Director, Research & Insights

About JFF

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieveeconomic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life our goal is to align education workforce and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star:By203375 million peoplefacing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.

To achieve that goal we design solutions scale best practices influencepolicyand action and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than200 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters) Washington DC and Oakland California we operate at the national state and local levels forging deep partnerships with employers investors entrepreneurs policymakers and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine whats possible.

Wereon a pathofongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million andwerefunded by dozens of leading government agencies foundations and corporations. Learn moreabout JFFand join us as we build a future that worksfor everyone.

Equal Employment Opportunity at JFF

Inclusion belonging and well-being are core to JFFsNorth Starand mission and weseekto invest in and learn from those whorepresentthe communities we serve as it is important to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care well-being and success of the employee through flexible work hours balanced workloads professional development and career advancement opportunities for all.

JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to ourNorth Starwe hire based on qualifications and experience and we are committed to fair opportunity for all qualified candidates including those without a 4-year degree or formally incarnated individuals.

About the Position

JFF is seeking a full-time Director Research & Insightsto lead and strengthen our enterprise-wide impact measurement systems and data infrastructure. This role is ideal for a leader who thrives at the intersection of research rigor data strategy and organizational learning. The Director will support and lead major initiatives including the American Job Quality Survey (AJQS) and North Star measurement State Impact Strategy and the development of an AIpowered research repository that centralizes data and insights across JFF.

The Director will also support research activities on select fundedprojects andcontribute to fundraising and proposal development to expand JFFs research portfolio.

What Youll Do:

Support JFFs Job Quality Measurement and North Star Efforts

• Providetechnical guidanceon survey design analysis and interpretationto our external research partners

• Analyze a large complex dataset on job quality to answer enterprise inquiries and elevate intriguing findings to support strategic decision making.

• Define and implement a process forinternal data use including repository integration access protocols and sensemaking across business units (BUs).

• FacilitateBusiness Unit (BU)-specific work sessionsand targeted discussions to help leaders apply AJQS data within their portfolios.

• Align job quality measurement with JFFsNorth Star impact drivers ensuring internal alignmentand contribution to our impact platform

Oversee Reporting for State Impact Strategy

• Lead data analysis related to JFFs State Impact strategy ensuring consistency rigor and relevance across workstreams.

• Reporting data to produce actionable insights that inform organizational strategy investment priorities and storytelling.

• Recalibrate and re-score system maturity indicators on a defined cycle synthesizing updated state-level evidence to track progress across employer education government and population domains

• Apply contribution-based frameworks to assess organizational influence on system change drawing defensible conclusions from incomplete or lagging data without overclaiming causation

• Analyze ecosystem behavior change to distinguish between organizational activity outputs and meaningful shifts in how state-level actors engage with workforce systems

• Partner with state leads and internal leadership to pressure-test measurement logicidentifygaps in the evidence chain andmaintainframework integrity as strategies evolve

• Skilled at navigating multiple stakeholders with competing priorities including funders internal teams state partners and external experts and building the trust and shared understanding needed to move research and decision-making forward.

Advance Business Development and Proposal Strategy

• Partner withcolleaguestodevelop proposals concept notes and funder materials translating complex research and measurement work into compelling narratives.

• Lead or co-lead sections of proposals that require research design evaluation plans or measurement frameworks.

• Support funder cultivation by contributing data-informed insights storytelling and briefings.

Support Research Activities on Funded Projects

• Oversee or advise on selectresearch activitiesensuring methodological quality and alignment with JFFs priorities.

• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to co-design studies

• Synthesize and share findings with internal and external audiences to drive learning and influence the field.

Who You Are

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as aguideand we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selectingout of potentialprofessional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring tothe work.

• Experienced researcher and systems thinker with at least 12years of experience in applied research evaluation or data strategy within education workforce or social impact settings.

• Skilled in both quantitative and qualitative research and analysis withdemonstratedability to design and interpret surveys analyze large datasets and synthesize qualitative data (e.g. interviews focus groups open-ended feedback) into actionable insights.

• Experience with various data collection dataanalytic and data visualization tools ( DomoAlchemer SPSSetc).

• Adept at integrating mixed-methods findings and working with external research partners to tell cohesive stories about program impact and organizational learning.

• Demonstrated success leading enterprise-level data infrastructure or research systems that drive strategy and performance improvement.

• Deep understanding of impact measurement frameworks performance indicators and data governance practices.

• Experienced insolution research including concept testing user research market analysis and translating field insights intoviableproduct hypothesesis optional but a plus

• Ability to deal with ambiguity and manage multiple stakeholders

• Exceptional communicator who can translate complex data into compelling narratives for technical and non-technical audiences alike.

• Proven experience managing and mentoring high-performing teams and fostering inclusive collaborative and learning-oriented environments.

• Strong writing and proposal development skills with experience contributing to concept papers RFPs and funder deliverables.

• Commitment to JFFs mission ofequitableeconomic advancement and enthusiasm forleveragingdata and insights to drive measurable impact.

• Operates with a growth mindset andhigh creative and equity-centered with a disciplined yet flexible approach to execution.

• Is deeply aligned with JFFs mission vision and values and committed to advancing JFFs performance andpeoplemanagement principles in all aspects of your work.

What We Offer

At JFFwerefueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible and in return we provide a gratifying work experience competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.

JFF has offices in Boston Oakland and Washington DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time addition new employees receive office equipment as needed.

The hiring range for this role is$120000- $150000annually in alignment to JFFs Director II salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will bedeterminedbased on a combination of the new hires relevant experience and market demands.

To Apply

As part of your application please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter addressedtoNyema Mitchelloutlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position.

Weare acceptingapplications throughJune 12 2026.Applicationssubmittedby that date will bereviewedand candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by thefollowing week.

At JFFwerealso committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone including people with disabilities can fully access and engage with our application and hiring you are unable to complete this application due to a disabilityand/or have specificaccess/accommodation needsin order tofullyparticipatein our hiring process please contact usat.

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.