About the Role:The Manager, Research Operations & Strategic Delivery oversees the operational management and execution of the Custom Research and Strategic Research Partnerships portfolio, supporting research project delivery, analyst development, resource planning, data analysis and reporting, operational reporting, and continuous improvement efforts across Strategic Research Partnerships and Custom Research initiatives.
This role provides day-to-day leadership for research operations and collaborates closely with the Managing Director to implement strategic priorities through effective project execution, portfolio coordination, analytic support, and operational planning. The Manager helps ensure research initiatives are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with organizational objectives while maintaining high standards for data quality, analytical rigor, collaboration, and stakeholder satisfaction.
The position is responsible for supporting research delivery processes, workforce planning, operational governance, data analysis and visualization, and performance monitoring that enable the organization to effectively manage a growing portfolio of strategic partnerships, grant-funded projects, and applied research engagements. The Manager contributes to the development of scalable processes, tools, and practices that improve operational effectiveness, strengthen analytical capabilities, enhance delivery consistency, and support organizational growth and mission advancement.
Currently, this is a remote-first position, and this position may be required to periodically work on-site at our office and the frequency would depend on the department/division's requirements. Therefore, candidates must either reside within a reasonable distance to commute to our office or be willing to travel to our office in Herndon, when required.
How You Contribute:- Manage the day-to-day delivery of Custom Research projects and Strategic Research Partnership initiatives, ensuring work progresses according to approved scope, timelines, budget expectations, and stakeholder requirements.
- Monitor project status, milestones, dependencies, and risks; coordinate issue resolution and escalate concerns that may impact delivery.
- Conduct and support quantitative analysis for Custom Research, Strategic Research Partnerships, grant-funded initiatives, and other applied research projects, including data extraction, transformation, validation, aggregation, and interpretation.
- Develop, implement, and maintain project management frameworks, delivery processes, templates, and documentation standards to support consistent execution across research initiatives.
- Partner with Research, Data, Technology, and Quality Assurance teams to coordinate project activities and ensure deliverables meet established quality, methodological, and compliance standards.
- Evaluate project performance, stakeholder feedback, and operational metrics to identify and implement process improvements that enhance delivery effectiveness and efficiency.
- Evaluate and recommend tools, technologies, and workflow enhancements that support project execution, resource management, reporting, and collaboration.
- Ensure project teams maintain appropriate documentation, reporting, approvals, and project controls throughout the project lifecycle.
- Coordinate project intake, prioritization, and resource planning activities to align project commitments with available capacity and organizational priorities.
- Manage analyst assignments and capacity planning across strategic partnerships, grant-funded initiatives, and custom research engagements to balance workload and delivery needs.
- Monitor portfolio performance through milestone tracking, operational metrics, utilization reporting, and risk assessments.
- Maintain visibility into current and future project pipelines, resource demands, and staffing needs to support operational planning and decision-making.
- Provide recommendations regarding project priorities, staffing allocations, workload balancing, and resource utilization.
- Support budget forecasting, resource planning, and operational decision-making through analysis of portfolio performance, utilization trends, and project outcomes.
- Develop and maintain portfolio dashboards, operational reports, and key performance indicators to communicate project status, resource capacity, and delivery performance, research outputs, data quality, and portfolio outcomes; analyze trends and translate findings into recommendations for leadership decision-making.
- Establish and maintain standard operating procedures, project governance practices, workflow documentation, and research delivery standards.
- Assess operational risks, project dependencies, and delivery constraints and develop mitigation strategies to minimize disruptions to project outcomes.
- Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, scalability, service quality, and transparency through process enhancements and workflow optimization.
- Ensure operational processes support effective management of research partnerships, grant-funded projects, philanthropic initiatives, and custom research engagements.
- Collaborate with Strategic Partnerships, Philanthropy, Sales, Finance, Legal, Product, Technology, Quality Assurance, and Research Center teams to support project planning and successful delivery outcomes.
- Provide operational expertise during project scoping, proposal development, partnership planning, and contract discussions.
- Coordinate staffing plans and resource allocation across multiple research programs and partnership initiatives.
- Partner with business leaders to operationalize new research services, partnership models, and strategic initiatives through established delivery processes and implementation plans.
- Communicate project status, priorities, resource needs, risks, and delivery expectations to stakeholders and leadership.
- Represent Research Operations in cross-functional planning meetings and provide recommendations to support effective execution and operational decision-making.
- Partner with the Managing Director to implement departmental priorities, operational plans, and strategic initiatives.
- Contribute to departmental planning, process improvement, workforce planning, and operational readiness efforts.
