Job Description

Research & Analytics Associate

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the nation's largest independent foundations. The Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. We work on a few big bets that strive toward transformative change in areas of profound concern, including the existential threats of climate change, the challenges of criminal justice reform, revitalizing local news in the U.S., and corruption in Nigeria. In addition, we maintain enduring commitments in our hometown Chicago, where we invest in people, places, and partnerships to build a more inclusive Chicago and in journalism and media, where we invest in more just and inclusive news and narratives. We also make awards to extraordinarily creative individuals through the MacArthur Fellows program and for solutions to critical problems of our time through 100&Change.

The New Work Exploration team is responsible for researching, developing, and proposing new areas of grantmaking and ways of working for the Foundation. With direction from the Board and Foundation leadership, we source ideas internally and externally; explore them through research, convening, consultation, and grantmaking; develop initial strategic frameworks; and propose forms these ideas could take, whether short-term initiatives or longer-term programs. We collaborate with teams across the Foundation in pursuit of these goals. The Research & Analytics Associate supports the Foundation's efforts to identify and assess emerging areas for philanthropic investment. This person is a collaborative design thinker who will work closely with the Project Management Associate and the Program Development Officers in a dynamic environment analyzing and synthesizing quantitative and qualitative data to uncover actionable insights to help inform the development of new program strategies. This role is responsible for coordinating research activities, managing data analytics, data visualization tasks and projects, and supporting internal ideation and learning processes to support the identification, definition and case making for new areas of work. The ideal candidate combines strong project management and organizational skills with a passion for evidence-based, equity-centered social impact. This role is time-limited for an initial period of 5 years, with the possibility of an extension.

Research & Analytics

• Design and execute approaches to gather and organize data and research findings related to emerging issue areas using primary and secondary research methods
• Help commission and synthesize field scans, literature reviews, stakeholder input, and benchmarking studies
• Support quantitative and qualitative data analysis tasks, such as survey development, interview guide development, coding interviews, cleaning datasets, and producing charts or dashboards to present findings
• Support the identification and research about key leaders across a broad range of emerging and established fields, track social media, website, and publications of key institutions, individuals and programs, and provide summaries and updates on relevant issues

Stakeholder Engagement & Coordination

• Facilitate communication and knowledge sharing with external researchers, grantees, and field experts to ensure timely delivery of insights
• Help to coordinate convenings, workshops, or feedback loops that supports adaptive learning and iteration and share learning across teams or with external audiences
• Support coordination among cross-functional teams, consultants, and external partners for knowledge gathering and management for each priority area of new work exploration

Data Visualization & Insights

• Support the visualization of data and information in the form of memos, slide decks, and reports to communicate progress internally and externally, and/or aid decision makers by offering key insights and evidence to support sense-making about future strategic directions
• Collaborate with colleagues in Evaluation and Learning to track progress against exploratory learning goals and evaluation frameworks

Management & Organization

• Effectively manage timelines, deliverables, and logistics for research projects
• In partnership with the Project Management Associate and Program Development Officers, maintain internal knowledge repositories, including databases of contacts and experts, to ensure insights are accessible and well-documented
• Support the director and administrator to estimate and monitor budgets and reporting requirements related to research activities

Learning & Growth Mindset

• Self-confident with humility, diplomatic and collegial, with high professional standards and good judgment
• Curious and with a demonstrated interest in learning about a broad range of social issues, public policy, collaboration, and philanthropic approaches

Other duties and responsibilities:

• Lead special projects such as managing time-limited project teams or working groups, or to support particular cross-Foundation projects that may arise
• Attend webinars, meetings, and conferences as requested, and provide written notes and feedback

The position is hybrid and based in Chicago, Illinois.

Annual salary for this role will start at $89,500. We offer a generous total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and a comprehensive benefits package to support your life, health, and well-being.

The work environment is an office setting. Intermittent physical activities will include bending, reaching, sitting, and moving around the office during working hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a person with physical disabilities to perform the job.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in public policy, social sciences, nonprofit management, social sector consulting, research methods, or a related field
• 3+ years of relevant experience in project management, research administration, or analytics support, preferably in consulting, client-serving business, philanthropy, nonprofits, or public administration
• Excellent research skills and a well-developed ability to find, review, synthesize, evaluate, and translate qualitative research findings into relevant insights
• Ability to outline and manage research and writing projects and collaborate with staff at all levels in cross-functional teams
• Self-starter, detail-oriented with strong organizational skills who can manage multiple tasks, work independently and with a team to adapt and respond quickly to opportunities
• Ability to present information graphically and creatively
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills to produce memos, briefs, and share insights
• Familiar with and excited to learn and use research tools to lead qualitative and quantitative data analysis (e.g., Excel, Tableau, ArcGIS, NVivo, Qualtrics, Airtable)
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite; experience or ability to learn and use tools like Asana or Power B

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting short-term research or learning initiatives within think tanks, academia, think tanks, or nonprofits
• Ability to translate multiple sources of data into clear, actionable insights
• Familiarity with grantmaking and knowledge management tools
• Collaborative, adaptable, and committed to equity-driven work

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