"Alerted.org

Hybrid

Salary range - $100k - $120k education and experience

Position Overview

New York Edge seeks a strategic, data-driven, and mission-aligned Director of Research and Evaluation (DRE) to lead the organization’s efforts in measuring and communicating program impact. The DRE will oversee evaluation strategies, ensuring that outcomes are effectively tracked, analyzed, and leveraged to inform decision-making, enhance program effectiveness, and communicate value to stakeholders. Additionally, the DRE will play a critical role in supporting the organization’s development efforts through grant writing and reporting for government contracts and private institutional funders.

This position is ideal for a seasoned professional with expertise in research, evaluation, organizational learning, and grantwriting—especially within youth-serving or education-focused nonprofits. The DRE will collaborate with the Data Manager and across departments to mine existing data and develop new ways to measure impact.

The DRE will also lead the development of a Theory of Change to ensure clear articulation of intended outcomes and pathways to impact.

Key Responsibilities Program Evaluation, Research, and Learning

+ Lead the strategy and implementation of New York Edge’s evaluation frameworks across all program areas.

+ Design and manage annual and multi-year evaluation plans aligned with organizational goals.

+ Oversee data collection, analysis, and reporting, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and alignment with past data for comparability.

+ Develop, refine, and manage high-quality survey instruments, particularly for key stakeholder groups such as parents.

+ Collaborate with program and data teams to ensure data integrity and usability.

+ Promote the application of evaluation findings to inform strategy, program design, and continuous improvement.

+ Set evaluation standards and maintain organization-wide tools, including logic models, theories of change, dashboards, and data mapping strategies.

+ Apply data mapping tools and methodologies using resources like ESRI, GIS platforms, and Census data to support equity-focused decision-making.

+ Produce high-quality internal and external reports, visualizations, and impact briefs tailored to various audiences.

Grant Writing and Funder Reporting

+ Participate in the strategic planning of funding opportunities including government contracts and private institutional grants.

+ Draft and contribute to grant proposals and supporting materials by drafting compelling narratives, incorporating data, outcomes, and impact.

+ Collaborate with the development and government partnership teams to align evaluation metrics with funder reporting requirements.

+ Lead the creation of funder reports, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and consistency in presenting impact and evaluation data.

+ Support the development of data-driven narratives and dashboards to strengthen fundraising and stakeholder engagement.

Strategic Leadership & Collaboration

+ Participate in the development of New York Edge’s organizational learning agenda, including key learning questions and outcomes tracking.

+ Collaborate with senior leadership to elevate strategic insights and integrate findings into planning and development.

+ Contribute to program design for new initiatives and pilots through evaluation planning and measurement frameworks.

+ Represent New York Edge in external forums, including conferences, partner convenings, and sector research initiatives.

Qualifications

+ Master’s degree required; advanced degree in education, public policy, psychology, sociology, or related field preferred.

+ Minimum of 8 years of experience in research, monitoring, and evaluation, preferably in youth development or education.

+ Expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods, including study design, instrument development, data analysis, and reporting.

+ Experience managing large-scale program evaluations and multi-stakeholder research initiatives.

+ Strong understanding of experimental and quasi-experimental evaluation designs and logic modeling.

+ Skilled in data visualization and communication of complex data in accessible ways.

+ Familiarity with tools like Salesforce, Tableau, SPSS/Stata/R, and survey platforms (e.g., Qualtrics).

+ Experience or familiarity with artificial intelligence (AI) applications in education, evaluation, or nonprofit contexts is a plus.

+ While experience with SPSS and SAS is beneficial, they are not required given the evolving AI and analytics landscape.

+ Familiarity with contract management systems such as PASSPort, Grants Gateway, CMS, or DYCD CONNECT.

+ Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams and drive strategic impact through evidence-based insights.

+ Excellent writing, presentation, and interpersonal skills.

Why Join New York Edge?

New York Edge is one of the largest providers of afterschool programming in NYC, serving thousands of students across the city. As the Director of Research and Evaluation, you’ll help shape the future of youth development by ensuring our programs are data-informed, effective, and aligned with the needs of the communities we serve.