Senior Researcher

Role Overview:

We are seeking a Senior Researcher with 7–10 years of experience and deep expertise in public sector engagement. This role will lead research that explores how governments can effectively partner with social innovators to influence policy, and scale solutions through collaboration, as well as leading research that will strengthen our community development platform. The ideal candidate brings a strong background in applied research, policy analysis, and ecosystem-level thinking across diverse geographies.

Key Responsibilities:

• • Landscape Analysis: Map and analyse global and regional government priorities, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration with social innovators and other key ecosystem partners to create the Solutions Database.
  • Impact & Influence: Design impact measurement frameworks that capture both social innovation-level outcomes and systems-level shifts that are relevant to the foundation’s mission and vision.
  • Thought Leadership & Advocacy: Initiate research for policy briefs that help shift the narrative and create an understanding of the social & economic investment case for social innovation and prepare the way for a global framework for social innovation impact measurement.
  • As the programmes develop, the role will expand to

Qualifications & Experience:

• • 7–10 years of research or policy experience related to public sector innovation, international development, social entrepreneurship, or systems change.
  • Proven track record working with or researching government programmes, multilateral institutions or public-private partnerships.
  • Deep understanding of governance structures, policy cycles, and mechanisms for scaling innovations through public systems.
  • Strong analytical capabilities, with proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative methods.
  • Demonstrated ability to translate research into practical recommendations and strategic decisions.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Familiarity with data tools such as Excel, Qualtrics, STATA, R, NVivo, or Tableau; and collaborative platforms like Notion, Airtable or Miro.
  • Familiarity with global development frameworks such as the SDGs, and regional knowledge of Global South contexts is a strong asset.