- Evaluate operational challenges and recommend practical solutions that improve efficiency, quality, and project outcomes.
- Support change management and implementation efforts associated with new processes, technologies, services, and organizational priorities.
- Promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement across the Research Operations team.
Workforce Management:- Demonstrate the management and/or senior leadership competencies:
- Management Competencies: Making Complex Decisions, Being Flexible and Adaptive, Build Collaborative Relationships, Focusing on Performance, and Optimizing Diverse Talent.
- Senior Leadership Competencies: Balances Stakeholders, Cultivates Innovation, Drives Vision and Purpose, Strategic Mindset, and Understanding the Business.
- Build a team-based environment that aligns with company values, ways of working, and competencies.
- Ensure employees comply with company policies, procedures and regulations, while meeting established goals.
- Recruit and select the best talent to help optimize skills and experiences.
- Motivate and manage staff to maximize productivity and efficiency.
- Provide direction to team members, including feedback to support personal and career development and ongoing improvement.
- Develop and manage career development and advancement and define and monitor training and development plans to support job and career satisfaction.
- Coach, mentor, and ensure staff are adequately trained and provide guidance, as needed.
- Monitor and provide feedback on performance including annual reviews, rewards, and compensation structure.
- Reward employees using formal and informal methods.
Position may be required to perform other duties as required. These essential functions are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
What You Bring to the Table:- Bachelors degree in business, data analytics, project management, research administration, public administration, or a related field. A combination of education and experience including military service will also be considered.
- 6 years of progressively responsible experience in research operations, program management, portfolio management, project management office (PMO) operations, strategic initiatives, or related operational functions.
- 3 years of leadership experience that includes responsibility for supervising staff, leading teams, or managing complex cross-functional projects, programs, or operational initiatives.
- Strong knowledge of portfolio management, research operations, program delivery, and project management principles, methodologies, and best practices.
- Knowledge of operational governance, performance measurement, resource management, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Ability to develop, implement, and enhance operational processes, workflows, delivery practices, and performance standards.
- Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate information, identify risks, and recommend practical solutions.
- Strong quantitative and analytical skills with demonstrated experience working with large, complex datasets.
- Proficiency with R, SAS, or comparable statistical or analytical programming tools for data preparation and analysis.
- Experience with data extraction, transformation, validation, aggregation, and quality assurance.
- Advanced proficiency with Excel and experience using data visualization and business intelligence platforms such as Power BI or Tableau.
- Ability to translate research questions and business needs into data requirements, analytical approaches, metrics, and actionable insights.
- Familiarity with data governance, privacy, security, and responsible data-use practices, particularly when working with sensitive education, workforce, or individual-level data.
- Demonstrated business acumen and ability to align operational activities with organizational objectives.
- Excellent verbal, written, facilitation, and presentation skills.
- Ability to build collaborative relationships, influence stakeholders, and achieve alignment across teams.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, initiatives, and operational priorities.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to coach, develop, and motivate employees while fostering accountability and engagement.
- Ability to navigate ambiguity, adapt to changing priorities, and support organizational change initiatives.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment and make informed decisions in a dynamic environment.
- Proficiency with project management, reporting, collaboration, and business productivity tools.
- Demonstrates the Clearinghouse's core competencies: customer focus, optimizes work processes, communicates effectively, collaborates, and is open and authentic.
- Must live within a commutable distance to Herndon, VA or in one of the Clearinghouse's approved States for hiring purposes. Refer to our HR Policies Page, located on our Careers site at https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/careers/human-resource-policies/, for more details.
- Must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. We do not intend to sponsor external applicants for work visas, and may consider sponsorship only if no qualified candidates can be found who are authorized to work without sponsorship.
- Must be at least 18 years old.
Additional Desired Qualifications - Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA), Public Administration (MPA), Higher Education Administration, Project Management, Data Analytics, Research Administration, or a related field.
- Experience working in higher education, education research, philanthropy, nonprofit, or other mission-driven organizations.
- Experience supporting applied research programs, strategic research partnerships, consulting engagements, or research service organizations.
- Experience with grant-funded research initiatives, philanthropic partnerships, externally funded programs, or other complex multi-stakeholder research initiatives.
- Knowledge of postsecondary education data, workforce outcomes research, education policy, student success, or related education research domains.
- Experience implementing scalable operational practices, tools, or technologies within a growing research, analytics, or professional services environment.
- Project Management Professional (PMP), Agile, Lean Six Sigma, or related certification.
Physical Demands:- Use of a computer for 8 or more hours a day.
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