Head of Applied Research & Equitable Evaluation

Job Summary:

This leader is responsible for the people, projects, and pursuits across Applied Research & Equitable Evaluation (AREE), including talent development, client service, business development, external partnership cultivation, quality assurance, and efficient operations. This role will also focus on collaboration, synergy, and partnership among research and evaluation and technical assistance teams and on driving large-scale business development efforts. The leader will balance the need for strategic growth via business development and other avenues with the commitment to a collaborative, authentic, positive workplace culture; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and operational excellence​. The Head of AREE will play a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s mission through strategic planning, staff management, and external engagement.

Responsibilities:
Supervisory Responsibility: Yes

Program Leadership:

• Reports to the CEO. Leads the AREE program area, managing staff, projects, and business development. Accountable for financial goals (revenue, diversification, growth), staff engagement, workplace culture, and business development goals (win rate, backlog, ROI). Shares accountability for overall organizational performance​.
• Promotes inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration across the organization, fostering a culture of teamwork and increasing cooperation and partnership between research and technical assistance teams​.
• Contributes to both the business strategy and the adherence to operational systems that support quality assurance, performance evaluations, and proposal reviews​.

People Leadership:

• Leads workforce planning, recruitment, project staffing, and staff management, ensuring the growth of a cohesive, diverse, and highly capable team that meets the needs of the AREE program area. Partners closely with Senior Director of Equitable Learning & Systems Improvement to develop talent, especially in business development, research, and technical assistance​.
• Provides regular feedback and supports staff members in career growth, promoting a positive work-life balance and an inclusive, supportive environment that values diversity, equity, and inclusion​​.

Project/Portfolio Oversight:

• Ensures projects are on time, meet quality standards, and are within budget. Oversees organizational quality assurance processes, project management tools, and staff project reviews​. Holds staff members accountable for consistent implementation.
• Serves as a technical and content expert, providing technical and content oversight on high-priority projects, mentoring and supporting staff members in skill development, identifying priorities and supporting professional development, and fostering collaboration among teams​.

Business Development:

• Designs and implements business development strategies, focusing on growth within the current portfolio, new large-scale federal contracts, and broadening robust philanthropic opportunities​. Cultivates partnerships with complementary organizations to collaboratively pursue new work.
• Leads large proposal teams and provides strategic direction for proposal development, including hands-on mentoring, support, and quality reviews. Ensures business development efforts are aligned with the organization’s mission, diversify revenue streams, and include the pursuit of larger opportunities​.

Organizational Leadership:

• Contributes to the overall organizational strategy, leading key initiatives and fostering a culture focused on transparency, feedback, and accountability. Works to build a cohesive organization, integrating systems and processes to improve operations​.
• Participates in organizational budget planning and workforce development, ensuring the alignment of strategic goals with organizational capacity​.

External Leadership:

• Serves as a visible thought leader, representing the organization in regional and national meetings, publications, and partnerships. Engages with key clients, external fellows, and partners, using strong external relationships to drive new business opportunities and support mission-aligned work​. 
• This leads efforts to establish the organization’s eminence in the research and evaluation fields by contributing thought leadership, attending conferences, and building external partnerships​.

Qualifications:

• Visionary leader with a track record of building and sustaining a high-performance, team-based, inclusive, and collaborative culture.
• Demonstrated commitment to supporting staff member growth.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic direction and assessing progress and performance against defined objectives.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and the integration of equitable practices in project work.
• Professional services industry knowledge (IES and NSF preferred) with track record of successfully leading business development efforts ($3M+) at the federal and/or state government levels and/or with foundations.
• Experience in designing and successfully leading complex implementation, research, and evaluation projects in one or more of AREE’s focal topic areas.
• High emotional intelligence to lead and collaborate in a complex organization.
• Flexibility and ability to manage and adapt to changing circumstances and needs.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to listen and understand concerns and to communicate clearly with a variety of internal and external audiences.
• Experience supervising 5–10 staff members directly and managing teams of 30+.
• A doctorate or master’s degree in social science or relevant discipline or a combination of equivalent education, work, and lived experience.
• Quantitative research expertise preferred.

Travel & Other Key Requirements:

• Position can be based in Portland, Oregon; elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest; or in a remote office in the United States.
• Moderate travel required.