Senior Director of Research & Evaluation jobs in United States
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Upwardly Global · 3 days ago

Senior Director of Research & Evaluation

Upwardly Global is an innovative organization dedicated to supporting foreign-born skilled job seekers in the US job market. The Senior Director of Research & Evaluation will be responsible for enhancing the organization’s impact measurement and research agenda, ensuring that insights inform program design and organizational strategy.

Non ProfitSocialTraining
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Comp. & Benefits

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic thought partner to executive and program leadership, helping the organization rigorously determine •what• we should measure, •why• it matters, and •how• those insights can meaningfully shape program design, product decisions, and organizational priorities
Update and evolve Upwardly Global’s theory of change to reflect organizational strategy, shifts in the labor market, and emerging service models
Refine current organization-wide KPIs and impact measures, ensuring clarity, alignment, and relevance across Direct, Connect, and Talent lines of work
Embed equity-minded and culturally responsive evaluation frameworks, ensuring measurement practices recognize diverse experiences, minimize bias, and reflect our mission
Lead the design of new methodologies to assess outcomes, long-term career mobility, employer and workforce partnership value, and systems change
Develop organizational learning including dashboards, synthesis documents, quarterly reviews, and cross-team learning forums that connect evidence to decision-making
Lead a proactive research agenda focused on workforce, immigration, economic mobility, and AI-driven shifts, translating insights into actionable guidance for program, product, and IT teams
Design and oversee mixed-methods evaluations to understand program effectiveness, user journeys, employer outcomes, and long-term impact
Manage external evaluation partners as needed, including scoping, research design, and synthesis
Produce timely, accessible findings to support fundraising, board reporting, and public communications
Chair an internal research steering group, convening internal and external experts to analyze sector trends, labor-market shifts, employer needs, and the role of AI in shaping opportunity
Translate insights into recommendations that influence coaching models, employer engagement, content development, and product/platform enhancements
Manage and mentor the Director of Data & Analysis, providing strategic guidance and professional development
Work closely with the Salesforce team to evolve data architecture, collection tools, and analysis capabilities
Partner with program and product teams to ensure data collection is equitable, user-centered, and aligned to learning goals
Ensure all measurement and research practices uphold ethical data standards, including transparency, consent, equitable data use, and responsible handling of sensitive information
Oversee data privacy practices in collaboration with IT and Salesforce teams, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and alignment with UpGlo’s commitment to protecting jobseeker and partner information
Work with Program leaders to integrate insights into program design, service delivery, and content development
Collaborate with Product & Technology teams to align research and evaluation with digital platform development and new AI capabilities
Provide data and research insights to Development and Communications for donor materials, public storytelling, and impact reporting

Qualification

Impact measurementResearch agenda developmentQuantitative methodsQualitative methodsSalesforceTheories of changeCulturally responsive evaluationData storytellingStaff supervisionAnalytical thinkingCross-functional collaboration

Required

10+ years of experience in research, evaluation, impact measurement, or applied social sciences
Demonstrated experience evolving theories of change, measurement frameworks, and organizational KPIs in similar organizations
Expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods, including culturally responsive and equity-minded evaluation practices
Ability to translate complex analysis into actionable insights for a broad range of stakeholders
Experience supervising staff and leading cross-functional working groups
Experience with Salesforce
Experience managing external evaluation firms or consultants

Preferred

Background in workforce, immigration, economic research, or the future of work
Experience with AI- and technology-driven labor-market trends
Prior leadership in a complex nonprofit or social innovation environment
Experience partnering with product/tech teams on data strategy or user research

Benefits

Paid time-off policy
Hybrid or remote work schedule
Medical/dental/vision insurance
Short-term disability insurance
Life insurance
Retirement plan with employer match

Company

Upwardly Global

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Upwardly Global is an award winning organization with offices in San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.

Funding

Current Stage
Early Stage
Total Funding
unknown
Key Investors
Siegel Family EndowmentCD&R Foundation
2025-12-04Grant
2022-06-14Grant

Leadership Team

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Jane Leu
Founder and Former CEO
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Company data provided by crunchbase