Fast Facts

The Director of Applied Research & Institutional Impact at Achieving the Dream is a key leadership role focusing on advancing research, evaluation, and analytics to drive institutional effectiveness and improve educational outcomes in higher education.

Responsibilities: Lead the design and execution of research initiatives, manage data and analytics service line development, and oversee project workflows to support data-informed decision-making across the organization.

Skills: Proficiency in mixed-methods research, statistical analysis software, and the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights for varied audiences.

Qualifications: Advanced degree (Ph.D. preferred) with 8–10 years of relevant experience in applied research and program evaluation within higher education or similar sectors.

Location: Silver Spring, MD (Hybrid)

Compensation: $135000 - $145000 / Annually

Director of Applied Research and Institutional Impact

Position Details:

Position Type:

Full Time, Exempt

Grant Funded Position

Contract period: December 2025 – December 2027

Reports To:

Chief Data, Research, and Analytics Officer

Work Location:

Silver Spring, MD (Hybrid)

Mobile First Work Policy: Fully remote

Level of Travel Required:

Occasional travel per department and organizational needs

Job Overview:

The Research and Assessment team at Achieving the Dream plays a critical role in advancing a culture of evidence and driving data-informed decision-making across the organization. The team tracks ATD’s impact over time, evaluating the effectiveness of our existing services and providing results to inform decision making. The team also ensures that assessments being used by the program teams are aligned and implemented with fidelity. In some cases, the team also provides reports for Network colleges. The team supports ATD learning events and at times contributes to data coaching for colleges with specific needs. While each member of the research and assessment team has areas of the work they are primarily responsible for, this is a highly collaborative team. All team members are expected to contribute to the team reaching goals and making deadlines.

The Director of Applied Research and Institutional Impact supports the Chief Data, Research, and Analytics Officer (CDRAO) in advancing Achieving the Dream’s (ATD) research, evaluation, and analytics agenda. This role translates strategic priorities into actionable research, evaluation, and data initiatives that strengthen institutional capacity, inform program design, and enhance ATD’s impact in the field.

Working under the strategic direction of the CDRAO, this position oversees applied research and analytics functions, manages project execution, and co-leads efforts to develop ATD’s new Data and Analytics Service Line—focused on advanced analytics, digital transformation, and data empowerment. The role reports to the Chief Data, Research, and Analytics Officer.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Data and Analytics Service Line Development (35%)

Co-lead the design and implementation of ATD’s Research-Centered Data and Analytics Service Line, leveraging mixed-methods research to assess institutional needs, develop tailored tools, and measure impact.
Develop and maintain resource materials, training modules, and topic frameworks informed by literature reviews and environmental scans.
Conduct competitive market analyses to identify untapped opportunities and areas of differentiation that best align with ATD’s mission, vision, and values.
Engage with the coaching team leadership to generate/gather insights that inform the design, development, and inception of data services.
Identify and curate research-based topics and emerging practices that strengthen the service line’s focus on advanced analytics, digital transformation, and data empowerment.
Partner with the CDRAO and cross-functional teams to ensure the service line reflects the latest field insights, promotes institutional capacity building, and scales sustainably across the Network.
Under the supervision of the CDRAO, work collaboratively with the coaching team and subject matter experts to develop and implement new curriculum and resources that strengthen institutional capacity for data empowerment and digital transformation.
Collaborate with the coaching team to redesign coaching engagement report to gather insights from the field specifically to the new data service line services.
Contribute to the design and content of ATD’s Annual Data and Analytics Summit, ensuring sessions reflect cutting-edge practices and evidence-based insights.

Strategic Leadership (20%)

Partner with the CDRAO to implement ATD’s research and analytics strategy, ensuring alignment and coordination across projects and initiatives.
Contribute to the development of ATD’s research agenda by identifying emerging trends, themes, and opportunities for influence in higher education policy and practice.
Strengthen ATD’s internal research capacity to conduct high-quality, high-impact studies that inform institutional strategies and advance equitable student outcomes.
Coordinate with internal teams (Programs, Network, and External Affairs) to embed research and data practices into program design, delivery, and continuous improvement.
Serve as a trusted thought partner to the CDRAO in identifying emerging research opportunities, field trends, and areas for institutional innovation.

Applied Research and Evaluation (20%)

Co-lead the design and execution of impact and evaluation studies, supporting the CDRAO in assessing the effectiveness of ATD initiatives and institutional strategies.
Support and guide the team in conducting longitudinal, cross-sectional, and comparative analyses to identify trends, verify data validity, and measure institutional outcomes.
Collaborate with departments across ATD to develop evaluation frameworks, metrics, and data collection strategies for grants, partnerships, and organizational initiatives.
Ensure methodological rigor, ethical standards, and data integrity across all research and evaluation projects.

Capacity Building and Institutional Support (10%)

Partner with the CDRAO and internal teams to implement capacity-building initiatives that enhance data literacy, research fluency, and evaluation capability among ATD network colleges.
Provide thought leadership and consultation to institutions seeking to strengthen data-informed decision-making and applied research capacity.
Partner with internal teams to embed data and research practices into program design, delivery, and continuous improvement processes.

Knowledge Production and Dissemination (10%)

Synthesize findings from research and analytics projects into actionable insights for internal and external audiences.
Contribute to publications, presentations, and knowledge products that elevate ATD’s visibility and influence in the field.
Support the CDRAO in building and maintaining strong partnerships with key higher education organizations and research entities.

Project Management (5%)

Manage project workflows, timelines, and deliverables to ensure the successful execution of research and analytics initiatives.
Promote knowledge sharing, documentation, and evidence-based practices across the Research and Analytics division.

Skills/Qualifications/Experience:

Advanced degree (Ph.D. preferred) in education, social sciences, public policy, data science, or a related discipline.
8–10 years of experience in applied research, institutional research, or program evaluation within higher education or related sectors.
Demonstrated proficiency in mixed-methods research design, impact evaluation methodologies, and applied statistical analysis.
Proficiency in statistical software such as SAS, Stata, or SPSS, with a strong understanding of data management and analytical modeling techniques.
Experience operationalizing research agendas, developing data tools, and managing cross-functional projects.
Exceptional ability to translate complex data and research findings into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences.
Demonstrate applied research experience that reflects a deep understanding of how evidence is used to drive institutional transformation and advance student success. Proven leadership in managing research or analytics teams and mentoring staff.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; publication and presentation experience preferred.

Core Competencies:

Collaboration: Demonstrates respect, humility, and willingness to collaborate when seeking to understand others and making decisions.

Equity Mindset: Demonstrates capacity to recognize and address racialized structures, policies, and practices that produce and sustain racial inequities.

Learning Orientation: Embraces challenges, new ideas and different perspectives as an opportunity to learn; continually seeks out and applies new learning to activate change or improvements.

Systems Thinking: Defines the system and one’s role in the system. Sees relationships and the dynamic elements of the holistic system and executes work accordingly. Influences the system and maps connections to ATD’s external landscape.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Achieving the Dream is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse work environment.Employment policies and decisions are based upon merit, qualifications, performance, and business needs. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), gender identity or expression, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, legally- protected genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

For best consideration apply by 12/04/2025

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Director of Applied Research & Institutional Impact