Senior Research Manager

Position Summary

Application Deadline: April 6th, 2025

Start date: As soon as possible

Hours: Full time

Location: Remote, with a preference for candidates based in India. If based in London, the ability to co-work from our office three days per week is required. We are currently unable to sponsor visas, but may be able to in the future.

Time Zone: Candidates must be located between UTC and UTC +6. Candidates outside this preferred range must be highly flexible with their work hours to ensure significant overlap with their team.

Language Requirements: Full professional proficiency in English

Salary: Competitive depending on location and experience

How to apply: Fill out this application form

Contact: hiring@leadelimination.org

About LEEP

LEEP is an impact-driven, evidence-based nonprofit that aims to eliminate childhood lead poisoning, which affects an estimated one in three children worldwide. We primarily focus on one important source of exposure: lead paint. Our paint programs involve generating data, supporting governments with the introduction and enforcement of regulation, and assisting manufacturers in switching to lead-free paints. Beyond our paint programs, we are piloting interventions to address other sources of lead exposure, such as spices and cosmetics.

Since our founding in September 2020:

• We have initiated lead paint elimination programs in 31 countries and completed paint studies in 18.
• We have agreed on goals to establish lead paint regulation with government agencies in 16 countries (e.g., in Angola).
• We have received reports in 10 countries of manufacturers representing more than 50% of the lead paint market share (in that country) reformulating to lead-free (e.g., in Pakistan).
• We have conducted a repeat paint study which showed more than a 50% reduction in lead paint market share since our initial study in Malawi.
• We have conducted lead in spices studies in Ethiopia and Türkiye.
• Founders Pledge estimates that it costs $1.66 to prevent one child’s lead exposure (in expectation) through our work, making LEEP one of its most cost-effective nonprofit recommendations. Our own analysis estimates that it costs under $5 to avert one DALYequivalent through LEEP’s first 13 established programs.
• We are a partner of the WHO and UN Environment Programme's Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, and a member of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, launched by USAID and UNICEF.
• We have received grants from major grantmaking organisations, including USAID, Founders Pledge, Open Philanthropy, and Schmidt Futures.
• We have appeared in Nature, Vox, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, Prospect, on the 80,000 Hours Podcast, at the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future launch on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly, and our co-founders were named in Vox’s Future Perfect 50.

About the Role

This is a rare opportunity to take a leading role in shaping LEEP’s future interventions. As the first Senior Research Manager at LEEP, you will play a key role in identifying, designing, and testing new strategies to eliminate lead exposure worldwide. You’ll work closely with the Director of Research and Strategy, building on LEEP’s success in lead paint elimination to explore and develop solutions for other major sources of lead poisoning such as spices and cosmetics.

This role is not just about managing research—it’s about figuring out what works. You will combine rigorous research with creative problem-solving to uncover high-impact interventions, working at the intersection of data, policy, and real-world implementation. You’ll design research strategies, run field studies, and synthesize insights that will directly shape LEEP’s expansion into new areas.

Since this is a newly created role, the Senior Research Manager will likely be hands-on in conducting fieldwork and managing research directly before additional staff are hired. This means overseeing data collection, engaging with government stakeholders, and solving logistical challenges in the early phases of new projects. Over time, the role will evolve into more of a management position as the research team expands.

The position’s location is flexible and you should enjoy international travel, as you will lead research activities in diverse contexts. This includes working closely with policymakers, advising on how to tailor evidence for different industry and government audiences, and fostering relationships to ensure research translates into effective lead exposure elimination policies.

You’ll be stepping into a high-growth, fast-moving environment where flexibility, initiative, and a passion for solving complex global health challenges are key.

Key Responsibilities

Developing & Testing New Interventions (50%)

• Design and oversee field studies, pilots, and data collection to assess the potential impact in addressing different sources of lead exposure and test intervention feasibility.
• Interpret research findings to refine intervention strategies and guide decision-making.
• Engage with policymakers and industry stakeholders to ensure research is actionable and drives real-world policy change.
• Hands-on involvement in early research phases, including setting up studies, hiring and training field teams, and troubleshooting field logistics.

Leading Research Strategy & Execution (30%)

• Use research findings across projects and refine impact models to inform LEEP’s allocation of resources across sources and locations.
• Develop and implement research strategies to maximize impact, by balancing methodological rigor with practical constraints.
• Develop protocols to ensure high-quality data collection, analysis, and synthesis across research projects.
• Oversee research associates and partners to ensure consistency and quality in data collection.

Collaboration & Organizational Growth (20%)

• Work closely with senior leadership to align research with LEEP’s strategic goals.
• Contribute to scaling LEEP’s impact by refining research processes and identifying key partnerships.
• Engage with funders, policymakers, and global health experts to communicate findings and shape policy.
• Support hiring and onboarding of new research staff as the team expands.

Who We’re Looking For

Must-Have Skills & Experience

• Strategic decision-making: Ability to set priorities, allocate resources, and make informed choices that balance ambitious goals with feasibility.
• Strong quantitative research skills, including expertise in designing and implementing field data collection, advanced statistical analysis, and evaluating interventions using empirical causal inference methods.
• Entrepreneurial mindset: Comfortable navigating uncertainty, generating new ideas, and making things happen.
• Experience conducting policy-relevant research and translating findings into actionable recommendations.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to balance rigor with real-world implementation.
• Comfort working in fast-moving, unstructured environments.
• Ability to build relationships with government officials, industry leaders, and researchers.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information clearly.
• Willingness to be hands-on in early project phases, including fieldwork, data collection oversight, and logistics management.
• Experience working in and willingness to travel to low- and middle-income countries 8 to 12 weeks a year.

Preferred but Not Required

• Familiarity with public health, environmental health, or policy research.
• Proficiency in additional languages (Hindi, French, Spanish, Portuguese etc.).

Work Environment

Our culture is one of genuine care for each other and passion for our work and its impact. We are a team that values collaboration, openness, and mutual support, which creates an environment where everyone can thrive while contributing to meaningful work. Though we are a remote team, we are supportive and close-knit. We stay connected through weekly team calls and 1:1 calls, where we have conversations about both non-work and work topics; we regularly share photos and celebrate milestones and successes in our Slack; and we come together annually for an in-person retreat to strengthen relationships and reflect on our mission.

Our team of 19 people is based across five continents and speaks over 10 languages. We have diverse expertise, from medicine to environmental health to international law.

Our work schedule is flexible. Some of the team work 9-5:30, and some adjust their daily schedule around school pick-up. We value work-life balance and rarely contact the team members outside their work hours.

LEEP offers:

• A chance to have a very large positive impact on the world
• 33 days of paid leave
• Generous sick leave and parental leave policies
• 4% pension contribution or equivalent salary match