Director - Research

The Director - Research will lead efforts to build a learning organisation, one that uses data, evidence, and reflection to drive decision-making, strategy, and impact across programs and partnerships. This role combines strategic vision with technical depth, guiding the design of research frameworks, monitoring systems, and learning agendas that generate actionable insights for both program improvement and systems influence. 

The Director will oversee the Research and LME vertical, build a strong team, and ensure that learning becomes a shared habit and mindset across the organisation and its partners. The ideal candidate is a systems thinker who sees beyond metrics, someone who connects stories with statistics, and uses both to shape practice and policy.

1. Strategic Leadership and Vision:

• Lead the development and implementation of the organisation's research and learning strategy, aligned with organisational goals and external partnerships.
• Position the organisation as a knowledge and learning leader in the ecosystem through evidence-based insights and thought leadership.
• Build a culture of reflective practice, inquiry, and data-informed decision-making across all teams and levels.
• Translate research findings into strategic insights that shape programs, influence stakeholders, and guide organisational learning.

• Oversee the design and execution of impact studies, evaluations, and research initiatives to assess effectiveness and drive program improvement.
• Develop and refine monitoring and learning systems that are adaptive, practical, and context-sensitive.
• Ensure the integration of quantitative and qualitative methodologies for a richer understanding of outcomes and experiences.
• Promote ethical, participatory, and inclusive research practices, ensuring dignity and agency in all data collection processes.

3. Learning for Systems Change:

• Collaborate with government and ecosystem partners to co-create learning agendas that support systemic improvement.
• Use data and learning to inform policy discussions, advocacy efforts, and program design at the state and national level.
• Develop knowledge products, insights briefs, working papers, case studies, and learning reports to share field-based evidence with external audiences.
• Facilitate regular learning spaces across the organisation to connect field experience, evidence, and strategy.

• Build and nurture partnerships with academic institutions, research organisations, and think tanks to advance the organisation's learning agenda.
• Represent the organisation in national and global forums, sharing insights and positioning the organisation as a credible thought partner.
• Support resource mobilization through evidence-driven storytelling, proposals, and impact narratives.
• Strengthen the organisation's role as a learning partner to governments, designing studies and systems that are sustainable and scalable.

5. Budget, Team Development & Leadership: 

• Responsible for the management and oversight of a significant organisational budget. Ensure the development and execution of the departments strategy is financially sustainable.
• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing Research & LME team, ensuring both technical excellence and strategic alignment.
• Foster collaboration across program, communication, and partnership teams for integrated learning cycles.
• Strengthen internal capacity for evidence-based thinking and adaptive management.

Requirements:

• Masters or Doctoral degree in Education, Development Studies, Public Policy, Economics, Social Research, or a related discipline. Doctoral degree strongly preferred.
• 15-20 years of experience in research, evaluation, or learning functions, with at least 5 years in a leadership capacity.
• Proven experience in managing large-scale research projects, ideally within government partnerships or social impact programs.
• A deep understanding and experience of working in either education, well-being systems, mental health, behavioural research, or adolescent health in India with the ability to effectively bridge policy and practice is strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical, conceptual, and writing skills with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly.
• Experience in building and leading teams and working in multi-stakeholder environments.