• Manage day-to-day project operations in roles such as principal investigator, project director, or task lead, ensuring deliverables are completed on time, within budget, and to a high standard. • Lead collaborative project teams by developing timelines and coordinating staff assignments. • Identify research problems and design rigorous applied studies, including aligned research questions, methodologies, and analytic plans. • Apply subject-matter expertise to design and implement relevant, responsive, and impactful research projects. • Lead and contribute to research proposals for federal, state, foundation, and other clients. • Devise and implement innovative solutions to practical challenges in applied research. • Lead data collection and analysis efforts, including the design of qualitative and/or quantitative data collection tools (e.g., interview protocols, focus group guides, surveys). • Supervise field-based data collection activities, including interviews, observations, focus groups, and document reviews. • Conduct or oversee data analysis using appropriate tools and techniques for various data types. • Communicate study progress and findings clearly and effectively through reports, briefs, visualizations, and other materials. • Represent the organization professionally in client interactions and manage client and stakeholder relationships with awareness of the broader policy and practice landscape. • Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with clients, partners, and stakeholders, and foster positive, collaborative working relationships. • Contribute thoughtfully and creatively to project teams.