Research Manager

The Effective Institutions Project (EIP) is seeking a Research Manager who will implement the organization’s  research vision and agenda, design and oversee targeted research projects, and manage EIP’s learning infrastructure and knowledge management operations. We seek a strong analytical thinker and excellent communicator who is passionate about the challenge of navigating large and complex organizational systems in search of meaningful opportunities for societal benefit.

About the Effective Institutions Project

The Effective Institutions Project is a philanthropic advisory and research organization that seeks out and incubates high-impact strategies to improve institutional decision-making around the world. We analyze how and in what ways institutions’ decisions influence people’s lives, study how key institutions make decisions, identify interventions that might help those institutions take actions that will lead to better global outcomes, and mobilize talent and resources to execute on the most promising interventions. All the while, we are building an interdisciplinary network of reformers to share insights, coordinate efforts, and increase the odds of success over time.

In the past year, our team has undertaken research to identify the world’s most important institutions, completed in-depth research reports on Google and the US National Security Council, and established the EIP Innovation Fund to help build the field of institution-focused philanthropy. Based on our progress to date, we think it’s realistic to imagine that in the next few years EIP’s research could inform tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in spending to improve global institutional effectiveness and help shape the decisions of 100s to the low 1000s of people crafting policy, consulting, nonprofit leadership, and tech industry careers. Our theory of change is that those funding and career choices will increase the odds that important institutions take beneficial actions like implementing new policies to help avert or mitigate future global crises, increasing the budgets and effectiveness of global health and anti-poverty programs, and taking steps to increase accountability to all living beings impacted by their decisions. 

About the role

The Research Manager will implement the organization’s  research vision and agenda, design and oversee targeted research projects, and manage EIP’s learning infrastructure and knowledge management operations. The work is fast-paced and highly varied, reflecting EIP’s young history and ambitious mission. The position carries with it significant potential for professional growth and impact as the organization matures and continues to build out its capabilities. 

In this role, you can expect to:

• Help shape EIP’s research vision, strategy and agenda in close collaboration with EIP’s Executive Director and strategic advisors. This includes providing input into the selection of priority focus areas, planning and sequencing research projects, and overseeing research teams.
• Commission and manage research projects on specific institutions in accordance with the research priorities above by seeking out, engaging, and serving as primary point of contact for relevant experts on the institutions in question.
• Lead updates to EIP’s landscape analysis of institutional improvement opportunities, including formalizing our methodology for estimating the impact of an institution’s decisions.
• Stay up-to-date with relevant research and developments on key institutions, selected policy issues, institutional design and governance paradigms, organizational behavior, and other relevant fields. Synthesize and communicate key insights internally and externally as appropriate.
• Oversee EIP’s knowledge management and organizational learning systems, including maintaining an airtight process for collecting and synthesizing knowledge from disparate sources.
• Recruit, manage and mentor high-performing research analysts, fellows and external collaborators and ensure that they have what they need to succeed.
• Lead outreach to experts on key policy issues and program areas to build relationships in support of our mission.
• Draft and refine EIP knowledge products including policy proposals, reports, funder guides, and other materials.

Ideal profile

Our ideal candidate will have most if not all of the following:

• Innate intellectual curiosity and a passionate drive to understand social and organizational systems in all of their complexity
• An uncommon ability to distill complex information signals from a vast and diverse knowledge base into actionable recommendations
• Excellent organizational skills, reliability, and attention to detail
• Strong epistemic rigor and reasoning transparency
• Clear verbal and written communication in English
• Relevant content expertise on issues and/or institutions we care about, e.g. US government, big tech companies, multilateral institutions, global catastrophic risks,  global health and development, institutional design, or other relevant fields
• Relevant work experience involving collaborating with research teams, identifying research questions, synthesizing information, and translating insights for policy and practice
• A strong ethical compass and motivation to work toward the benefit of others, both today and in the future

In addition, the following strengths are highly desirable but not required:

• Past experience working for or with one or more of the top-ranked institutions identified in EIP’s most recent landscape analysis
• Leadership and management experience, including implementing strategic visions, planning and overseeing complex projects, building partnerships, and managing high-performing teams
• Experience in forecasting or journalism, and facility with social media
• Facility and experience with quantitative reasoning, cost-effectiveness analysis, and/or wellbeing economics

If you’re excited about this role but are unsure if you fit the criteria, we would love to have you apply anyway. 

Compensation and benefits

This position is remote and can be based anywhere in the world. For a US-based candidate, we expect the salary to be approximately $75,000 per year with benefits including paid time off, reimbursement for health insurance (individual or family plan), and a 5% 401(k) employer contribution on top of your salary. We are also open to candidates from other countries, and we will try our best to offer an equivalent compensation package regardless of location. 

To apply

We are hoping to fill this role by the end of June 2023 and to have the candidate start soon afterwards. To be considered for this role, please complete this form by Monday, May 22.

Note: the application form requires a Google account in order to upload your resume. If you don’t have a Google account, feel free to email your materials and answers to the application questions, following all character limits, to neil@eahire.org. A cover letter is not required.

Effective Institutions Project is committed to building a diverse applicant pool. We strongly encourage interested candidates to apply regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, physical ability, educational background, socioeconomic status, etc.