Overview
The Research Operations Manager will be the operational and methodological backbone of our research team. This role is responsible for coordinating our organization’s efforts to develop qualitative and quantitative analyses of the legal, operational, economic, and political dimensions of utility regulation.
Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with the Senior Research Team this person will ensure that research efforts turn into outputs – such as memos, whitepapers, reports, and policy briefs – that are immediately useful to regulators and elected officials, as well as ratepayer advocates and journalists. Success in this role will be measured by the quality, quantity, and timeliness of outputs, as well as the continual improvement of our research processes and systems.
You will coordinate the work 3-5 Senior Researchers, and directly oversee the work of two direct-report Research Associates, all with expertise in energy systems and governance, plus a rotating group of external contractors and collaborators such as technical and economic consultants, academic researchers, analysts based at other NGOs, and staff at state and local agencies.
You will be both a coach and a builder, responsible for strengthening our workflows, mentoring our junior researchers, and partnering with senior staff to launch and execute complex research projects. Such projects might include: analysis of how different states evaluate utility capital investments; historical analysis of regulatory changes within a given state; the development of a tool for monitoring declines in gas demand and identifying their root causes; and breaking down the spending categories that inform changes in gas rates for different customer segments in a given jurisdiction.
FoHI operates as a small, high-performance team. The Research Operations Manager will thrive here if they enjoy designing structure, solving operational challenges directly, and working without extensive administrative oversight.
The ideal candidate is highly organized, having built and run research efforts within academia, government, think-tanks, or the consulting world. Additional experience developing actionable analyses of state and local policy measures, as well as knowledge of energy systems, utilities, and the regulators responsible for their oversight is highly valued.
Our Research Team is based in New York, NY. This position requires a minimum of three days per week in office.
Key Responsibilities
Research Process, Quality, and Mentorship (≈40%)
- Partner with the Senior Research Team to translate substantive goals into structured, methodologically sound research plans with defined deliverables and timelines.
- Ensure each project has a clear research question, evidence base, and logic of argumentation suitable for policy and academic audiences.
- Develop and maintain research standards — including documentation, citation (Zotero), archiving, and review protocols.
- Mentor and directly supervise two Research Assistants; coach them on methods, writing, and professional growth.
- Lead structured internal and external peer-review processes, ensuring analytic accuracy, consistency, and clarity across all research outputs.
- Identify training needs, design internal “methods” sessions, and cultivate a shared research culture rooted in clarity and rigor.
- Evaluate and implement tools that support better research (e.g., Zotero, Notion, data management platforms), and advise where technology should or shouldn’t be used.
Project Management and Coordination (≈40%)
- Build project timelines, track and manage progress toward key milestones, and develop deliverables across all active research efforts. (we use Notion)
- Track team capacity and deadlines; proactively flag risks and propose solutions to the Executive Director and Senior Research Team.
- Manage external contractors, ensuring deliverables meet internal quality standards.
- Contribute to annual planning by maintaining a current map of the research pipeline and status relative to output schedule.
Writing, Editing, and Communications (≈20%)
- Review and edit research products (working papers, policy briefs, internal memos) for clarity, logic, and coherence.
- Work with FoHI communications lead to translate research into accessible external outputs.
- Draft internal synthesis memos and executive summaries for leadership and board reporting.
- Maintain consistency in style, voice, and presentation across all publications.
Qualifications
- Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in public policy, law, economics, political science, or a related field.
- 6–10 years of experience conducting or managing applied research in policy, law, or evaluation settings.
- Proven track record of delivering multiple concurrent research projects on time.
- Demonstrated understanding of what constitutes strong research design and credible evidence.
- Excellent editorial and analytical judgment; ability to strengthen arguments, not just polish prose.
- Experience mentoring junior researchers and managing multi-person teams.
- Proficiency with Zotero; comfort with workflow tools such as Notion, Airtable, or Asana is a plus.
- Strong digital literacy and discernment — able to identify where technology (e.g. AI) enhances research efficiency and where it distracts or detracts.
- High emotional intelligence and diplomatic communication style, comfortable managing up and down simultaneously.
While energy policy experience is desired, previous success as a research manager, with strong process development and coaching skills will be prioritized over existing domain knowledge.
Success in This Role Will Look Like
- Research outputs consistently delivered on time and at a high level of rigor.
- Junior researchers show measurable growth in capability and independence.
- Senior researchers report smoother collaboration and fewer bottlenecks.
- The organization’s overall research capacity and throughput increase quarter over quarter.
- Internal systems (templates, databases, documentation) become reliable and self-sustaining.
Salary range
$130,000 – $150,000 per year