Vice President, Research

Virginia Economic Devel Partnership•Richmond, VA

About The Position

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) seeks a Vice President, Research to provide strategic, operational, and cultural leadership for VEDP’s Research Division. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Research, this role leads a diverse, multidisciplinary division of approximately 25 staff responsible for conducting solutions-oriented business analysis supporting business investment efforts, communicating Virginia’s value proposition through compelling deliverables, and delivering technology-enabled operational support across the organization. This is a highly collaborative, player-coach leadership role requiring a combination of strategic thinking, operational management, analytical capability, organizational judgment, and people leadership. The Vice President must be capable of contributing substantively to high-profile initiatives and analytical work while also building effective systems, strengthening processes, supporting team development, and ensuring the division operates effectively at a high level across a large volume of concurrent workstreams. The Vice President will interact professionally, collaboratively, and strategically with colleagues across all divisions of VEDP, helping align Research capabilities with organizational priorities and continuously evolving how the division delivers value to internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in research, analytics, economic development, strategy, consulting, operations, technology-enabled business functions, or related fields.
Significant leadership and people-management experience overseeing multidisciplinary teams and complex operational functions.
Strong strategic thinking, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving capabilities.
Experience managing or partnering closely with analytical, operational, and/or technology-oriented teams.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information clearly and persuasively for executive audiences.
Strong organizational judgment and decision-making skills, including the ability to balance competing priorities and operate effectively in fast-moving environments.
Experience operating in a fast-paced, client-service-oriented or project-driven environment.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and building collaborative relationships across teams and stakeholders.
Operational management experience, including process improvement, workflow management, resource allocation, and organizational coordination.
Comfort working with metrics, operational reporting, CRM systems, organizational analytics, and performance management concepts.
Strong presentation and executive communication capabilities.
Strong emotional intelligence, maturity, and interpersonal judgment.
Authentic, collaborative leadership style.
Strategic and systems-oriented thinker.
High degree of initiative and accountability.
Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-moving, high-profile environments.
Comfortable balancing strategic thinking with operational execution.
Strong organizational instincts and sound judgment.
Curious, thoughtful, and intellectually engaged.
Innovative and technology-savvy with an interest in operational improvement and practical applications of emerging tools and technologies.
Strong relationship builder capable of leading through trust, credibility, and collaboration.
Ability to maintain composure and perspective under pressure.
Commitment to continuous improvement, team development, and organizational effectiveness.
Being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.
A valid Virginia driver’s license and ability to obtain a passport is required.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage a multidisciplinary division of approximately 25 staff spanning analytics, client communications, business presentations, GIS, application development and Salesforce administration.
Provide clear direction, priorities, and expectations for the division while fostering a collaborative, high-trust, mission-oriented culture.
Provide ongoing coaching, performance management, professional development, and organizational support for direct reports and broader team members.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, responsiveness, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
Promote thoughtful cross-team collaboration and avoid operational silos across the division.
Ensure effective allocation of staff resources, workloads, budgets, and operational priorities across teams and initiatives.
Help shape and strengthen organizational culture by modeling maturity, professionalism, sound judgment, authenticity, and collaborative leadership.
Identify opportunities to strengthen organizational structure, workflows, processes, and team effectiveness over time.
Serve as a strategic thought partner to VEDP leadership on issues related to economic development, competitiveness, industry trends, business climate dynamics, and organizational strategy.
Provide high-level analytical support, strategic framing, and problem-solving support for executive leadership, major initiatives, and priority projects.
Help strengthen VEDP’s ability to deliver distinctive insights, communicate Virginia’s competitive advantages, and support informed decision-making for both internal and external stakeholders.
Maintain situational awareness regarding major projects, organizational priorities, and pipeline activity to ensure Research Division efforts remain aligned with business needs and organizational objectives.
Support the development and continuous refinement of Virginia’s industry, competitiveness, and business value proposition materials and related strategic resources.
Help ensure the Research Division delivers clear, compelling, and strategically aligned support that helps VEDP solve problems, support business investment efforts, and communicate effectively with clients and stakeholders.
Represent VEDP credibly in select interactions with the Board of Directors, administration officials, partners, and the broader economic development practitioner community.
Lead efforts to continuously improve how the Research Division delivers services and support across the organization.
Strengthen operational processes, quality assurance, workflow coordination, prioritization approaches, and service delivery models across teams.
Continue strengthening the division’s consultative, strategically aligned, and high-value partnership model across the organization.
Work closely with internal stakeholders to define service expectations, ensure appropriate intake and prioritization processes, and strengthen alignment between organizational needs and Research capabilities.
Ensure high-quality, timely execution of project support deliverables and analytical products supporting VEDP’s business development and marketing efforts.
Provide strategic oversight for VEDP’s Salesforce CRM platform, GIS capabilities, application development efforts, and related technology-enabled operational tools.
Partner with technical teams and organizational stakeholders to help translate business needs into effective operational and technology solutions.
Foster a culture of innovation and thoughtful experimentation around technology, analytics, automation, and operational improvement.
Help ensure technology and data resources are aligned with organizational strategy, operational priorities, and user needs.
Support the use of organizational metrics, operational analytics, and performance reporting to strengthen decision-making and organizational effectiveness.
Oversee Research Division support for organizational surveys, pipeline analytics, operational reporting, and other performance management initiatives.
Build strong collaborative relationships across VEDP divisions and with external partners where appropriate.
Partner closely with Marketing, Lead Generation, Business Investment, Economic Competitiveness, Talent, External Affairs, and other teams to support integrated organizational objectives.
Help bridge communication and operational gaps between technical teams, analytical teams, and business-facing functions.
Support organizational initiatives requiring cross-functional coordination, strategic analysis, operational problem-solving, or executive-level communication support.
Help ensure the Research Division remains highly responsive, collaborative, and solutions-oriented while maintaining focus on long-term effectiveness and sustainability.