Vice President, Research (Postsecondary education: affordability and education-to-career guidance)

Strada Education Foundation works to ensure postsecondary education and training in America provides equitable pathways to opportunity, with five primary areas of focus: clear outcomes, quality coaching, affordability, work-based learning, and employer alignment. Research plays a central role across these areas. The Institute for the Future of Work leads our research designed to advance clear outcomes and employer alignment. The postsecondary education research team provides leadership for the quality coaching, affordability, and work-based learning research agenda. 

Within Strada Education Foundation’s postsecondary education research team, the Vice President of Research (VP) establishes the agenda and leads the work to advance Strada’s priority areas of affordability and quality education-to-employment coaching. Through a variety of approaches to research projects (internal, in partnership, commissioned), the vice president develops research insights and ensures they are translated into actionable recommendations for policy makers, postsecondary education leaders, and the business community. The existing team will continue with leadership of work-based learning and marquee research efforts such as the State Opportunity Index. In addition to leading the affordability and quality coaching work, the vice president contributes to the development and execution of the team’s overall strategic research agenda and we seek to grow our ability to support this full range of strategic priorities.

The vice president is a visible spokesperson, author, and thought leader with internal and external audiences, providing research-based insights to inform practice and policy solutions that promote equitable pathways to opportunity through post-high school education. The vice president provides expertise that includes subject matter knowledge, methodology, statistics, analysis, strategic insights, written and verbal communication across a range of stakeholders, and the interpersonal skills to build and enjoy strong collaborative partnerships. The ability to develop and effectively communicate research-based implications for programmatic and policy solutions is central to the role.

The vice president establishes strong internal alignment and coordinates execution of the research-into-insights agenda for affordability and quality coaching. In the process of establishing and pursuing these long-term research agendas for affordability and quality coaching, the vice president:

- Leads the process of soliciting strategic input from internal and external leaders, building and pursuing the research agenda for these two priority areas.

- Is the research leader partnering with Strada’s affordability and quality coaching program teams, working closely with them to understand and advance their priorities through the development of annual and long-term research plans.

- Coordinates and manages research projects, including budgets, contracts, internal staff, external partners, and finalization of deliverables with an emphasis on translating research insights into actionable recommendations for stakeholders. 

- Ensures research and statistical methodologies are sound, rigorous, optimized for meaningful insights, and reported with integrity.

- Is responsible for the design, analysis, interpretation and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research — whether executed internally or through external partners — and provides actionable insights through written materials and presentations. 

- Provides thought leadership and represents Strada in publications, presentations, convenings, and other forums.

- Coordinates with leaders across the organization to understand and support research, communication, policy, and advocacy opportunities.

- Supervises, mentors, and manages a small team within the postsecondary education research team and works collaboratively with a variety of research and cross-functional colleagues in project-specific teams.

The postsecondary education research team currently consists of nine positions with a portfolio centered on work-based learning, affordability, quality education-to-employment coaching, evaluation, and the annual State Opportunity Index report. The team functions as both a shared service that supports internal clients, while also identifying and pursuing knowledge that advances systems change that will improve students’ education-to-employment outcomes.

Our colleagues in Strada’s Institute for the Future of Work lead the research support for Strada’s programmatic priorities in clear outcomes and employer alignment. The two research groups actively coordinate and collaborate with one another, and with the senior leaders of Strada’s teams focused on these five priorities as well as the policy, advocacy, and communications team.

Context

Strada Education Foundation supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between education and employment in the U.S., with a special focus on helping those who have faced the greatest challenges securing economic opportunity through postsecondary education and training (PSE). Our strategic plan focuses on an overarching North Star to improve equitable pathways to opportunity through post-high school education  and five strategic areas of focus: clear outcomes, quality coaching, affordability, work-based learning, and employer alignment. 

We work with partners in education and training, nonprofit organizations, industry, startups, philanthropy, and public policy. We leverage strategic philanthropy, investments, research, communications, advocacy, and nonprofit affiliates as tools to help advance equitable pathways to opportunity. Strada offers a dynamic, collaborative, and inspiring professional environment that provides learning and professional development opportunities, both within the organization and with external partners.

The Vice President has four core responsibility areas, listed below with the approximate time required for execution.

• Establish and refine goals, priorities, and specific research projects with the objective of removing affordability as a barrier to individuals’ opportunities to pursue quality education and training pathways that lead to successful employment outcomes.
• Lead the research activities to obtain and analyze data, and report findings on the affordability research agenda.
• Serve as principal investigator and lead author on one or two major affordability research reports annually as well as multiple short-form written products, presentations, and briefings. 
• Develop the annual affordability research plan budget, staffing, partner, timeline, and expected deliverables.
• Manage internal project teams and external partners to successfully provide the annual affordability research deliverables.
• Support Strada's executive leaders and ensure connection and communication between relevant aspects of Strada's research with other leaders across the organization.

