Our Company

Founded in 2005, Mission Measurement (MM) is the world leader in measuring and reporting outcomes for the social sector. Our data, tools, and advisory services have helped thousands of nonprofits around the world to increase their impact. Many of the world’s leading corporations, governments, and foundations have also used our tools to invest in effective social programming. In 2014, we launched the Impact Genome Project® (IGP) – the industry’s largest evidence base of published and unpublished research across 11 social sector domains – to identify the specific program strategies that lead to positive social outcomes. This pioneering effort underpins MM’s unique suite of data products and tools that enable impact reporting, resource allocation, and systematic learning for the sector.

The Position

Mission Measurement is looking for an exceptional Research Director to join the Impact Genome Project’s Evidence & Implementation team. This is a highly analytical and research-oriented position for those interested in working hands-on to help the social impact sectorachieve better outcomes. The Research Director will lead efforts to summarize three streams of data: research about effective social impact practices, performance data from nonprofits, and aggregated impact data from grant portfolios. They will then advance the sector by synthesizing these data into practical evidence reviews, advising nonprofits directly in measurement and program design, and helping funders make decisions based on impact data (not overhead). Another key function of this role is to ensure that the findings from the IGP are properly communicated to the field, via both academic and popular articles. A qualified candidate will have strong research synthesis and writing skills, and experience with qualitative methods, systematic reviews, and program evaluation. Ability to step into the role and lead complex research projects with minimal oversight on day one, including supervision of staff, is a must. This position also requires an entrepreneurial, innovative, and creative mindset. Ultimately, the main goal of the Director is to lead efforts to extract meaning from diverse sources of evidence on effective social impact programs and generate commercial tools that will allow stakeholders in this sector – including practitioners, funders, policy-makers, and researchers – to interact with and apply these learnings to their work.

Role & Responsibilities
  • Leading research: Manage IGP research projects (qualitative analyses, literature reviews, tool development, etc.), set research timelines and communication plans, and deliver reports and/or products with excellence. Deep and demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following areas is required: education, public health/social determinants of health, workforce development, or financial health.
  • Serving as Subject Matter Expert: Serve as resident expert in their field within the IGP team, to clients, and for the broader sector, keeping apprised of sector trends and representing learnings from the IGP for the field.
  • Building external relationships: Build relations with the academic, philanthropic, policy, and practitioner communities to drive understanding and acceptance of the IGP data/research.
  • Enhancing IP: Support creation/expansion/refinement of IGP intellectual property (curating analytic frameworks, publishing our meta-analysis results, advising on market fit of our tools/products) to accelerate the IGP’s ability to advance sector knowledge and/or increase sector impact
Qualifications
  • PhD in relevant field, or Masters degree with equivalent experience
  • Strong knowledge of research methods (qualitative research experience is required) and program evaluation
  • At least 5 years of experience conducting primary or secondary research on social impact interventions or policies
  • Published work in a peer-reviewed journal or other esteemed outlets
  • Track record of taking initiative and delivering in a dynamic and fast-paced professional environment
  • Ability to meet deadlines under minimal supervision; comfort with ambiguity
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present data in a simple and straightforward way for nontechnical audiences required
  • Chicago-based preferred; may consider remote for exceptional candidates
Compensation & Benefits
  • Competitive salary
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Comprehensive medical coverage
  • 401k
To Apply

Please send cover letter and resume to apply@missionmeasurement.com. Please put the job title in the subject line and be clear about why you are pursuing this specific opportunity and what unique qualifications you bring to the role.

Learn more about Mission Measurement at http://missionmeasurement.com

Learn more about the Impact Genome Project® at https://www.impactgenome.org

Find out how Mission Measurement can help your organization, contact us today.

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