Associate Director, Strategic Policy, Innovation, and Research

The Foundation for California Community Colleges seeks a dynamic, mission-driven leader to join the Success Center and advance equitable student success in California Community Colleges, aligned with Vision 2030. The Success Center is the California Community Colleges’ partner across the full innovation-to-implementation journey. We drive solutions to create a better system for community college students across the state and beyond. From our vantage point within the system’s nonprofit partner, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, we are dedicated to advancing system priorities and transforming systems to reach every student. 

What You’ll Do

The Associate Director of Strategic Policy, Innovation, and Research (SPIR) provides strategic leadership, research expertise, and data-driven guidance to support statewide educational attainment goals aligned with Vision 2030. This role sets and oversees the Success Center’s research agenda in partnership with the Chancellor’s Office, leads high-impact initiatives, manages cross-functional collaboration, and ensures the delivery of high-quality research that informs actionable policy and practice improvements.

The position requires strong political judgment, strategic thinking, exceptional analytical and communication skills, and a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

• Lead and develop a high-functioning research team focused on advancing equitable student success.
• Design and oversee innovative qualitative and quantitative research initiatives, including evaluations, aligned with Vision 2030, Institutional Review Board standards, and systemwide priorities.
• Set and implement the Success Center’s research and policy agenda in partnership with SPIR team leaders, the Chancellor’s Office and Success Center senior leadership.
• Conduct primary and secondary policy research, literature reviews, and best-practice analyses using sophisticated research tools.
• Oversee initiatives and monitor key aspects of contracts and agreements.
• Supervise project staff, contractors, and college representatives.
• Partner with the Senior Director of SPIR to develop, prioritize, implement, and track departmental strategies.
• Interface with Chancellor’s Office leadership to assess and prioritize system research, programmatic, and resource needs.

Attributes for Success

• Advanced analytical and research skills, including qualitative and quantitative analysis and evaluation methodologies.
• Analyze complex statistical, demographic, and other educational data using Stata, R, or another statistical package (Stata preferred) to draw conclusions, develop policy recommendations, and test research hypotheses, preferably in a higher education setting.
• Extensive experience working with large data sets, preferably in Stata, including cleaning and analyzing data.
• Skilled in conceptualizing, designing, developing, evaluating, and monitoring both qualitative and quantitative research projects and reporting strategies, preferably in a higher education setting.
• Knowledge of the California Community College system and equitable student success.
• Experience in higher education policy and systems, with demonstrated ability to engage diverse stakeholders in complex environments.
• We’re recruiting for mission-driven, passionate, equity-minded individuals with a strong desire to impact and change people’s lives for the better
• Our work holds great weight and responsibility, and the opportunity to impact the lives of millions
• Innovation, creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurship are encouraged as employees work to achieve organizational goals
• FoundationCCC blends the impact of a non-profit, the culture of an entrepreneurial start-up, and the scale of a state agency
• Team members are hired for their expertise in niche areas across our areas of impact and higher education overall, and for their knowledge of business, philanthropy, technology, communications, and more
• We have a commitment to professional development and an emphasis on shared leadership, to ensure growth for employees and the organization overall

What we Offer

FoundationCCC is fully committed to a “remote-first” philosophy, and recruits and hires talent across the state in fully remote positions, where virtual work is possible. Our headquarters are located in Downtown Sacramento, just blocks from California’s State Capitol.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation, generous PTO, holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision plans, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Wellness offerings
• CalPERS retirement program and optional 403(b) and 457 Retirement plans
• Tuition reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness certified employer

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

Budgeted Annual Salary Pay Range:

Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.