Director, Research Learning

Full-time | Hybrid, 2 days/week in our Washington, DC or Indianapolis, IN office | Reports to the Vice President, Research

Strada’s postsecondary education research team develops evidence and insights that connect people to opportunity through postsecondary education, especially those who face the greatest barriers to doing so. We conduct innovative, actionable research grounded in student experiences, and we point to solutions that bring stakeholders into partnerships that deliver progress for all.

We are looking for a Director, Research who brings a strong foundation in quantitative and economic methods and the ability to translate complex findings into practical guidance for non-technical audiences. You will lead the research that supports Strada’s work-based learning portfolio, designing studies that estimate the economic and institutional value of programs, policies, and practices. Your work will inform decisions by state leaders, university and college systems, institutions, employers, and Strada’s own grantmaking and technical assistance.

You’ll work with the Vice President, Research to develop and pursue a research agenda that supports the work-based learning focus area team, which makes grants and provides technical assistance to help stakeholders implement evidence-informed solutions. The agenda will include studies anchored in the State Opportunity Index measures of student experiences and career outcomes. That means:

• Designing and executing rigorous quantitative studies using survey data and administrative datasets.
• Developing primary surveys to collect data from multiple stakeholder audiences.
• Conducting descriptive analysis and advanced statistical and econometric analysis, including causal inference methods (e.g., matching, regression, fixed effects, quasi-experimental designs).
• Designing and implementing cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, and return-on-investment (ROI) analyses of education and workforce interventions, estimating:
  • Individual returns (e.g., earnings, employment outcomes)
  • Institutional returns (e.g., retention, completion, enrollment stability)
  • Public returns (e.g., workforce participation, tax contributions)
• Assessing the impact of work-based learning and related strategies across student populations, fields of study, and institutional contexts.
• Collaborating with internal colleagues and external partners to produce actionable research under tight timelines.
• Ensuring methodological rigor, transparency, and reproducibility in all analyses.

Great research only matters if people can use it. You will:

• Author research briefs, reports, and presentations that communicate findings clearly to policymakers, institutional leaders, and practitioners.
• Translate economic findings, including ROI and cost-benefit results, into practical implications for decision-making and resource allocation.
• Contribute to thought leadership on the economic value of postsecondary education.
• Represent Strada at external events, including panels, conferences, and symposia.
• Synthesize data and insights across key topics to build the organization’s knowledge and subject matter expertise.

• Work closely with colleagues on the research team and across the organization to develop research agendas, annual budgets, and project plans.
• Build and maintain relationships with state agencies, higher education systems, institutions, and research partners.
• Collaborate with external partners on data access, study design, and…