Department: Research
Reports To: Senior Vice President, Research
Responsibilities
The Senior Director, Catalyst Research Center for Career Pathways, leads and manages an ongoing program of research on career advancement in business that charts women’s and men’s representation and career experiences globally. She/he develops and delivers a recognized agenda that identifies the problems that really hold women back and provides a solid basis for developing talent more effectively. She/he builds and leads a team that positions Catalyst at the forefront of pioneering research on gender gaps in today’s increasingly global and complex workplaces. This position will contribute to Catalyst’s longitudinal project, The Promise of Future Leadership: A Research Program on Highly Talented Employees in the Pipeline.
The Senior Director serves as a primary investigator on Catalyst studies and is capable of planning and executing large, multi-year, global research projects. She/he has extensive expertise in quantitative data analysis, including demonstrated experience with longitudinal research or time series analysis. She/he is an acknowledged and sought-after expert or leader, capable of representing Catalyst in the business community, in relationships with other experts, in high-profile speaking engagements, in media interviews and in writing assignments.
Functions
- Develops a viable and integrated program of research in mature and emerging markets that makes unique and new contributions to the existing body of literature on the gender gap in leadership and career advancement in business.
- Serves as primary investigator on ground-breaking research studies and/or activities, developing participant pools, designing and fielding electronic surveys, developing interview protocols, planning and conducting quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and synthesizing results.
- Tracks and identifies issues for new research and investigation in the area of leadership and gender studies.
- Writes high-quality reports, tools, and other knowledge products designed for the business community.
- Leads and/or supports drafting of academic journal articles.
- Leads a team of researchers and interns, including responsibility for talent development and performance appraisals.
- Demonstrates strong management abilities, including budgeting, project planning and oversight, conceptualizing systems/processes/projects, and problem-solving.
- Serves as a content expert for Catalyst staff through on-boarding, coaching, and strategic guidance.
- Develops and maintains reputation as a leading expert on leadership and gender studies by disseminating information to internal audiences, corporate audiences, academic audiences, the general public, and the media.
- Develops and leverages an external network of issue experts/resources and contacts that can be called upon for information and requests.
- Develops and proactively manages Catalyst's relationship with contacts at assigned member companies, including research partners/sponsors; conducts and supportsthe membership team; participates in member events such as roundtables and conferences, and maintains in-depth personal knowledge of Catalyst’s areas of expertise and service offerings.
- Leads and/or participates in the development and implementation of organizational initiatives and/or committees.
- Provides decision support to the Management Committee on operational and strategic matters.
- Identifies opportunities for improving organizational effectiveness and achieving organizational strategies (e.g., strategic partnerships, alternative business models, etc.).
Knowledge and Skills
- Expert knowledge of the gender gap in leadership.
- Track record of research excellence on topics related to leadership, career pathways, and structural causes of gender hierarchies in organizations.
- Proficient in quantitative methodologies in the conduct of applied social research.
- Expert interviewing and group facilitation skills.
- Experience with longitudinal research methodologies and most appropriate analytic techniques.
- Proficient using advanced statistical analysis tools such as SPSS.
- Familiarity with talent management processes/practices in business/corporate settings.
- Demonstrated personal computer literacy in a networked Windows environment and proficiency in word processing. Spreadsheet and database software literacy required.
- Strong supervisory skills.
- Strong management abilities, including leadership orientation, budgeting, project planning and oversight, and problem-solving capability.
- Ability to lead and participate in a highly team-oriented environment.
- Flexible and able to adapt to new opportunities; comfortable with ambiguity.
- Self-starter who can work autonomously, comfortable working on virtual/geographically dispersed teams.
- Meticulous eye for detail and ability to manage competing priorities.
- Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal and proactive networking skills.
- Strong, succinct writing style to address both business and academic audiences.
- Ability to develop a project framework and conceptualize systems/processes/products.
- Capable of thinking strategically, including the ability to recognize and leverage opportunities related to Catalyst's mission.
- Ability to convey expert knowledge within several areas of expertise to audiences with differing levels of knowledge about the domain.
- Ability to generate new ideas and creative solutions.
- Ability to leverage expert knowledge to persuade/influence superiors.
Working Conditions
- Tight deadlines and multiple priorities.
- Work with confidential issues and data.
- Ability to work virtually.
- Multiple reporting relationships.
- Team structure.
- Some travel may be required.
Education and Experience Requirements
This position requires a PhD (or equivalent terminal degree) in the social sciences, business, public administration or organizational studies fields and seven-to-ten years of applied research experience. The ideal candidate must also have experience with implementing large-scale, research projects focusing on gender and business, and an administrative background.
Application Instructions
Please email your resume, cover letter, and salary history to Jobs@catalyst.org with “Senior Director, Career Pathways Research,” and the source where you found this job posted in the subject line. The location of this position is flexible. Please indicate the Catalyst office you would prefer to work from, or the city of your home office.