Managing Director - Assessment & Human Capital

AIR’s Employment & Economic Opportunity Program is seeking a Managing Director to grow AIR’s Assessment & Human Capital (AHC) work by setting strategy, building business, developing talent, fostering innovation in AI-enabled assessment and workforce strategies, while supporting high-quality impactful research, technical assistance, and measurement initiatives. The Managing Director will help position AIR as a national leader in understanding and measuring human capabilities in an AI-enabled world while growing AIR’s assessment and workforce solutions. A key focus of this position will be advancing AIR’s work at the intersection of education and workforce assessments, and AI. The position will provide leadership across large-scale K–12 assessment, workforce assessment, skills and competency measurement, and related research and technical assistance.

Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories.

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities for the position include:

Set Strategic Direction: Set direction and oversee growth, impact, and performance to cultivate a portfolio-approach to building project-based work.

• Align research, technical assistance, partnerships, talent, operations, and business development to maximize impact and growth.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership for AIR’s Assessment & Human Capital work
• Provide strategic leadership for AIR’s established assessment and measurement work and ensure continued standards of technical quality, rigor, fairness, and relevance.

 AI, Assessment, and Measurement Innovation: Advance AIR's leadership in AI-enabled assessment, measurement, and human performance research.

• Advance AIR's leadership in responsible AI by shaping research, standards, and solutions that promote valid, fair, transparent, secure, and trustworthy education and workforce assessments.
• Lead development of new approaches for measuring AI literacy, human-AI collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, professional judgment, and other competencies increasingly important in AI-enabled learning and work environments.

Business Development & Market Growth: Build new opportunities, capabilities, and market presence.

• Develop and execute a growth strategy that expands AIR's leadership in AI, assessment, workforce systems, and human performance.
• Lead and support business development and capture efforts, including development of a strong pipeline of strategically aligned opportunities across federal, state, philanthropic, and commercial markets.

Talent, Collaboration, & Operational Excellence: Develop people, foster collaboration, and ensure delivery excellence.

• Recruit, develop, and retain senior research, technical, operational, and project leaders; provide coaching, mentorship, and support to staff and leaders across the organization.
• Collaborate across AIR to bring together expertise in assessment, psychometrics, data science, AI, education, workforce development, behavioral science, technology, and program implementation.
• Provide leadership and oversight for complex, high-impact projects and project teams, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality work and maintaining strong standards of technical rigor, client responsiveness, collaboration, and operational performance.

External Partnerships & Thought Leadership: Strengthen client relationships, strategic partnerships, and thought leadership.

• Build and maintain relationships with federal and state agencies, education systems, employers, assessment organizations, technology organizations, foundations, professional associations, and other partners.
• Develop strategic partnerships that bring together AIR’s expertise in assessment, research, behavioral and social science, workforce development, data science, and AI with complementary external capabilities.
• Represent AIR externally through client engagements, professional associations, conferences, publications, convenings, and other thought-leadership activities.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• A minimum of 15 years of experience and a Ph.D. in education, psychology, psychometrics, measurement and evaluation, statistics, public policy, industrial/organizational psychology, workforce development, social science, data science, or a related field with substantial senior-level experience; or a Master’s degree with significant related leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading a collection of complex projects, including direct leadership of major projects and responsibility for strategy, financial performance, staff, and project delivery.
• Significant leadership experience in education and workforce assessments, measurement research, AI/data science, or a closely related field.
• Strong knowledge of assessment and measurement, including contemporary issues affecting large-scale, K–12, postsecondary, workforce, skills-based, or competency-based assessment.
• Knowledge of generative AI and emerging AI applications in education and/or workforce assessment or measurement research.
• Demonstrated ability to identify emerging market trends and translate them into organizational strategy, research agendas, capabilities, partnerships, or business opportunities.
• Experience developing or implementing innovative assessment or measurement approaches preferred, including AI-supported, performance-based, simulation-based, adaptive, or automated-scoring approaches.

 Skills

• Strong strategic leadership and organizational management skills.
• Strong understanding of assessment, measurement, and the emerging implications of AI for education and workforce systems.
• Ability to connect technical and research expertise with client needs, market opportunities, and organizational strategy.
• Ability to communicate complex assessment, research, AI, and technical concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Effective written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong business development, client engagement, and relationship management abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams and senior staff.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across organizational and disciplinary boundaries.
• Ability to manage multiple strategic and operational priorities in a collaborative and fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to technical rigor, responsible innovation, evidence-based practice, equity, and continuous learning.

Disclosures: This position is open to U.S. citizens only. Upon hire, incumbent will be required to obtain clearance through the National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) system.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law, including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braid, locs, and twists), creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition (e.g., cancer), sex, gender, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, civil union status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, genetic information, or military or veteran status. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment. 

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at [email protected] or call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer: AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example [email protected] is correct and [email protected] is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out to [email protected]. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.

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Anticipated Annual Salary Range 170000 - 230000 USD