Manager, Policy Research

Who We Are

Independent Sector (IS) is the nation’s membership organization for nonprofits and philanthropy. Our vision is for a charitable sector that is healthy, trusted, and equitable and helps all people in the United States thrive in a vibrant civil society and just democracy. We unite nonprofits and philanthropy to strengthen the charitable sector, identifying structural challenges and mobilizing around policy and practice solutions. Independent Sector aims for a sector where charitable organizations are financially robust; powered by a thriving workforce that reflects the communities they serve; trusted, well-governed, and effective; and informed and active advocates.

This is an exciting time for IS. In 2023, we welcomed Dr. Akilah Watkins, the first woman of color to lead IS as president and CEO. Throughout 2023, we led a national listening tour in various cities to hear directly from organizers, funders, and institutional leaders on the challenges and opportunities our sector faces. We are now fully focused on delivering cutting-edge research, actionable policy solutions, and dynamic programming to strengthen and advance our mission.

Driven by the deep recognition of our impact, our organization is growing to meet the need for our services. At IS, we are seeking passionate individuals with a deep understanding of the social sector and a commitment to strengthening nonprofit institutions that, in turn, strengthen our nation. We deeply value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we welcome those who bring their whole selves to our work. In this role, you will have a unique opportunity to shape the future of our team and our sector. If you are ready to make a meaningful impact, drive transformative change, and lead with purpose and passion, we invite you to join us in advancing this critical mission.

Summary

The Manager, Policy Research will be an integral part of Independent Sector’s research team, managing research projects and contributing to research and analysis tasks.

Our research provides the empirical backing that informs and guides the work of Independent Sector while facilitating shared understandings with IS member organizations, the rest of the nonprofit sector, and policymakers. We do this by commissioning and publishing original research and by bringing together researchers and practitioners for constructive dialogues to strengthen the work of the sector.

Much of our research assesses the health of the nonprofit/charitable sector as regards four things that Independent Sector believes must be true for the sector to succeed in the vital roles it plays in American society:

• Charitable organizations must be financially robust.
• Charitable organizations must be powered by a thriving workforce that reflects the communities we serve.
• Charitable organizations must be trusted, well-governed, and effective.
• Charitable organizations must be informed and active advocates, as allowed by law.

The Manager, Policy Research will manage research projects connected to the health of the nonprofit workforce and equity in the workforce, including a literature review and landscape analysis as well as a commissioned national survey of nonprofit organizations. The incumbent will also manage and support other projects as the organization's strategic priorities evolve.

Essential Job Functions

Research Project Management:

• Manage a commissioned national survey of nonprofit organizations, including development, implementation, and analysis of findings, as well as other projects as assigned.
• Work with team members and other teams to ensure timely progress on research projects and related products.
• Stay up to date on relevant data sources, updates to data sources and research products, and new data sources and research.
• Foster relationships with staff in other departments and serve as a subject matter expert on IS and other nonprofit sector research related to assigned projects.
• Cultivate and manage ongoing relationships and partnerships with academic, research, practitioner, and funder organizations working on topics related to assigned projects

Applied Research:

• Undertake a literature review and landscape analysis to identify key trends, challenges, and opportunities in the nonprofit workforce.
• Identify, review, synthesize, and analyze academic and policy research on a wide range of nonprofit issues, including but not limited to the nonprofit workforce.
• Contribute to the creation of research products tailored to target audiences; includes writing research summaries, briefs, white papers, infographics, and one-pagers as well as the development of presentations.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative research or analysis, including literature reviews, surveys, and statistical analysis of government data.
• Provide equity analysis, check facts, proofread, and edit research documents for accuracy, both on assigned projects and when assisting other team members or teams.

Supervisory Responsibilities

None.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Experience and Education:

Bachelor’s degree in public policy, social sciences, nonprofit management, or a related field and at least 3-5 years of full-time experience managing research projects, or a high school diploma and 5+ years of full-time work experience relevant to the above fields and roles. A focus on nonprofit sector issues is strongly preferred.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to manage complex research projects, ensuring timely progress and quality outcomes.
• Experience fostering and maintaining partnerships with academics, researchers, and practitioners in the nonprofit sector.
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and coordinate efforts across departments.
• Strong proficiency in research methods, including quantitative and qualitative techniques.
• Exceptional writing skills, with experience creating research summaries, briefs, white papers, and presentations tailored to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated experience conducting literature reviews, landscape analyses, and surveys.
• Excellent attention to detail, with strong fact-checking, proofreading, and editing skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate complex information effectively to diverse audiences.
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office (or equivalent software), databases, and internet research.

Work Environment:

The work environment is a typical office environment. The noise level is usually quiet. Up to 10% travel may be required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

• Remaining in a stationary position, often sitting for prolonged periods
• Communicating with others to exchange information
• Repeating motions, like typing or answering a phone, that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers
• Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.