Researcher, Systems Change and Collective Leadership

Position Summary

To advance Teach For All’s 25-year vision, we are seeking a  a strategic, creative, and collaborative Researcher to lead our work on evaluating the systemic effects of collective leadership. This is a unique opportunity to co-create a new stream of inquiry with partners across the Teach For All network and other organizations doing education systems change work - generating insight into how their efforts are shifting systems and improving lives in their communities.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in participatory and systems-oriented research methods, is energized by working in complexity, and is committed to equity and locally led inquiry. This person will guide the strategy, design, and implementation of a portfolio of research partnerships and projects that surface evidence of systemic change emerging from the leadership of students, alumni, educators, and communities. They will also play a key role in supporting funding and partnership efforts that ensure this work grows and sustains over time.

About the Global Institute for Reshaping Education to Reshape the Future

The Global Institute is a new initiative of the Teach For All global organization, dedicated to accelerating learning, collective leadership, and impact among education leaders globally. It supports the broader education ecosystem through cutting-edge learning experiences, participatory research, and communities of practice that strengthen leadership for system transformation.

About the Research & Learning Lab

The Research & Learning Lab is the research hub of the Global Institute. Our mission is to deepen understanding of how collective leadership contributes to community- and systems-level change. We work with social entrepreneurs and civil society organizations, local researchers, and external collaborators to co-design research that is participatory, grounded in local context, and geared toward insight and action. One of our flagship efforts is a new initiative to explore how locally rooted efforts to cultivate leadership are contributing to systems transformation and improved outcomes for communities.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the Strategy and Portfolio of Systems Impact Research

• Set the strategic direction for a growing body of research on systems and community-level impact and the role of collective leadership development and other factors.
  
  
• Build and manage a portfolio of collaborative research projects with network partners and other researchers
  
  
• Ensure research efforts align with the mission and priorities of the Global Institute and Teach For All

Design and Implement Participatory and Innovative Research

• Lead efforts to innovate in the measurement of collective leadership development, including outcomes such as trust and social capital, interpersonal and intergroup relationship, distributed leadership and influence, community agency and collective efficacy
  
  
• Engage with partner organizations and country-based researchers in advisory or co-design of appropriate methodologies and research studies that are participatory, context-sensitive, and action-oriented
  
  
• Draw from and adapt approaches such as Comparative Case Studies, Developmental Evaluation, Outcome Mapping, Contribution Analysis, Participatory Action Research, Narrative and story-based methods (e.g., Most Significant Change)

Support Capacity and Learning Across the Network

• Support the capacity of partners and local researchers to lead systems-focused, participatory inquiry
  
  
• Foster a community of practice across Teach For All’s global network and research collaborators
  
  
• Curate and share insights to support collective learning, strategy, and storytelling

Thought Leadership and External Engagement 

• Identify and cultivate potential research collaborators, including academic institutions, think tanks, and independent researchers, with a focus on prioritizing locally led research capacity
  
  
• Collaborate with the Global Institute and Teach For All’s fundraising teams to support resource mobilization efforts, including proposal development and funder engagement
  
  
• Stay abreast of global trends and opportunities in education research, systems change, and impact measurement
• Present work at selected conferences, write blog posts and other thought pieces

Qualifications

• Experience leading research and evaluation initiatives in education, systems change, or related fields
• Demonstrated expertise in qualitative and participatory methods; desired experience with at least one of: developmental evaluation, outcome mapping, contribution analysis
• Experience working in complex, cross-cultural environments and with locally led or community-based organizations
• Strong writing and synthesis skills, and comfort communicating with academic, practitioner, and policy audiences
• Proven ability to co-create research with practitioners, synthesize insights, and communicate across technical and non-technical audiences
• Demonstrated ability to work across cultures and collaborate in diverse, distributed teams

Additional desirable skills/experiences

• PhD or equivalent applied research experience in a relevant discipline
• Experience in global education systems, leadership development, or equity-focused change initiative
• Familiarity with systems thinking or complexity-aware evaluation approaches
• Experience designing or launching new research programs or partnerships

What We Offer

• A rare opportunity to shape a new research function within a globally influential education movement
• A collaborative, mission-driven environment that values curiosity, equity, and shared learning
• The flexibility of a remote, globally distributed team
• Opportunities to influence how evidence is generated and used across education and systems change communities

Compensation

Salary for this position is competitive and dependent on country of hire, prior work experience and includes a comprehensive benefits package.

Work Authorization

This position does not offer employment visa sponsorship, immigration assistance, or support for work permits or residency applications. To be considered, candidates must already possess valid work and residency authorization to work in the country of hire at the time of application.

Travel and Hours

All work is delivered virtually. Given that we work across different time zones, some non-traditional hours for early or later calls are an expectation of this role.  

Apply now

Please submit your resume or curriculum vitae and a one-page letter of motivation in English directly online. Your letter should summarize motivations for your application and how your skills and experience align with the terms of this opportunity.   

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Therefore, candidates are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience.

About Teach For All

Teach For All is a global network of 60 independent, locally led and governed partner organizations and a global organization committed to developing collective leadership to ensure all children fulfill their potential. Each network partner recruits and develops promising future leaders to teach in their nations’ under-resourced schools and communities and, with this foundation, to work with others, inside and outside of education, to ensure all children are able to fulfill their potential. Teach For All’s global organization works to increase the network’s impact by capturing and spreading learning, facilitating connections among partners, accessing global resources, and fostering the leadership development of partner staff, teachers, and alumni.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusiveness

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization that inspires individuals of all backgrounds – across nationalities, races, ethnicity, religions, political views, economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, physical disabilities, languages, ages, genders and prior experiences – to bring their full selves to the work of ensuring educational opportunity for all.

In order to maximize our effectiveness in fulfilling Teach For All’s mission, we also feel it is important to focus on increasing representation and inclusiveness with respect to two dimensions in particular: we prioritize diversity of geography because this can help us quickly understand and connect with the diverse cultures and geographies of the world. We also prioritize increasing the representation and inclusiveness of team members who themselves have experienced the inequities we’re working to address by nature of sharing the background (e.g. economic, racial and ethnic, religious) of the most disadvantaged groups in their countries.