Director, Research Discovery & Design

About EAB

At 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 employees by checking out our recent awards.

For more information, visit our Careers page.

The Role in Brief:

Director, Research & Strategic Advisory Services

Focus Area: Dynamic Strategy

Directors on our Strategic Advisory Services team (within the Research Discovery & Design division) develop the ideas, products, and services that help higher education executives navigate the major strategic, management, and operational issues facing the industry 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 advisory services for partner organizations, including on-site workshops, executive roundtable events, diagnostic tools, and strategy briefs. You will also be a valued expert to EAB partner organizations, advising them on strategy and best practice implementation.

We currently have two openings that sit within our Dynamic Strategy pillar, which focuses on the most complex and urgent challenges facing college and university presidents, boards of trustees, and chief strategy officers. The Dynamic Strategy team is responsible for EAB's annual State of the Sector research, which scans the higher education landscape for the biggest issues and opportunities worthy of our partners' attention, as well as our support of institutional strategic planning and change management efforts.

A successful candidate for this position will:

* Bring exceptional judgment and professionalism, with the ability to communicate complex ideas succinctly and confidently in executive conversations

* Be energized by intellectual challenge and motivated by results, showing initiative, adaptability, and follow-through in fast-moving settings

* Bring the mindset of a strategic advisor, not just a researcher, combining analytical rigor with a deep understanding of institutional strategy, governance, and market dynamics

* Possess a business- and product-oriented mindset, contributing to EAB's product strategy and identifying opportunities to strengthen our market position

* Be eager to shape EAB's thought leadership, getting smart on a wide variety of topics quickly (e.g., demographic and enrollment trends, economic and labor force dynamics), developing distinct points of view on key issues (e.g., university governance, strategic differentiation), and contributing to strategic and intellectual debates with peers and senior leaders

* Have experience beyond academic research and publications to include consulting, client-responsive projects, or advisory work that translates insights into strategy and action

This role can be based in Washington D.C. and is also open to remote candidates in the continental U.S. The position may require occasional travel (up to approximately 10%) for presenting research findings to our partners as well as facilitating strategy sessions.

Primary Responsibilities:

Directors lead 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. Directors provide intellectual leadership and analytical direction throughout all stages of the 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. Direct and/or indirect staff management is also a component of the position.

• Lead start-to-finish projects, including strategic and root cause analyses, inductive and deductive reasoning, qualitative interviewing, and hypothesis generation and testing
• Formulate and defend original points of view
• Synthesize complex ideas into actionable insights for executive audiences
• Use persuasive writing, storytelling, and graphics to communicate ideas and create polished deliverables (e.g., presentations, briefings)
• Manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including EAB executives and campus leaders
• Lead project teams and manage deadlines in fast-paced, evolving contexts
• Conduct market-sizing, testing calls, and product design analysis for new research and product enhancements
• Collaborate with individual project leads, subject matter experts, and delivery teams to ensure that deliverables are designed for scalable execution and interactive partner engagement
• Coach junior-level researchers by developing analytical skills, providing actionable feedback, and managing workloads
• Deliver initial services and presentations to executive-level clients and leadership teams

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree, with an excellent academic record
• 7-9+ years of post-Bachelor's work experience
• Willingness to travel up to 10%
• Experience with at least two of the following:




• Management or strategy consulting
• Strategic planning
• Conducting long-term strategy research (at least 3 months in duration)
• Conducting primary and secondary research
• Higher education knowledge and expertise

Ideal Qualifications:

• Advanced degree or equivalent experience demonstrating strategic, analytical, and business problem-solving capability (MBA, MPP, JD, PhD, or similar)
• Academic background or professional experience reflecting strength in quantitative reasoning, economics, data interpretation, and/or policy analysis
• Experience working in a team environment, as well as independently and autonomously in ambiguous and fast-changing contexts
• Proven ability to communicate effectively with senior executives in both oral and written formats
• Commercial and product intuition, including experience linking ideas to market opportunities, competitive differentiation, and portfolio positioning
• Experience with solution-focused and creative problem solving
• Experience working with clients in a consultative or advisory role, ideally within business, policy, or education sectors
• 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 this role is $100,000 - $125,000 per year. Actual salary varies due to factors that may include but not be limited to relevant experience, skills, and location. At EAB, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the starting salary range for their role.

This hire will additionally be eligible for discretionary bonus or incentive compensation. Variable compensation may depend on various factors, such as individual and organizational performance.

Benefits:

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 opportunities

Benefits 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.