Title: Research Manager
Position Type: Remote Position With Approximately 10% Required Travel, or as Needed
Location: Remote; candidates may reside outside of California, with required travel as needed
Summary:
Join San Diego Hunger Coalition (SDHC) in our mission to end hunger in San Diego as a Research Manager. With a focus on data-driven solutions, collaborative efforts, and meaningful community impact, this position plays a vital role in advancing SDHC’s vision of a sustainable nutrition security system.
This role requires an individual who is committed to economic, social, and racial justice and who understands that effective research is not about judgment, but about action. The ideal candidate must be able to develop strong analytical data, identify trends, and transform information into clear, meaningful, and useful tools that support the organization’s ability to secure grants, build traction, and strengthen its impact within the hunger relief sector.
The Research Manager must also be able to communicate effectively with all levels of audiences, including internal leadership, community partners, funders, public agencies, and stakeholders. This includes the ability to translate complex data into multiple forms of presentation so that the data can speak for itself and support informed decision-making. Through strong research, thoughtful analysis, and clear communication, this position will help lead SDHC’s research initiatives and drive positive change across San Diego’s nutrition security system.
Key Responsibilities / Strategic Oversight
- Support the maintenance and ongoing development of San Diego Hunger Coalition’s Hunger Free research methodology, including systems, tools, and approaches used to measure nutrition insecurity and hunger relief efforts.
- Lead research initiatives that support the Hunger Free San Diego initiative and guide data-informed decision-making related to hunger solutions, food assistance access, community needs, and sector-wide progress.
- Develop, implement, and support research methodologies and approaches to better understand nutrition insecurity and assess the impact of food assistance efforts across San Diego communities.
- Gather, configure, review, and provide quality control for data sets related to hunger, nutrition insecurity, food assistance participation, and community needs in San Diego County, including data obtained from SDHC’s network of partners.
- Analyze data and provide clear data visualization for key projects using appropriate data science software, research tools, and reporting platforms.
- Follow, review, and analyze labor, economic, education, public assistance, demographic, and social science data releases from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, California Department of Education, U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Employment Development Department, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other key research providers.
- Prepare reports, summaries, dashboards, fact sheets, presentations, and other materials that effectively communicate trends, patterns, findings, and predictions related to local, statewide, and national nutrition security issues.
- Translate complex research and data into clear, accessible, and useful information for diverse audiences, including executive leadership, elected officials, nonprofit organizations, school districts, funders, community-based organizations, academic institutions, hunger relief partners, media representatives, and the broader public.
- Present research findings and analysis to diverse audiences, including local, statewide, or national conferences, press conferences, elected officials, partner meetings, community forums, and meetings with anti-hunger stakeholders.
- Work collaboratively with SDHC leadership, staff, partners, contractors, and stakeholders to support countywide goal setting and track collective progress toward ending hunger in San Diego County and other applicable communities.
- Develop and maintain strong working relationships with hunger relief partners across the county to support collaborative research, data sharing, shared learning, and coordinated analysis.
- Manage and support relationships with diverse stakeholders, including contractors, community-based organizations, nonprofit partners, public agencies, school districts, academic institutions, students, interns, and research fellows.
- Design, maintain, and improve systems and databases used to house internal and external data, with the support of external contractors as needed.
- Participate in advocacy-related research, policy analysis, strategic planning, fundraising support, organizational planning, and staff development activities.
- Prioritize tasks effectively, work independently, manage competing deadlines, and use project management tools and internal systems to support timely completion of research, reporting, and organizational deliverables.
- Use applicable business, communication, and document-management tools as part of the position’s regular duties, including Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft SharePoint, Adobe Acrobat, and online meeting applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or similar platforms.
- Support a positive, collaborative, and mission-driven work culture aligned with SDHC’s values, including economic, social, and racial justice.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated commitment to economic, social, and racial justice, with a strong interest in policy issues relating to hunger, poverty, nutrition insecurity, and food assistance access.
- Graduate degree or strong formal training in data science, quantitative research methods, statistics, public policy, economics, social science research, or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated experience working with U.S. Census Bureau data and conducting analysis across multiple social science, labor, economic, education, public assistance, and demographic data sets, including sources such as the California Department of Education, U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Employment Development Department, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and similar research providers.
- Strong quantitative skills, including the ability to conduct statistical analysis, identify trends, validate data, interpret findings, and communicate results clearly.
- Demonstrated experience using Python for data analysis, including the ability to clean, organize, transform, and analyze data sets.
- Experience using Tableau for data visualization, mapping, dashboard development, and presentation of research findings.
- Experience using data analysis tools and software, including Python and/or R, Excel, .csv files, and other structured data sources.
- Experience improving or automating data practices, including transforming dispersed Excel or .csv files into centralized workbooks, structured data systems, or repeatable data processes.
- Familiarity with APIs, AI implementation, data governance practices, and quality control processes that support accurate, consistent, and reliable data management.
- Familiarity with database management, mapping software, and dashboard reporting tools, such as ArcGIS, Power BI, Tableau, or similar platforms.
- Knowledge of or experience with federal and state social programs, including programs such as SNAP, WIC, Medicare, and other public assistance or nutrition-related programs.
- Project management experience involving diverse stakeholders, including internal teams, community-based organizations, nonprofit partners, public agencies, academic institutions, contractors, funders, and other external partners.
- Proven ability to manage responsibilities independently in a remote work environment, prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, follow through on assignments, and maintain regular communication with leadership and team members.
- Exceptional writing, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex data and research findings into clear reports, fact sheets, dashboards, presentations, and public-facing materials.
- Strong interpersonal communication skills and the ability to communicate professionally with executive leadership, elected officials, funders, nonprofit partners, school districts, community stakeholders, researchers, and the broader public.
- Proven organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple projects, competing deadlines, and confidential or sensitive information with accuracy and discretion.
- Proficiency with business, communication, and document-management tools used in a remote work environment, including Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft SharePoint, Adobe Acrobat, and online meeting applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or similar platforms.
- Ability to accurately represent prior experience, technical skills, software proficiency, education, and qualifications during the application, interview, and onboarding process.
- Must be able and willing to travel approximately 10% of the time, or as needed, for required meetings, presentations, conferences, collaboration, or other organizational needs, which may include travel to San Diego, Washington, D.C., or other locations as assigned.
Additional Desired Qualifications
- Significant experience with the development of business intelligence tools, data warehousing, or other systems used to organize, manage, and report data.
- Experience using SQL to query, manage, or analyze data.
- Experience with Participatory Action Research and community-based research practices.
- Knowledge of hunger, food systems, nutrition insecurity, public policy, advocacy, government programs, or political economy as they relate to hunger relief and food assistance.
- Familiarity with dashboard reporting tools such as Tableau, Google Data Studio, Power BI, or similar platforms.
- Fluency in a second language, with Spanish highly preferred.
Compensation and Benefits
- Compensation: $72,000. To $80,000.
- Benefits include sick leave, vacation, holiday pay, 401(k), and a remote work stipend for eligible business-related expenses, such as internet, cell phone, or similar work-related needs, subject to SDHC policy and applicable plan or program requirements.
