Senior Associate, Research & Evaluation

Location: Washington, DC (flexible hybrid schedule)
Base Salary: $75,000 – $95,000, commensurate with education and experience, eligible for annual bonuses

Who We Are

Opportunity Consulting is a Washington, D.C.-based, certified minority- and women-owned business dedicated to fostering equity and improvement through education, workforce development, and community services. We envision a future where all people have access to equitable opportunities to thrive. Together, we discover what’s working and what needs improvement, define and design solutions that reflect evidence and stakeholder perspectives, and deliver results through implementation support. We work with state and local agencies, school systems, municipalities, social ventures, and nonprofit organizations.

About the Role

Do you dream in spreadsheets? Do you find joy in transforming qualitative and/or quantitative data into stories that spark change? Are you energized by the chance to design and lead meaningful research and program evaluations that strengthen communities so that evidence drives decisions, systems improve, and more people have the opportunity to thrive?

We are seeking a Senior Associate, Research & Evaluation to play a pivotal role on our small, high-impact team. This position blends project design, management, and execution, with a strong emphasis on research, evaluation, writing, and data collection and analysis. The Senior Associate will contribute to 3–4 projects at a time, from launch to completion. They will design and manage evaluation efforts, synthesize complex data into actionable insights, develop clear and engaging reports, and support clients in using evidence to inform decision-making.

The ideal candidate thrives both independently and in collaboration, brings creativity to problem-solving, and embraces the dynamic pace of a consulting environment.

Example Projects

Evaluation of a large city’s summer youth employment program.
Outcomes analysis for a sectoral workforce development partnership.
Community needs assessment to improve equitable outcomes in a mid-sized municipality.
Facilitation of a statewide Task Force to develop a statewide literacy framework and plan
Strategic planning informed by data analysis for a social venture.

Essential Responsibilities

Project Design & Delivery: Lead or support the design and execution of research and evaluation projects, including design, methodology, and execution.
Evaluation: Apply evaluation methods to assess the effectiveness of programs, policies, and systems; produce actionable recommendations.
Research & Analysis: Conduct literature reviews, landscape analyses, and policy research to inform client strategies.
Client Engagement: Present findings and insights to senior client executives; guide clients in using evidence to drive decision-making.
Stakeholder Engagement: Design and implement inclusive data collection strategies to ensure diverse voices inform evaluation processes.
Continuous Improvement: Integrate continuous improvement methods into evaluation and research projects
Writing & Communication: Produce high-quality reports, briefs, data visualizations, dashboards, and presentations that clearly communicate findings and recommendations.
Facilitation: Support facilitated discussions where research and evaluation findings are used to co-design solutions.
Field Presence: Stay current on trends in program evaluation, education, and workforce development; contribute to thought leadership through writing and presentations.

Required Qualifications

5+ years of relevant professional experience in applied research, program evaluation, or policy analysis in education or the social sector
Demonstrated knowledge of evaluation design, data collection, and analysis
Strong qualitative and/or mixed methods skills, with experience applying findings to real-world contexts
Experience in presenting evaluation findings and recommendations to diverse audiences
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights
Strong organizational skills and experience managing multi-phase projects from design through implementation, managing timelines and deliverables to ensure high-quality outcomes.
Commitment to equity, social justice, and culturally responsive evaluation practices
Proficiency with Microsoft Office/O365 suite, Google Suite, and data analysis tools (e.g., Stata, R, NVivo, Qualtrics, or similar)

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in public policy, education policy, evaluation, social sciences, or a related field
Experience in consulting or client-facing roles
Familiarity with developmental, formative, and summative evaluation methods
Experience with survey design, data visualization, and dashboard tools
Knowledge of strategic frameworks for linking evaluation to organizational learning and capacity building
Familiarity with project management platforms

Benefits

Health, vision, and dental insurance
Short-term disability and life insurance
Liberal PTO and wellness leave
Hybrid remote work, must be based in Washington, DC
401K with employer match
Paid federal and DC holidays
Office closure during winter break
End-of-year bonus potential
Annual Professional development stipends