Head of Research, Evaluation, and Insights

XQ Institute is the nation's leading organization dedicated to rethinking the high school experience so that every student graduates ready to succeed in life. We work in communities nationwide, with individual schools and entire school systems, to help them dream big about what high school could be, turn their innovative ideas into action, and create more rigorous and equitable schools.

The Opportunity

XQ Institute is seeking a Head of Research, Evaluation, and Insights to lead the development and execution of a rigorous research and evaluation agenda for the organization. Reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Policy, this role will collaborate across XQ’s Schools & Systems, Policy, Product & Design, and Community & Engagement teams to ensure the organization leverages high-quality data, evidence, and research to inform strategy and engage the public.

This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned research professional with proven experience designing and implementing research and evaluation strategies, a passion for creative approaches that deepen understanding of school and system performance, and an eagerness to test cutting-edge tools that advance educational transformation and student outcomes

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior thought partner across teams, ensuring evidence-based decision-making in product, policy, and advocacy.
• Represent XQ externally as a trusted voice on research, evidence, and data related to high schools and transformation efforts.
• Develop a framework for evaluating the performance and impact of XQ’s partner schools and school systems; oversee annual collection and analysis of data.
• Identify creative strategies to expand data sources and evidence to fill knowledge gaps and strengthen insights on school and system performance.
• Design and implement pilots that test cutting-edge tools and educational strategies, ensuring high-quality evaluation of outcomes.
• Share research insights internally to guide decision-making and partner with advocacy and communications teams to reach policymakers, educators, and communities.
• Launch and oversee targeted research projects on critical issues facing educators and policymakers in high school transformation.
• Leverage research and evaluation to surface opportunities and challenges in scaling high school transformation nationwide.
• Commission and manage vendors, contractors, and research partners to expand analytic capacity and deliver timely findings.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in research design, data analysis, and program evaluation, preferably in education or a related field.
• Advanced knowledge of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Proficiency with statistical analysis software and interest in leveraging artificial intelligence for research and evaluation.
• Demonstrated ability to translate research findings into actionable insights for diverse audiences.
• Experience managing external vendors, contractors, or research partners.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills.

Compensation

XQ offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employee health, well-being, and financial security. This includes robust health benefits and a 6% employer 401(k) match.

Salary range: $200k - $235k

Location

XQ is headquartered in Oakland, CA with offices in Washington DC and New York City. This role will be based in Oakland, working out of our Oakland office.