Research Project Manager, Alignment

Full-time | Hybrid — 2 days/week in our Washington, DC or Indianapolis, IN office | Reports to the Vice President, Employer Alignment | Travel: 10–15% Contribute to the State Opportunity Index and turn data into insight Strada's Employer Alignment focus area is driven by the belief that all individuals should have access to postsecondary programs that lead to quality jobs and mobility.

Through initiatives like the State Opportunity Index, Strada leverages actionable research, policy solutions, and strategic partnerships to help states and regions align educational pathways with real-world workforce needs.

We are looking for a Research Project Manager who will serve as an operational and analytical support for the Employer Alignment team contributions to the Strada's State Opportunity Index. This unique role blends the organized workflows of a project manager with the inquisitive nature of a data analyst.

Working at the intersection of process and insight, you will ensure that key deliverables stay on schedule while helping uncover and translate meaningful labor market and educational data.

This position is ideal for an early-career professional or someone stepping up from an administrative or junior coordination role who possesses strong technical data skills, exceptional organizational discipline, and a passion for connecting postsecondary education to quality career outcomes.

What You'll Do Manage Projects and Administrative Operations (50%) Employer Alignment team contributions to the State Opportunity Index. That means:
Build, optimize, and maintain organized project management systems and tracking mechanisms for the annual State Opportunity Index to ensure deliverables remain on schedule.

Manage operational workflows between internal cross-functional teams (Research, Policy, Communications) and external consultants, maintaining clear visibility into project milestones and dependencies. Provide real-time, straightforward updates on project progress, proactively surfacing potential risks or resource constraints before they impact timelines.

Coordinate administrative logistics, meeting schedules, documentation, and action items across state-level initiatives and partner engagements. Analyze Data and Conduct Research (25%) You'll support the Employer Alignment team's research efforts.

You will:
Clean, structure, and analyze complex education, government labor, and state workforce datasets to support the Employer Alignment team's research efforts. Utilize foundational data tools (SQL, Python, or R) and Excel to execute quantitative analysis, conduct data validation, and maintain database integrity.

Conduct qualitative interviews and outreach with state partners to verify empirical findings, contextualize data, and gather field-level insights. Assist in evaluating workforce trend data to support data-driven decision-making for internal leadership and external stakeholders.

Create Content and Translate Data (25%) Great research only matters if people understand it. You will:
Transform complex data analyses and technical findings into tangible, accessible, and actionable resources for non-technical audiences.

Draft, edit, and format short-form briefing pieces, policy summaries, and project updates for public and partner dissemination. Leverage data visualization tools and presentation platforms to craft clear visual narratives that communicate key insights effectively.

What Success Looks Like in Your First Year Project tracking systems for the Employer Alignment contributions to the State Opportunity Index are in place, and deliverables are staying on schedule Internal teams and external consultants have clear visibility into milestones and dependencies, and risks are surfaced before they affect…