Strategic Research Manager

About Understood

Understood is a nonprofit focused on shaping the world for difference. We raise awareness of the challenges and strengths of people who learn and think differently. Our resources help people navigate challenges, gain confidence, and find support and community so they can thrive.

Having a shared commitment to our values is a key factor in any hire we make. We have five core values:

1. Continuously learn.
2. Act with intention.
3. Champion difference.
4. Inspire change.
5. Grow together.

Come be part of an organization with an entrepreneurial spirit that’s helping to shape the world for difference. Together, we can build a world where everyone can reach their full potential.

To learn more about Understood, please visit: www.understood.org.

Who you are

To advance Understood’s mission and to further our impact, we’re hiring a Strategic Research Manager, reporting to our Associate Director of Ecosystem Research. The ideal candidate will have experience in doing research to inform business strategy, leveraging secondary desk-research. A majority of your research will focus on supporting Understood with some engagement with our partner venture capital fund. This role requires identifying insights, trends, opportunities and sharing how it applies to the business. You will perform both scholarly and industry research, analyzing and interpreting information from a variety of sources, from published studies to journal articles. You will contribute to our evolving view at the intersection between impact as a non-profit and the commercial nature of for-profit partners.

You are a storyteller and have the ability to consume lots of information, distill it, and birth a powerful insight. You have an understanding of both the social impact and market space. You enjoy leveraging business acumen to solve social impact problems. You are a self-starter who loves to multi-task and go above and beyond. You “roll up your sleeves,” ready to support all types of projects. You have an innate curiosity to want to understand people, culture and the world.

What you’ll do

• Scour the internet and use every avenue possible - owned tools, secondary research and scholarly research - to identify competitors, industry trends, and potential impact
• Support and conduct varied desk-research methods, from product landscape analyses to literature reviews
• Assist the venture fund in activities related to potential portfolio investments, producing impact assessments and competitors reviews
• Develop thought leadership pieces for external consumption when relevant
• Contribute to the production of high-quality, business-driven insights for many teams (marketing, product, partnerships, external research, and more)

Must-haves

• Working knowledge of the for-profit landscape across industries such as education, tech, health, and mental health, etc.
  • 1-2 years of industry or start-up experience, in a business setting
  • 1-2 years experience doing research (non-academic)
• Some understanding of business and impact frameworks and models
• Capability to build strong relationships with colleagues across the organization
• You are a strong critical thinker, insight miner and creative problem solver
• Ability to distill many sources of information into impactful summaries
• Committed to embodying and being a steward of our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

Nice-to-haves

• You have a think-on-the-spot mentality and are open to adapting and improving research processes to meet research needs
• Experience developing ways to build repositories that sort and categorize knowledge
• Comfort in basic automation like transferring information from online journal databases to excel sheets or creating notifications for media alerts
• Experience with manipulating AI-chat bots to glean high-level information
• Some visual presentation design skills to help tell the story of your insights

The base salary range for this role is minimum $80,000-$95,000 maximum, depending on years of experience and qualifications. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports wellness for our team members and their families. You can learn more about our benefits and offerings.

Understood.org does not sponsor applicants for work visas or legal permanent residence, including providing assistance with STEM OPT extensions.

Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Understood encourages individuals of all learning styles and ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, including those whose life experiences may include the challenge of access due to a disability, to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization, as we want to engage all those who can contribute to supporting this work.

Understood is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, alienage or citizenship status, marital or familial status, domestic partnership status, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, change of sex or transgender status, genetic information, medical condition, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, physical or mental disability (where the applicant or employee is qualified to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation), any protected military or veteran status, or status as a victim of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault or offense, stalking, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local law or that of persons with whom that individual associates, or any other legally protected characteristics.

For additional information on learning and thinking differences, including ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, executive function challenges, nonverbal learning disabilities, processing issues, and more, please visit www.understood.org.

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