The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is recruiting a Senior Impact Researcher to lead its full evaluation and impact measurement agenda. This is a high-level, remote position focused on generating rigorous social science evidence while translating findings into practical insights that support dialogue, education, and civic engagement across U.S. higher education institutions.
This role sits at the intersection of advanced research design, program evaluation, and public-facing communication, making it ideal for experienced applied researchers who want their work to directly shape real-world institutional change.
About the Constructive Dialogue Institute
The Constructive Dialogue Institute is a nonpartisan nonprofit co-founded by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, known for his work on moral psychology and polarization.
CDI’s mission is to equip students, faculty, and institutions with the skills needed to communicate across ideological and cultural differences. The organization works primarily with U.S. colleges and universities, offering:
- Co-curricular student programs
- Faculty and staff professional development
- Institutional consulting on dialogue culture
- Research-driven tools for bridge-building and civic learning
CDI’s broader goal is to strengthen democratic resilience by improving how people engage across disagreement.
Role Overview: Senior Impact Researcher
The Senior Impact Researcher will own CDI’s end-to-end evaluation and research strategy, ensuring that all programs are rigorously assessed for effectiveness while also producing insights that can be shared across academic, practitioner, and public audiences.
This role is not limited to traditional academic research. It emphasizes applied impact work, including the translation of complex findings into actionable recommendations for program design and policy engagement.
The position reports to the Senior Director of Research and Evaluation and works closely with data scientists, research associates, and program teams.
Key Responsibilities
The role is structured across three main domains:
Program Evaluation & Impact Research (50%)
The core of the role involves designing and executing robust evaluation studies, including:
- Leading randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies
- Designing measurement tools and assessment frameworks
- Managing longitudinal and multilevel data analyses
- Building reproducible and auditable research workflows
- Ensuring methodological rigor across all evaluation activities
This function anchors CDI’s evidence-based approach to program development.
External Communication & Field Contribution (30%)
A distinctive aspect of this role is its strong emphasis on research communication and translation. The Senior Impact Researcher will:
- Communicate findings to academic, practitioner, and funder audiences
- Produce written and oral presentations of research outcomes
- Translate technical findings into accessible insights
- Contribute to CDI’s thought leadership in civic learning and dialogue
- Maintain clarity, neutrality, and methodological transparency
This ensures that research directly informs both practice and broader public discourse.
Research Systems & Cross-Team Collaboration (20%)
The role also supports the infrastructure behind CDI’s research ecosystem:
- Partnering with data scientists to integrate measurement systems
- Collaborating with research operations teams on study execution
- Supporting qualitative and mixed-methods research efforts
- Helping teams build shared understanding of evaluation concepts
- Aligning research priorities with organizational strategy
This cross-functional work ensures that evaluation is embedded across CDI’s programs.
Required Qualifications
CDI is seeking candidates with strong expertise in applied social science research. Key requirements include:
- At least 5 years of experience in program evaluation or impact research
- Advanced quantitative research skills (e.g., experimental and quasi-experimental methods, longitudinal analysis, multilevel modeling)
- Experience designing and executing real-world evaluations outside purely academic settings
- Strong communication skills for non-technical audiences
- Experience presenting or publishing applied research findings
Preferred qualifications include:
- PhD in psychology, education, or a related quantitative field
- Experience with mixed-methods research
- Familiarity with higher education or civic engagement contexts
- Proficiency in R and reproducible research workflows
- Knowledge of implementation or improvement science frameworks
- Experience working with product or education teams
Work Environment and Benefits
CDI operates as a remote-first organization with a strong emphasis on intellectual humility, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The organization values open dialogue both in its mission and internal culture.
Key benefits include:
- $130,000–$140,000 annual salary
- Unlimited paid time off and company holidays
- Remote work support stipend (home office and internet expenses)
- Employer-supported health, dental, and vision coverage
- 3% 401(k) match
- Annual professional development budget
- Disability and life insurance coverage
The role includes occasional travel for conferences and internal gatherings.
Why This Role Matters
The Senior Impact Researcher position plays a critical role in shaping how institutions understand and improve constructive dialogue and civic engagement. In an era of increasing polarization, CDI’s work focuses on evidence-based interventions that aim to improve communication across differences.
This role ensures that CDI’s programs are not only well-designed but also measurably effective, using rigorous research methods to evaluate real-world impact in educational settings.
At the same time, the position contributes to a growing field at the intersection of social psychology, education, and democratic resilience, where applied research directly informs institutional practice.
Final Thoughts
The Senior Impact Researcher role at the Constructive Dialogue Institute is a high-impact opportunity for experienced researchers who want to move beyond academic outputs and into applied, mission-driven evaluation work.
It offers a rare combination of methodological rigor, institutional influence, and public-facing communication, making it well suited for professionals committed to strengthening dialogue, understanding, and cooperation in society.
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