to ensure research is actionable and cutting-edge for clients. You collaborate with leaders in related terrains (e.g., Dynamic Strategy; Academic Innovation; IT Strategic Advisory Services) to align differing points of view, and share best practices, emerging trends, and elevate insights.
Terrain Expertise: Develop and maintain terrain mastery over primary issue areas for administrative effectiveness: cost containment, revenue growth and diversification, efficiency and effectiveness, IT and Facilities strategy, automation and generative AI embedment, talent management, space management, and environmental sustainability. You serve as a trusted subject matter expert in these areas, providing tailored advice and presentations for clients and build a network of relationships with CBOs and COOs at client universities. You monitor relevant news, trends, and innovations within the terrain, and expand the terrain based on market feedback and opportunity assessment(s).
Product Strategy: You collaborate with Research leadership to set and execute 6-to-12-month terrain roadmaps. Your partner with Marketing, Sales, Account Management, and Partner Success to train internal staff and develop compelling commercial and service strategies to drive partner outcomes and revenue growth. You identify opportunities to innovate and grow the product through new services and value drivers for clients.
Team and Talent Management: You manage research project teams (2-4 staff), providing tailored coaching to develop individual staff, including managers with their own teams. You ensure terrain projects are completed on time and consistent with EAB's quality standards. You lead and deliver a set of your own research and product projects.

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