Job Description
Job DescriptionDescription:
Title: Senior Manager, Research Design & Practice
Employee Status: Full Time Exempt
Salary: Grade 6
Starting range of $93,800 – $105,600 | Chicago
Reports to: Managing Director, Community Data Insights
Department: Social Impact Accelerator
Location: Chicago, IL
Hybrid: In office: T/W | WFH: M/Th/F
Department Function: The Social Impact Accelerator (SIA) develops and implements processes, systems, and structures to facilitate, coordinate, and hold IFF accountable for equity in practice, cross-functional collaboration, innovation, scaling of impact, and systems change. SIA comprises five interdependent functions: Strategic Insights; Strategic Response; Organizational Learning; Sector-Based Strategy; and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Organizational Learning leads the design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of processes, systems, and ways of working that enable IFF to be an organization that shares and applies learning garnered both through our external research and our internal evaluation and reflection to ensure deeper, more sustained impact for IFF, our customers, and the communities we serve.
The Organization
IFF is a mission-driven lender, real estate consultant, and developer that helps communities thrive. Key to our success has been a deep sense of purpose, a broad perspective, and a relentless focus on achieving positive results. Across the Midwest we help clients from every sector, including human service agencies, health centers, schools, affordable housing developers, and healthy food grocery operators. Staff contribute extensive business experience and an unrivaled connection to the mission of IFF to the clients we serve.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Partnering to create thriving communities is at the heart of everything we do. We leverage knowledge, capital, and resources to advance equitable and transformational outcomes in under-resourced communities, guided by our commitment to be an inclusive, anti-racist and anti-oppressive institution that honors communities as asset-rich and as experts in their own stories.
Basic Job Function
The goal of IFF’s Organizational Learning team is to transform IFF into an organization that facilitates shared and applied learning and, through systematic evaluation and reflection, continuously improves in response to the needs of our customers and the communities that we serve. We do this by:
- Guiding thoughtful design of strategic stakeholder research and learning plans
- Evaluating results of projects and programs and recommending iterative updates to IFF approaches
- Cultivating a learning and experimentation culture in IFF associates’ daily practices
- Architecting and building shared knowledge systems across IFF
- Gleaning insights and promoting best practices from IFF’s wealth of experience
The Senior Manager, Research Strategy & Practice is an outcomes-driven research, evaluation and learning who creates thoughtful approaches to project- and organization-level insights, as well as promoting a culture of learning- in-practice across IFF’s teams and offices.
IFF is looking for candidates with a commitment to the work we do who can demonstrate their creativity, diligence, enthusiasm, growth-mindset, thoughtfulness, and passion to make meaningful change in the areas of economic and racial justice.
Requirements:
Core Responsibilities:
1. Collaborates across the Social Impact Accelerator and IFF's Core Business Functions to design and execute interdisciplinary research & evaluation plans rooted in IFF's theory of change.
2. Provides guidance, design, and execution of replicable and scalable primary research on IFF customer projects, including community needs assessments.
3. Centers the voices of the organizations and communities that IFF serves in the learning design and execution process.
4. Performs cross-project reviews of literature (internal and external) and data analysis to derive and share learnings that can be applied across sectors, geographies, etc.
5. Facilitates collaborative insights-into-action sessions with IFF teams to create shared understanding and translate it into applied learning.
6. Contributes to the creation and rollout of shared knowledge systems and practices.
7. Demonstrates a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Promotes an environment of empathy and respect, ensures the inclusion of all team members, and will actively engage in EDI events and learning opportunities.
8. Perform other projects as assigned.
Performance Measures:
1. Demonstrates excellence in leading the design and execution of primary research and evaluation plans.
2. Demonstrates an adaptive, independent, and outcomes-driven approach to answering customer and internal IFF questions.
3. Is clear in written and verbal communication of research design considerations, proposal details, and results and recommendations to both internal and external audiences.
4. Models and promotes equity in learning and research practice.
5. Models and promotes documentation and knowledge sharing best practices.
6. Cultivates a culture of openness in information sharing. Encourages open communication, cooperation, and the sharing of knowledge.
7. Models personal accountability that promotes ownership and engagement.
8. Builds and maintains effective working relationships with colleagues, peers and team members.
9. Values and supports differences in others, contributing to an inclusive work environment. Demonstrates the ability and willingness to communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to create a collaborative, collegial, and caring community.
10. High level of satisfaction with both internal colleagues and external contacts.
Position Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor’s Degree required, or equivalent experience in a similar position.
Previous Experience:
- Seven years of experience leading customer, user experience, and/or evaluation research. This may include surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, online diaries, etc.
- Exposure to impact measurement and management, theories of change, and evaluation design.
- Experience conducting reviews of external sources (scholarly publications, news articles, external databases, etc.) and facilitating collaborative brainstorming and synthesis sessions
Additional Requirements: Regular travel throughout the Midwest region; occasional early start or extended hours and evening or weekend work.
Standard Benefits:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Paid time off
- 401(k) retirement plan with employer contribution
- Life Insurance
- Short and long term disability
Work-Life Balance Benefits:
- Hybrid workplace
- Summer Fridays
Employee Development Benefits:
- Professional development stipend
- Mentorship program
Miscellaneous:
- Wellness programs
- Employee assistance
- Referral Bonuses
IFF does not offer the following:
- relocation package
- 100% remote
- provide sponsorship to applicants who require or will require a work permit.
Check off only some boxes in the requirements listed above. Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every qualification. So, if you're excited about this role, we encourage you to apply.
Application Instructions: Please visit the Careers section of our website to apply online.
IFF values equity, diversity, and inclusion as part of its mission to strengthen nonprofits and the communities they serve. IFF is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building and maintaining a culturally diverse workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.