Director, Research and Strategic Advisory Services

Director, Research and Strategic Advisory Services

Focus Area: Higher Education Academic Innovation

Directors on our Strategic Advisory Services team (within the Research Discovery & Design division) help 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—executive roundtables, on‑campus workshops, webinars, and publications. You will also be a valued expert to partner organizations, advising them on strategy and best practice implementation.

This role is positioned within our Academic Innovation pillar, which focuses on urgent challenges facing today’s academic leaders such as program portfolio management, curricular and co‑curricular innovations, instructional efficiency and cost management, sponsored research, and faculty affairs (recruitment, workloads, rewards and recognition). The Academic Innovation team primarily supports provosts and academic deans, providing thought leadership, strategy guidance, tactical best practices, and hands‑on implementation support.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and 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
• 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
• Synthesize complex ideas into actionable insights for executive audiences
• Use persuasive writing, storytelling, and graphics to communicate ideas and information
• Manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• 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 deliverables are designed for scalable execution and interactive partner engagement
• Manage and coach junior‑level researcher staff by developing critical 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
• 6‑8+ 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
  • University/education 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)
• Majors and/or advanced degrees in education, economics, political science, data analytics, statistics or other quantitative fields preferred
• 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
• Experience with solution‑focused and creative problem solving
• Experience working with clients in a consultative or advisory role, ideally within business 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

Compensation

The anticipated starting salary (base) range for this role is $90,000 - $125,000 per year. Actual salary varies due to factors that may include but are not 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

• 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

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.