Research Manager – Education

Job Summary:

The Research Manager will manage and contribute to the design and implementation of a portfolio of education-focused research initiatives under the direction of Professor Asim Ijaz Khwaja and the Associate Director of Research. Working across multiple projects at various stages of development, the role will contribute to the analytical and operational components of CID’s research, helping to translate faculty priorities into high-quality, policy-relevant outputs.

This position is designed as a hybrid role that combines rigorous data analysis with research management and project management responsibilities. The Research Manager will contribute directly to empirical research through data analysis, background research, and written outputs, while also managing the execution of projects through grant development, stakeholder coordination, and research administration processes. The role requires someone who can move fluidly between technical analytical work and project management, is comfortable working across multiple workstreams simultaneously, and can exercise good judgement and independent decision-making across these multiple functions.

Working closely with faculty, research staff, and external partners, the Research Manager will help ensure the successful delivery of research activities, support the development of new initiatives, and contribute to the dissemination of findings to academic and policy audiences. This position is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts and may require international travel as needed.

In addition to a strong research background, the successful candidate will have:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear and effective materials for a range of audiences, e.g.,drafting and editing policy-relevant outputs, including policy briefs, reports, presentations, or grant materials.
• Experience working with international partners, including governments, NGOs, or research institutions in low- and middle-income countries.
• Experience with grant development, budget coordination, and international project administration.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Research Analysis and Technical Contribution

• Clean, manage, document, and analyze large and complex datasets to support ongoing research projects, using Stata and AI-assisted coding tools (such as Claude Code).
• Develop and implement analytical approaches for empirical research projects, including designing survey instruments, responding to data requests, producing tables and data visualizations, and selecting research methodologies under the guidance of faculty and senior research staff.
• Independently identify and propose analytical approaches, robustness checks, and data needs to strengthen research design and the development of rigorous, policy-relevant insights.
• Conduct background research and literature reviews to inform research design and policy-relevant and academic outputs.
• Draft analytical content for reports, policy briefs, research papers, and other academic outputs.
• Oversee aspects of data collection and fieldwork activities, including coordination with partners, monitoring data quality, identifying implementation challenges, and recommending solutions to ensure research integrity and timely execution.

Research Management, Grants, and Project Coordination

• Manage day-to-day implementation of multiple research projects, including establishing timelines and priorities, managing deliverables, and coordinating across collaborators and stakeholders, exercising judgement to ensure effective execution of research activities with oversight from the Associate Director of Research.
• Develop initial drafts of grant proposals, including drafting proposal materials, compiling supporting documents, and coordinating inputs across teams.
• Manage post-award grant activities, including tracking deliverables, reporting requirements, and coordination with finance and research administration teams.
• Lead the development of IRB protocols and research compliance processes, including preparation, submission, and amendments in coordination with faculty and university offices.
• Lead research administration processes, including requesting and managing data use agreements, contracts, and other project-related documentation.
• Provide recommendations to faculty and project leadership regarding research operations, stakeholder engagement strategies, implementation planning, and project prioritization.

Stakeholder Coordination, Dissemination, and Strategic Support

• Manage relationships and engagement with external partners, including governments, NGOs, donors, and research collaborators, ensuring clear communication and timely delivery of project outputs.
• Write and edit policy briefs, donor reports, presentations, and other materials to enable dissemination of research to non-academic audiences.
• Lead the preparation and execution of convenings, workshops, and stakeholder meetings, including development of materials and post-event summaries.
• Develop analytical inputs and scoping analyses to inform new research initiatives, including synthesizing relevant evidence, and identifying potential data sources collaborators, and strategic opportunities in close collaboration with the Associate Director of Research.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in public policy, international development, economics, public administration, or a related field with significant coursework in quantitative and empirical methods (e.g., econometrics, statistics).
• Minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience in research, data analysis, or a related field (e.g., research assistant or associate roles).
• Demonstrated experience working with large datasets and conducting quantitative analysis using Stata or similar statistical software.
• Must be willing to travel internationally as needed.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Familiarity with empirical research methods, including randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental approaches.
• Experience supporting or managing research projects, including knowledge of research administration processes such as IRB and grant management.
• Previous experience in a quantitative research environment preferred.
• Proficiency in additional programming languages or tools (e.g., Python, R, SQL) and experience working with large or complex datasets.
• Familiarity with AI tools and workflows (e.g., LLMs, AI-assisted coding tools) and ability to apply them effectively in research and analytical tasks.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and external stakeholders across institutional and geographic contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, with strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Fluency in other languages such as Arabic, Urdu, Spanish, or French is valued.