Director, Research

Summary

Join the National Safety Council, America's leading nonprofit safety advocate, as a Director, Research. This role involves directing all research and statistics activities, partnering with practice leaders, and overseeing a research team. You will develop and execute research strategies, manage projects, and present findings to executives and at conferences. The position requires a Master's degree (Ph.D. preferred) with extensive research experience and strong leadership skills. This remote position offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including generous PTO, flexible work arrangements, comprehensive insurance, and retirement benefits.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a relevant field
• 8–10 years of research experience
• 3–5 years in a leadership role
• Strong background in qualitative and quantitative research methods, including survey design, focus groups, and statistical analysis
• Proven experience leading research teams, mentoring staff, and managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to develop and execute a research strategy aligned with organizational goals, including agenda-setting and program evaluation
• Proficiency with statistical and data visualization tools (e.g., SPSS, R, Stata, Python, Tableau, Power BI)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting research findings, writing reports, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with internal teams, external partners, and subject matter experts to advance research initiatives
• Experience overseeing research projects, tracking progress, managing budgets, and securing research funding
• Familiarity with Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), occupational health, risk management, or related fields
• Willingness to travel (10–20%) for conferences, presentations, and stakeholder meetings

Responsibilities

• Direct and coordinate all activities of the research and statistics function
• Partner with practice leaders and initiate research focused on collecting economic, statistical, demographic and/or other related data that meet the information needs of the programs
• Provide technical oversight across multiple research projects
• Perform advanced research
• Interpret data/information relevant to the desired topic and proceed with research as warranted by preliminary findings
• Present findings and conclusions to top executives and at conferences and summarize the nature and methodology of the research
• Be responsible for grant seeking, writing proposals, and grant administration and budgeting
• Oversee the research team and assign projects as appropriate
• Demonstrate strong leadership skills and coach research team in professional development activities
• Lead research functional meetings aimed to align research goals, aid project execution, establish standard practices, and enable cross-functional collaboration
• Assist in the planning and execution of research strategy, specifically the annual research agenda
• Ensure all program content is science-based and SME reviewed
• Develop new research proposals that will enhance and further advance the council’s mission
• Develop and execute the programs’ initiative evaluation, including developing the overall plan, data collection and monitoring tools, continuous improvement/feedback, and grant reporting metrics. Regularly communicate progress and flag potential issues
• Liaise with internal and external partners to co-develop research projects to advance the state of EHS knowledge
• Oversee the execution of research projects while regularly communicating progress to key internal partners and leadership
• Demonstrate strong organizational skills and utilize resources to complete projects that support the program
• Assist in the planning, tracking, and execution of various meetings and conferences
• Effectively communicate important information to stakeholders through both formal or informal settings
• Make informed decisions based on the goals/objectives, resources, and potential risks
• Write, edit, and review written materials summarizing data collection methods and research findings
• Use various software packages to create charts, graphs, tables, and graphics to present research data and findings
• Work with program team to translate findings into key messages for educational content
• Provide assistance with meetings, research symposia, and conferences
• Travel to meetings and conferences to present research and/or run workshops, or booths
• Present research findings via webinars intended to engage large audiences
• Draft and submit research articles to trade/business magazines and peer-reviewed journals for publication
• Develop various data collection tools such as survey questionnaires, interview guides, and focus group moderator guides
• Conduct interviews, administer surveys, and use various research methods to gather information on EHS technology practices
• Perform data transfer, storage, cleanup, coding, validation, and other data management functions
• Apply statistical techniques to conduct analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data
• Act as a program’s subject matter expert
• Identify potential research funding opportunities
• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications

Ph.D. preferred

Benefits

• At least 20 PTO days accrued 1st year and 11 paid holidays
• Flexible work arrangements
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans
• Flex spending accounts for medical and dependent care
• 403(b) & Roth 403(b) with employer match up to 6%
• Reimbursable training
• Student loan pay down
• Dress for your day