Director, Research Advisory Services

Make a difference in a sector that matters to us all

EAB is a special place to work. You'll find motivated employees, growth opportunities, and a deep commitment to our partners. We pride ourselves on hiring the best people—not just for the job, but for the firm and the future of education.

Director, Research Advisory Services

At EAB , our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve.

At EAB, we serve not only our partner institutions but each other—that's why we are always working to make sure our employees love their jobs and are invested in their communities. See how we've been recognized for this dedication to our employees by checking out our recent awards .

EAB is the leading global provider of research and advice to higher education and K-12 institutions. Our research programs help executives at client organizations educate stakeholders, make research-informed decisions, and speed implementation of industry best practices.

EAB Research Advisory Services (RAS) is a division within our research business, providing consultative support and expert advice to our education clients. RAS staff work directly with boards, presidents, and other senior academic and business leaders to help them make meaningful and strategic progress toward their most pressing financial and mission‑consequential issues. Through strong communication and storytelling, RAS provides high-impact, outcome‑focused presentations, workshops, and unscripted conversations to help partners understand and implement EAB’s advice.

We deliver our advice to clients through peer conferences, expert phone consultations, virtual meetings, and onsite at client institutions. In addition to working with current clients, our advisors also support sales efforts in new client development.

This position will spend about 80% of time in the market, working with partners both in-person and virtually. The position requires 40-50% travel. This hire may be based in Washington, D.C.;
Richmond, VA; or is open to remote employment within the continental United States.

This position is also posted at the Associate Director level; candidates are being considered across both levels for the current opening.

Primary Responsibilities:

Terrain Mastery:
Build and maintain issue expertise across research terrains, with a special focus on those most important to members across the university executive cabinet at educational institutions and the teams they lead across the university each day: including the delivery of dynamic strategy to guide transformation; advancement and fundraising strategy; campaign readiness and execution; and donor and alumni engagement. Store & curate EAB’s perspective across the breadth of research terrains to give partners the most direct access to EAB’s advice.

The ideal candidate will bring experience working with senior institutional leaders and advancement organizations through practitioner, consulting, or advisory experience. Successful candidates will be able to engage effectively with advancement and cabinet leaders while maintaining the broad strategic and operational fluency required of the RAS model.

The candidate will leverage EAB’s…