Director, Measurement and Learning - Robin Hood Foundation

About Robin Hood

Robin Hood fights poverty in New York City. Since 1988, we have invested more than $3 billion to help elevate New Yorkers out of poverty by identifying and supporting high-impact community organizations, partnering with government, and advocating for what works so that New York City can be an engine for upward mobility for all. We focus relentlessly on results, and are committed to using research, data, and evidence throughout our work. Because Robin Hood’s Board of Directors covers 100% of all administrative, fundraising, and evaluation costs, every dollar donated to Robin Hood goes directly to organizations helping New Yorkers in need. Robin Hood is the largest philanthropic organization focused on poverty in New York City, raising and granting about $130 million to local organizations in our most recent year.

Position Overview

The Director, Measurement and Learning will work across programmatic teams to assist in the measurement of impact across Robin Hood’s programmatic funding and activities, build on Robin Hood’s approach to metrics and evaluation, help shape Robin Hood’s research agenda, and share insights that emerge from our work. In this role they will help staff assess the effectiveness of Robin Hood-funded grantmaking and policy activities and provide Robin Hood team members with research relevant to inform their strategy and decisions. They will also help expand Robin Hood’s existing frameworks and approaches for applying data, evidence, and insights from lived experiences to inform our grantmaking.

The Director of Measurement and Learning will report to the Chief Program & Impact Officer and collaborate closely with members of Robin Hood’s leadership and programmatic staff, and with external research partners. This role is intended to help Robin Hood staff and our community partners utilize rigorous, research-based evidence to improve organizational practice, deepen impact, and elevate effective approaches. 

Key Responsibilities

Measurement and Evaluation

• Serve as a subject matter expert supporting Robin Hood teams and leadership, providing specific knowledge of evaluation methodologies, and assessing evidentiary strength of research findings
• Maintain and strengthen Robin Hood’s research base to inform staff’s return on investment analysis of individual grants and grant strategies, and steward the methodological approach to Robin Hood’s benefit and cost calculations
• Ensure the accuracy and relevance of the organization’s existing benefit/cost formulas and work with internal teams and external experts to develop new metrics based on current investments and the latest research
• Guide Robin Hood to appropriately consider quantitative and qualitative evidence, and stay informed by the most credible sources, including high quality published research and the perspectives of communities that impacted by poverty
• Help Robin Hood apply modern analytics approaches to develop actionable insights that advance our work and the work of the organizations we support
• Collaborate with internal teams to answer strategic research questions, develop theories of action, and provide support to help staff in designing measurement and evaluation plans for funded projects

Research 

• Work with the Chief Program and Impact Officer and other senior to develop and support Robin Hood’s research agenda
• Track emerging developments associated with upward mobility from poverty across issue domains and conduct reviews of research studies in priority areas in order to inform Robin Hood’s ongoing grantmaking and initiatives
• Stay current in research frameworks and methods, including approaches to assessing the effectiveness of direct services, advocacy, influence, community change, user experience and other disciplines relevant to Robin Hood’s work
• Partner with external researchers to fill knowledge gaps in understanding the impact of programs and policies on the long-term economic mobility of individuals and households
• Prepare research summaries and recommendations as needed to guide internal planning and decision-making and to share relevant findings externally

 Learning and Field Building

• Collaborate with programmatic teams to surface key learnings from previous and current grantmaking and initiatives, and help actively disseminate results and lessons to other staff, community partners, and the field 
• Facilitate and engage in learning exchanges with community, government and philanthropic partners
• Contribute to Robin Hood’s data strategy for capturing, storing, and analyzing data reported by grantees and other sources to extend Robin Hood’s capability to generate actionable insights
• Help identify new opportunities to leverage emerging technologies, including machine learning, generative artificial intelligence, and other tools to deepen Robin Hood’s analytical work

 Qualifications

• Doctorate or Master’s degree plus at least 7 years’ experience or equivalent combination of education and experience, in research and/or evaluation
• Strong research, analytical, writing, and oral presentation skills
• Broad knowledge about poverty-related social problems in the United States, including urban social services models and delivery, programmatic interventions and policies, government programs, funding streams, and cost structuring
• Technical expertise in evaluation and data analytics, preferably in poverty-related or social services work in the U.S., with experience conducting evaluations and impact assessments using a broad variety of qualitative and quantitative techniques and assessing the strength of findings in evaluation literature
• Seasoned perspective about non-profit performance measurement and operations, with knowledge of philanthropy preferred
• Experience translating relevant evaluation findings to policy or programmatic action
• Experience with human-centered design or participatory research methods, preferred
• Experience in data analysis and data visualization  
• Strong facilitation skills for evaluation-related meetings, dialogues, and working sessions

 General qualities

• Highly effective interpersonal and relational skills, including a demonstrated ability to work successfully across complex, matrixed teams and with roles at multiple levels
• High emotional intelligence with the ability to provide nuanced support to team members on evaluation issues that builds trust and confidence across diverse team cultures and priorities
• A curious disposition motivated by an internal drive to understand and untangle complex issues
• Exceptional prioritization and time management skills with demonstrated ability to manage a diverse and demanding workload in a fast-paced environment
• Commitment to poverty issues and to Robin Hood’s model of engaged grant making
• Ability to be both a long-term strategic visionary and to understand current on-the-ground realities
• A good blend of entrepreneurial spirit and the capacity to work within a team
• Embraces ambiguity and has a willingness to “roll up their sleeves”
• High degree of self-awareness, humility, and diplomacy
• Sense of humor and skillful listener

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Robin Hood is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation in all aspects of its work. As New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organization, Robin Hood believes that building a diverse team is fundamental to its ability to effectively serve and strengthen organizations serving the most vulnerable communities in the city, and to influence the policies that affect them.

Robin Hood believes in the potential that diversity creates – deep and responsive relationships with its community partners; the ability to solve complex problems efficiently and effectively; and, most importantly, the ability of its diverse staff to work to its full capacity.

 Robin Hood builds diversity, inclusion, and equity practices into all aspects of its work. Its practices, values, traditions, and beliefs are embedded in the inclusive culture that it creates. Operationally, its formal and informal structures support a work environment that advances the professional development of staff at all levels, allows for innovation, and grounds its work as poverty fighters.

In its workplace, diversity equals representation. Robin Hood seeks to attract and retain a staff that reflects the communities that it serves. Racial and ethnic diversity matter to it, as does diversity among other cultural identifiers (ability, educational background, generation, gender, gender expression religion, immigration status, military status, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status).

Diversity within Robin Hood's staff is enhanced by its efforts at meaningful inclusion. It ensures that team members are empowered to make decisions, offer actionable feedback, and share credit for team success. Further, Robin Hood seeks to develop its talent professionally and has created an intentional focus on mentorship and sponsorship, particularly of junior staff. its goal is to encourage long term talent retention and engagement, while fostering a culture of innovation.