Director, Professional Research & Evaluation Services

Position Summary

The Director, Research & Evaluation Services provides leadership for the development and delivery of National University’s externally facing research, evaluation, and advisory services. This role is responsible for growing and sustaining a portfolio of client engagements that advance both institutional priorities and community impact. Working closely with university leadership and external partners, the Director shapes service offerings, guides project design and delivery, and supports the long-term success of a scalable professional services model. The role combines strategic thinking, client engagement, project scoping and applied research expertise, with flexibility to adapt approaches across diverse contexts and partner needs.

Essential Functions

• Service Development & Engagement Leadership

• Collaborates with partners to understand needs and shape appropriate research, evaluation, or advisory solutions.
• Develops scopes of work, proposals, and engagement strategies.
• Supports the evolution of service offerings and delivery models over time.

• Portfolio Oversight & Delivery

• Provides oversight across multiple projects or engagements.
• Ensures high-quality, timely delivery of work products.
• Captures and tracks expenditures, staffing costs, and contribution margins.
• Maintains contract performance, resource utilization, and delivery risk.

• Client & Partner Relationships

• Builts and maintains strong relationships with external clients and community partners.
• Serves as a trusted advisor and point of contact across engagements.
• Serves as a liaison between the university and external partners.
• Serves as a key point of contact for clients and partners.
• Serves as a liaison between the university and external partners.
• Serves as a key point of contact for clients and partners.
• Serves as a key point of contact for clients and partners.
• Serves as a key point of contact for clients and partners.

• Strategy & Growth

• Contributes to the growth and sustainability of the professional services portfolio.
• Identifies opportunities to expand reach, impact, and revenue.
• Provides input into positioning, partnerships, and long-term development of the service model.

• People & Collaboration

• Works collaboratively with faculty, staff, and other contributors to support project delivery.
• Contributes to building a strong network of internal talent.
• Fosters a culture of quality, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Education & Experience

• Master’s degree required in a relevant field, Doctoral degree preferred.
• Eight plus (8+) years of experience in professional research, evaluation, and consulting.
• Demonstrated experience in scoping, proposal development, and client negotiations.
• Proven ability to manage multi-project portfolios.
• Supervisory or team leadership experience in applied or project-based environments.
• Experience within the higher-education industry preferred.

• Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills

• Synthesizes complex information, anticipates client needs, and guides decision-making with sound judgment and strategic insight.
• Builds trust and communicates effectively across diverse stakeholders.
• Manages multiple priorities and drives work forward.
• Strong command of research design, program evaluation models, and quantitative/qualitative methods.
• Applies research and evaluation concepts appropriately in real-world contexts.
• Works effectively across organizational boundaries.
• Understands financial drivers, pricing logic, and cost modeling to support sustainable, data-informed recommendations.
• Identifies opportunities to enhance processes, scalability, and service delivery; proactively recommends improvements.
• Able to recruit, develop, and manage diverse contributors.
• Demonstrates responsiveness, reliability, and a solutions-focused approach.
• Communicates complex or technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders, including senior leaders.
• Demonstrates maturity, tact, and strong interpersonal skills in sensitive or high-stakes situations.

Location

Remote, USA

Travel: up to 20% travel

Pay

Candidate receiving offers will be offered a salary/pay rate commensurate with experience that vary based on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and competencies. Absent exceptional circumstances, candidates will be offered a salary within this range for this position.

Benefits

Base pay is one component of National University’s total rewards package, as we are dedicated to supporting the needs of the “whole you” with our holistic approach to employee benefits by offering comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family. For full details about our benefit plan offerings, please visit benefits.nu.edu. For Part-time benefits, please click here.