Understood.org · 6 hours ago
Senior Research Manager
New York, NY
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid, Senior Level
$115K/yr - $130K/yr
3+ years expUnderstood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals who learn and think differently. They are seeking a Senior Research Manager to lead secondary research projects, synthesize findings into actionable insights, and collaborate with various teams to inform strategic planning and decision-making.
CommunitiesEducationInternet
No H1B
Responsibilities
Independently define research questions, choose methods, and manage timelines
Conduct secondary research across competitive landscapes, industry trends, and academic literature (roughly 70% market/competitive, 30% evidence review)
Synthesize findings into clear insights and recommendations for internal partners, including senior leadership
Analyze competitors, adjacent organizations, and broader industry trends
Identify emerging opportunities, threats, gaps, and shifts across education, tech, health, and mental health
Provide informal guidance to junior team members on research plans, analysis, and synthesis
Work closely with Product, Content, Partnerships, ESD and other teams to ensure research informs key decisions and strategic planning
Occasionally develop thought leadership pieces, authoring published briefs and external reports, positioning Understood as a key voice in the market
Analyze academic studies and grey literature to identify evidence-based practices that inform internal and external strategy
Occasionally write external briefs or reports that help position Understood as a credible voice in our field
Qualification
Required
Experience: 3–5 years of applied research, strategy, or market intelligence experience in a dynamic professional setting
Research Expertise: Demonstrated career experience conducting secondary desk-research and analysis, preferably within a think tank, research institution (e.g., Pew Research, Cochrane), or a dedicated strategy/research function
Business Acumen: Strong working knowledge of the for-profit landscape across industries relevant to Understood (education, tech, health, and mental health)
Critical Thinking: Proven ability to frame ambiguous questions into structured research plans and distill many sources of information into powerful, high-impact insights
Collaboration: Proven ability to build consensus and drive projects forward with colleagues across the organization
DEIB Stewardship: Committed to embodying and being a steward of our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
Preferred
AI Fluency: Comfort and demonstrable experience utilizing AI tools (e.g., LLMs) to streamline research, build efficiency, and automate data, while maintaining a critical awareness of their limitations and applying established methods for accuracy checking
Advanced Degree: A Master's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Public Health, Library Science, Data Science, Strategy)
Presentation Skills: Strong visual presentation design skills to effectively communicate complex data and insights
You have a 'think-on-the-spot' mentality and are open to adapting and improving research processes to meet evolving needs
Experience developing ways to build repositories that sort and categorize knowledge
Benefits
Comprehensive benefits package that supports wellness for our team members and their families
Company
Understood.org
Understood is a nonprofit focused on shaping the world for difference.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$0.76MKey Investors
Oak Foundation
2023-12-05Grant· $0.76M
Leadership Team
Fred Poses
Co-Founder & CEO
Jamie Studenroth
Partnerships Development Manager
Recent News
2025-10-14
Company data provided by crunchbase