Associate Director, Research Discovery & Design, K-12

Company: Vista Equity Partners Management, LLC
Location: Washington
Posted on: May 17, 2025

Job Description:

Associate Director, Research Discovery & Design, K-12At 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 employeesby checking out our recent awards.For more information, visit our Careers page.The Role in BriefAssociate Director, Research Discovery & Design, K-12Associate Directors help develop research agendas and design research projects and services that address the major strategic, management, and operational issues facing education today. Our researchers conduct in-depth interviews with campus executives at diverse institutions and perform data and root-cause analyses to identify market-leading strategies and best practices in our pursuit to make education smarter.As a member of our team, you will play an important role in innovating and producing syndicated research and high-value services for partner organizations, including on-site workshops, web-conferences and publications. You will also be a valued expert to EAB partner organizations, advising them on strategy and best practice implementation.This role may be based in Washington D.C., or Richmond, VA, or open to remote employment in the continental U.S. We currently have an opening on our K-12 public school district and independent school research team. The official title of this hire is expected to be 'Associate Director, Research Discovery & Design' to align with EAB business norms.Primary Responsibilities:Associate Directors in Research Discovery & Design lead our strategic research projects from conception to completion, ranging from two to four months for smaller projects to approximately nine months for the largest, most complex projects. Associate Directors provide intellectual leadership and analytical direction throughout all stages of the research process, working through extensive primary and secondary research, hypothesis generation and testing, rigorous analysis of findings, design and execution of implementation resources, and the final presentation of ideas. The position may require occasional travel (up to approximately 10%) for presenting research findings to our partners as well as facilitating strategy sessions. Direct and/or indirect staff management is also a key component of the position: Associate Directors are responsible for the professional development and coaching of junior-level team members.Key Responsibilities of the Associate Director role include:

• Lead start-to-finish research projects, including strategic and root cause analysis, inductive and deductive reasoning, hypothesis generation
• Ability to formulate and defend original points of view
• Synthesis of complex ideas into actionable insights for our members
• Effective use of persuasive writing and graphics to communicate ideas and information
• Relationship management, both internal and external
• Project leadership and effectively managing towards deadlines
• Market-sizing, testing calls and product design analysis for new research investigation
• Collaborate with individual project leads, SMEs, and project teams to ensure that new deliverables are built in a way that is easy to execute and deliver to partners in interactive formats
• Coach junior-level researcher staff by developing critical skills, providing actionable feedback, and managing workloads
• Initial delivery of services and presentations to executive-level clients and leadership teamsBasic Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree, with an excellent academic record and 5+ years of post-graduate, professional experience;or 4+ years of post-graduate, professional experience and an advanced degree;or bachelor's degree and 4+ years of post-graduate, professional experience, including 2+ years of experience in EAB Research
  • Experience with at least two of the following:
  • Management or strategy consulting
  • University/education strategic planning
  • Conducting long-term research (at least 3 months in duration)
  • Conducting primary and secondary research
  • K12 or Higher education experienceIdeal Qualifications:
    • Advanced degree in the liberal arts, sciences, or professions (MA, PhD, JD)
    • Majors and/or advanced degrees in economics, political science, data analytics, statistics or other quantitative fields preferred
    • Experience working in a team environment, as well as independently and autonomously
    • Proven ability to communicate effectively with senior executives in both oral and written formats
    • Experience with solution-focused problem solving and thinking through problems creatively
    • Experience working with clients in a consultative role
    • Demonstrated experience in managing projects and meeting deadlines
    • Commitment to embracing a continual learning environment and contributing to a dynamic and welcoming culture of fairness, authenticity, and belonging in support of EAB's mission, values, and aspiration.If you've reached this section of the job description and are unsure of whether to apply, please do! At EAB, we welcome new perspectives and learn from each other's unique experiences. We would encourage you to submit an application if this is a role you would be passionate about doing every day.Compensation:The anticipated starting salary (base) range for thisrole is$70,500 - $95,000per year. Actual salary variesdue to factors that may include but not be limited torelevant experience, skills, and location.At EAB, it isnot typical for an individual to be hired at or near thetop of the starting salary range for their role.This hire will additionally be eligible for discretionarybonus or incentive compensation. Variablecompensation may depend on various factors,such as individual andorganizational performance.Consistent with our belief that our employees are our most valuable resource, EAB offers a competitive and inclusive benefits package. Our benefits currently include:
      • Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans; dependents and domestic partners eligible
      • 20+ days of PTO annually, in addition to paid firm and floating holidays
      • Daytime leave policy for community service and flextime for fitness activities (up to 10 hours per month each)
      • 401(k) retirement savings plan with annual discretionary company matching contribution
      • Health savings account, healthcare and dependent care flexible spending account, and pre-tax commuter plans
      • Employee assistance program with counseling services and resources available to all employees and immediate family
      • Wellness programs including gym discounts, incentives to promote healthy living, and family access to the leading app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
      • Fertility treatment coverage and adoption or surrogacy assistance
      • Paid parental leave with phase back to work program for birthing and non-birthing parents
      • Access to milk shipping service to support nursing employees during business travel
      • Discounted pet health insurance coverage for dog and cat family members
      • Company-provided life, AD&D, and disability insurance
      • Financial wellness resources and membership in a robust employee discount program
      • Access to employee resource groups, merit-based advancement, and dynamic professional growth opportunitiesBenefits kick in day one; learn more at eab.com/careers/benefits.This opening is not eligible for visa sponsorship at this time; EAB will thus consider candidates who possess U.S. work authorization that does not require employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future.At EAB, we believe that to fulfill our mission to "make education smarter and our communities stronger" we need team members who bring a diversity of perspectives to the table and are committed to fostering a workplace where each team member is valued, respected and heard.To that end, EAB is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we make employment decisions on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. We don't discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.
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Keywords: Vista Equity Partners Management, LLC, Silver Spring , Associate Director, Research Discovery & Design, K-12, Executive , Washington, Maryland