• Establish and refine goals, priorities, and specific research projects with the objective of advancing scaled-solutions for quality education-to-employment coaching and guidance.
• Lead the research activities to obtain and analyze data, and report findings on the quality coaching research agenda.
• Serve as principal investigator and lead author on one or two major quality coaching research reports annually as well as multiple short-form written products, presentations, and briefings. 
• Develop the annual quality coaching research plan budget, staffing, partner, timeline, and expected deliverables.
• Manage internal project teams and external partners to successfully provide the annual quality coaching research deliverables.
• Support Strada's executive leaders and ensure connection and communication between relevant aspects of Strada's research with other leaders across the organization.

• Coordinate with strategic leaders across the organization to understand research priorities and establish priorities for research investments.
• Support the development and execution of plans for dissemination of Strada research.  
• Enable other leaders at Strada to utilize research in their work.
• Support the SVP of Research to secure appropriate approvals, review and vetting of research reports and presentations. 
• Foster a culture of learning and development across the research team. 

• Supervise, manage, mentor and develop direct reports within the research team. 
• Support an inclusive workplace culture through actively engaging in Strada’s diversity, equity, and inclusion activities. Incorporate tools and processes to deliver on Strada’s commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion through research.
• Identify and advocate for research design, analyses, and reporting that provide insights into the diverse experiences of individuals in education and employment after high school.

• Education: Doctoral degree, with training in social science, education, public policy, or a related field preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in postsecondary education finance research.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible leadership and management experience in strategic research, working closely with experts at the national and state level (including strategic communications, policy, and other relevant stakeholders).
• At least 5 years experience with all aspects of mixed-methods research—designing studies, drafting questionnaires, quality assurance, data collection, data processing, analysis, reporting findings, identifying strategic insights.
• Success as a spokesperson and author—working closely with executives, communications, and advocacy leaders to engage internal and external audiences in understanding research findings and insights that advance the mission of the organization. 
• Experience managing internal direct reports and indirect reports.
• Experience as a division/department manager, including responsibility for resource allocation and project delegation.
• Experience in or directly related to postsecondary education is highly valued. Additionally, experience working in the philanthropic sector engaging with state advocates and policymakers is preferred.
• Experience selecting and successfully managing internal and external research partners and relationships.

Mission and Values Alignment:

Committed to providing equitable pathways to opportunity through PSET, particularly for individuals who have faced significant barriers. Demonstrated alignment with Strada's guiding values, commitment to building a strong and healthy workplace culture, and working in a collaborative environment.    

Strategy and Innovation Leadership:

Adept at operationalizing strategy and effectively communicating strategic endeavors within the organization and in external contexts, both verbally and in writing. Particular skill in designing annual plans, monitoring progress, and refining plans as needed. Adaptable with tolerance for ambiguity. Able to problem-solve and navigate varied viewpoints. Capacity to refine efforts based on evidence that change is needed. Ability to lead efforts to visualize and monitor change. Capability to see and support innovative ideas and opportunities across the organization, and to embed innovation within operational plans. Capabilities in taking the perspective of others and adapting an agenda and approach – toward a shared aim - accordingly.   

Strategic Problem Solving: 

Ability to effectively utilize a hypothesis-driven approach to problem solving, with effective quantitative and communication skills. Ability to take on broad-reaching and sometimes ambiguous questions while working collaboratively and cross-functionally with Strada team members across the organization.  

Execution and Operations Leadership:

Ability to translate innovative, strategic ideas into tangible, actionable steps, as well as to effectively monitor progress and partner with others on identifying improvements during implementation to increase the likelihood of successful execution.  

DEI Commitment:

Commitment and professional experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within and organization, including incorporating stakeholder perspectives in the design, implementation, and evaluation of strategic efforts.    

Relationship Building and Collaborative Capabilities: 

Demonstrated ability to cultivate, grow, and manage positive, mutually beneficial relationships at all levels of an organization and with partners outside the organization. Strong communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills—including identifying and working through challenges—underscored by strong judgment and emotional intelligence. Proven collaborator, able to work with colleagues at all levels in the organization. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to Strada’s organizational vibrancy, employee experience, and mission. Strada is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workplace-certified by Diversity for Social Impact, a strategic professional and organization development company dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion to drive social impact worldwide. We strongly encourage applicants from people of color/the global majority, immigrant, bilingual, and bicultural individuals; people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA2S+  and gender nonconforming communities; and people with other diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. We believe every member on the team enriches our workplace by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver critical insights and solutions.