Senior Director of Research

Senior Director of Research

Reporting to the Managing Director of Programs.

Position based in Birmingham, Alabama.

Heron is dedicated to helping people and communities to help themselves. Heron works directly with local organizations that are embedded in, deeply trusted by, and inherently driven by the voice and vision of their neighbors. Heron partners with communities to source relevant and actionable research, nurture a learning collaborative of peers, help communities reclaim their narrative of place and self, foster stronger collective agency and social bonds, and provide long-term financial support.

Heron works mainly in rural communities experiencing persistent poverty, systemic challenges, historic disinvestment, and a legacy of disenfranchisement.

Over the coming 8-10 years, Heron will pursue an exciting, innovative set of strategies to

• empower dozens of distressed rural communities across the country
• help rewrite the playbook for national funders working in rural community advancement
• position Heron, not as a traditional grantmaking private foundation, but as a resourceful, experienced, and well-regarded rural community advancement agency, poised to perform this important work effectively well into the future.

Heron will:

• Provide our community partners with extensive data and research, technical assistance, communications support, and networking opportunities.
• Share its growing knowledge broadly to help increase capital flow to the direct control of rural communities.
• Invest significant financial capital into local organizations leading community-driven projects and initiatives to advance the vitality and well-being of their community.

Heron is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Director of Research to build and lead its Community Research function – a cornerstone of Heron's work to support healthy and resilient rural communities. As Heron transfers the majority of its financial capital to local community partner organizations and establishes a national learning network, the Senior Director of Research will develop the data infrastructure, analytical frameworks, and knowledge resources that enable communities to understand their conditions, set priorities, track progress, and drive meaningful change.

This position will be based in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Senior Director of Research will oversee the development and execution of six interconnected research program areas:

This is a unique opportunity for a research leader to shape how communities understand and strengthen their stores of human, natural, civic, and economic capital—and to help demonstrate that community-driven development, grounded in rigorous data and local voice, can break cycles of persistent poverty.

Strategic Leadership & Research Agenda

• Lead the development and execution of Heron's comprehensive research agenda across six program areas.
• Serve as a key thought partner to executive leadership on research strategy, community selection, and data-driven decision-making.
• Build Heron's reputation as a credible, innovative source of research and data on rural community health, persistent poverty, and community capitals.
• Build and lead a high-performing research team, including hiring and managing a data analyst and additional research staff.
• Collaborate closely with Community Partnerships Network, Outreach, and Investment teams to ensure research informs all aspects of Heron's work.

Heron Community Capitals Database

• Launch and continuously refine the Heron Community Data Library—an expert-advised set of community vitality indicators linked to human, natural, civic, and economic capital for every U.S. county.
• Partner with research institutions and experts to ensure data quality, accessibility, and usability.
• Create user-friendly tools and guides that enable community partners and other communities…