Senior Direcor Insight & Impact

Position Summary: 
The Senior Director Insights & Impact leads the design and execution of fast-paced research and data science that deepens our understanding of sponsor and donor behavior and delivers digestible impact metrics through to sponsors and donors.  This role is responsible for behavioral science, data analytics, and user experience to uncover customer motivations, behaviors, and friction points, using mixed method studies and predictive modeling to inform strategy, improve conversion funnels, and guides product direction.  This is a high impact role for someone who strives at the intersection of experimentation, storytelling, and organizational influence.
 
Who We Are
Unbound is an international nonprofit based in Kansas City, Kansas, and founded by lay Catholics grounded in the Gospel call to put the needs of the marginalized and vulnerable first.

Our mission is to support families and communities worldwide on their self-directed paths out of poverty.

Our vision is to build a world free from poverty where all people have access to resources, community support and the ability to make decisions that improve their lives and uphold human dignity.
 
Unbound offers a practical way for sponsors, donors and volunteers to make a personal and direct impact as partners in our global community.  Through walking with a child and family, youth, elder or community on their path out of poverty, our supporters have an opportunity to expand their worldviews and be part of creative solutions to poverty.
 
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: include the following.  Other duties may be assigned.

• Drive Research & Experimentation
  • Lead behavioral research initiatives across sponsor and donor journeys.
  • Design and execute mixed-methods studies (qualitative interviews, surveys, A/B tests, observational research, etc).
  • Identify key friction points and motivations through behavioral analysis and experimentation.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to prioritize research questions and translate them into actionable plans.

• Enforce Data Science & Modeling Best Practices
  • Build predictive models to forecast sponsor/donor conversion, retention, and lifetime value.
  • Analyze user behavior data to uncover trends, segmentation opportunities, and strategic insights.
  • Develop frameworks for ongoing measurement and optimization of conversion funnels.
  • Build a “research community” by establishing a shared experimentation infrastructure and peer thought innovation network.

• Communicate Insights to Stakeholders
  • Partner with International Programs and Marketing to translate program impact data into compelling, easy to understand, and scalable sponsor/donor-facing materials.
  • Synthesize complex findings into clear, compelling narratives for non-technical stakeholders.
  • Deliver actionable recommendations that inform product development, marketing strategy, donor engagement, executive teams, and other stakeholders.
  • Influence organizational thinking around sponsor/donor behavior and experience.

• Mentorship & Collaboration
  • Manage a team of 2-4 direct reports.
  • Coach and mentor junior analysts and data scientists in modeling and experimentation.
  • Foster a culture of curiosity, rigor, and continuous learning across the team.
  • Actively contributes to cross-functional planning and strategic discussions.

• Demonstrate diversity by recognizing the dignity of each person reflected in the structure and activities of Unbound which include relationships of mutual respect, teamwork, and commitment to Unbound’s core values.
• Curious: Displays intellectual curiosity, problem solving skills, and determination.
• Strategic Thinker: Connects research insights to broader organizational goals.
• Empathetic Researcher: Deeply curious about human behavior and motivated by improving user experience. Listens to stakeholders, processes feedback, remains objective, and provides solutions.
• Strong Communicator: Translates complex data into clear, actionable insights.
• Collaborative Partner: Builds trust and builds collaborative relationships with leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Experimentation Mindset: Comfortable with ambiguity and iterative learning.
• Ethical & Inclusive: Committed to ethical research practices and inclusive design.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills include the ability to synthesize information into clear, concise messages in a compelling manner to internal stakeholders.
• Using data-driven decision making to execute on business/management strategy.
• Professional appearance and attitude, self-motivated and goal driven.
• Ability to demonstrate poise, tact, and diplomacy.  Strong teamwork aptitude required.
• Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships and the ability to model our core values.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Data Science or related field.  Master’s or PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Data Science, Psychology, Behavioral Economics, Human-Computer Interaction) preferred.  For-profit and Non-profit experience preferred.  Global experience is a plus.
• Minimum of 7-10+ of direct hands-on experience in data science, behavioral research, UX research, or a related field.
• 3-5+ years of experience managing diverse teams.
• Advanced proficiency in statistical modeling and data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, SQL, etc.).
• Experience designing and executing mixed methods research studies.
• Strong understanding of behavioral science principles and user centered design.
• Proven ability to influence product and strategy through data-driven insights.
• Experience mentoring junior team members and fostering analytical growth.
• Familiarity with donor or sponsor engagement models is a plus.
• Moderate to advanced computer skills in a Windows environment, including Microsoft Office Suite.
• Well-developed project management skills with demonstrated ability to multitask and effectively manage and prioritize tasks.
• Must possess a positive attitude and be open to new ideas with the ability to listen carefully, try new things, suggest alternatives, and solve challenges.
• Self-starter, action-oriented.  Influential and collaborative communication style. Forward thinker and business savvy.
• Able to quickly establish credibility and build rapport to be recognized as a leader and expert.
• Strong accuracy and organizational skills.
• Energetic, self-starter who demonstrates strong work ethics.