Location: Hybrid (St. Louis, MO)
Reports to: Chief Strategy Officer / Chief Operating Officer
Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Position Overview
The Center for Civic Research and Innovation (CCRI) seeks a versatile and mission-driven Research & Initiatives Manager to strengthen cross-functional capacity across project execution, including project design, coordination, and strategic communications. This full-time position will report to the Chief Strategy Officer with strong coordination with the Chief Operating Officer, collaborating closely with leadership.
The Research & Initiatives Manager will play a key role in relieving senior leadership of day-to-day project management responsibilities, supporting execution across CCRI’s applied research portfolio while maintaining clarity and alignment for internal and external collaborators. This position will be conducting applied research, coordinating internal and partner-facing workflows, and translating findings into clear, actionable products. It is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of strategic insight, operational clarity, and data-informed storytelling.
The ideal candidate brings exceptional research and writing skills, thrives in dynamic environments, and adds value across disciplines without requiring extensive oversight.
Responsibilities and Skills:
Project Management and Coordination
- Manage project timelines, deliverables, and coordination across CCRI’s research and strategy portfolio.
- Serve across multiple CCRI projects, maintaining shared timelines and documentation, and coordinating with team leads to ensure progress without unnecessary escalation to senior leadership.
- Maintain project dashboards, templates, and coordination tools (e.g., ClickUp, Google Drive) to promote transparency and timely delivery.
- Provide structured check-ins and documentation to support alignment across internal and external teams.
- Contribute to improving organization-wide project workflows and support implementation of best practices.
Applied Research & Insight Development
- Conduct and synthesize applied research on topics such as federal funding, workforce access, economic mobility, or housing.
- Support the development of memos, reports, and briefs that connect CCRI’s data to real-world strategy questions.
- Assist with literature reviews and synthesis of qualitative insights for partner-facing deliverables.
- Collaborate with staff across data and strategy functions to ensure findings reflect both rigor and practical relevance.
Communications & Public-Facing Content
- Draft and edit communications materials including project summaries, initiative updates, web content, and external briefings.
- Help shape narrative framing for CCRI’s reports and data tools, making insights accessible to civic audiences.
- Coordinate with CCRI leadership and external communications consultants to support messaging, storytelling, and content planning.
Organizational Collaboration
- Align tasks and project scopes across CCRI’s strategy, research, and delivery teams.
- Help ensure internal tools, communications, and outputs are structured, consistent, and actionable.
- Model collaborative practices that reinforce CCRI’s values of clarity, trust, and community-centered impact.
Organizational Context
This position complements CCRI’s existing structure by adding cross-functional support to project-based work. It reduces delivery bottlenecks, enhances CCRI’s capacity for timely, high-quality output, and supports storytelling aligned with institutional strategy.
Qualifications
Required
- 5+ years of experience in applied research, civic or nonprofit project management, or social impact consulting.
- Demonstrated success in project coordination, writing, and synthesizing complex material for decision-makers.
- Familiarity with issue areas such as housing, workforce development, public funding, or economic mobility.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in managing timelines, communication, and shared tools.
- Demonstrated ability to manage ambiguity, deadlines, and multiple workstreams simultaneously.
Preferred
- Background in applied research, literature review, or research-informed policy/strategy development.
- Familiarity with collaborative tools like ClickUp and shared Google Workspace systems.
- Experience supporting deliverables for foundations, public agencies, or civic institutions.
- Comfort working across teams in dynamic, mission-driven settings.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary range for this position is $78,000–$88,000 depending on experience. CCRI provides a competitive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance (80% employer-covered); a 403(b) with a 2.5% employer contribution and up to 4% match; unlimited PTO; and a flexible, hybrid work environment.
Hours
37.5-hour work week. Office hours are 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. CCRI offers flexible time options for its full-time employees in good standing, after 3 months of satisfactory employment, as well as remote/hybrid flexibility.
Equal Opportunity Employer
CCRI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, personal appearance, family responsibility, political affiliation, or any other status protected by applicable law. Frequently cited statistics show that women, trans, and non-binary people, as well as other structurally marginalized groups apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. We look forward to your application.
To Apply
Submit a resume and a brief statement of interest to Kyle Juvers at kjuvers@ccri-stl.org with “Research & Initiatives Manager – [Your Name]” in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.