Research Operations Lead

ABOUT US

At Founders Pledge, we empower entrepreneurs to do immense good. Since 2015, our members have pledged over $10 billion to high-impact social causes. We help leading tech founders and philanthropists turn their intent into real-world impact through world-class research, tailored advice, and direct fund management. Our research team is small, expert, and deeply mission-driven.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a Research Operations Lead to optimize the operational infrastructure of our 16-person research team. This role will streamline research processes, enhance team productivity, and ensure our research capabilities scale effectively as we continue to grow our impact in philanthropic research and cause prioritization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Process Design & Optimization

• Develop and implement standardized research workflows across different cause areas
• Create systems for research project management, from inception through publication and member dissemination
• Improve and design quality assurance processes and peer review protocols to maintain research standards
• Establish clear timelines, deliverables, and accountability structures for cross-functional projects
• Creating automations to reduce human workload for both administrative and research processes
• Refine processes for our flagship FP Funds, which plan to move more than $50M to high-impact opportunities over the next two years

Knowledge Management & Systems

• Build and maintain centralized research databases, literature repositories, and institutional knowledge systems
• Implement tools and platforms that facilitate research collaboration, version control, and documentation
• Create searchable archives of past research, methodologies, and donor recommendations
• Develop onboarding systems and documentation for new research team members

Cross-functional Coordination

• Serve as liaison between research team and other departments (member engagement, communications, operations)
• Coordinate research input for member meetings, events, and strategic initiatives
• Manage research publication schedules and external communication workflows
• Facilitate knowledge transfer between research streams and cause area specialists

Team Support & Resource Management

• Optimize resource allocation across research priorities and timelines
• Coordinate external research partnerships, commissioned studies, and academic collaborations
• Manage research budgets, contractor relationships, and vendor coordination
• Support researchers with administrative tasks that impede their core research work

Strategic Planning & Metrics

• Develop metrics and reporting systems to track research productivity, impact, and quality
• Support research team strategic planning and priority-setting processes
• Analyze team capacity, bottlenecks, and growth needs
• Contribute to research strategy discussions with senior leadership

ABOUT YOU

Ideally, we are looking for someone with:

• Strong understanding of research methodologies and academic/think tank environments
• Excellent project management skills with experience managing multiple complex workstreams
• Proficiency with collaboration tools, databases, and knowledge management systems
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and analytical capabilities

Bonus Points For:

• Background in effective altruism, philanthropic research, or related fields
• Experience supporting research teams in academic, nonprofit, or consulting environments
• Familiarity with cause prioritization methodologies and cost-effectiveness analysis
• Experience with research publication processes and external stakeholder management
• Understanding of high-net-worth philanthropy landscape
• Sophisticated understanding of automation, contemporary AI tools and an interest in deploying them at scale
• Basic coding ability in Python or other scripting languages

What We Offer

• Opportunity to directly support research that influences millions of dollars in philanthropic giving
• Collaborative, mission-driven team environment with significant growth opportunities
• Competitive compensation and benefits package
• Professional development support and conference/training opportunities
• Flexible work arrangements and strong work-life balance culture

LOCATION

This role is ideally based on the US East Coast or in the UK.

However, exceptional candidates may also be considered for locations on the US West Coast or within Europe.

All staff may also be required to attend team offsites once per year (or more), location TBC. Additionally, all staff may be required to attend a global offsite annually.

WHY WORK WITH US?

You can find more about the benefits we offer here, but what makes us truly special is both our mission and our people. 

We’re a diverse team, from both charitable and commercial backgrounds, who believe that amazing things can happen when we tackle problems together.

We offer a flat structure and an opportunity to help shape the future of philanthropy.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at Founders Pledge. We seek people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds, who share our drive to understand and solve complex social challenges. 

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Finding solutions to the world’s most pressing problems requires different perspectives and unique ways of thinking and we are committed to building an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone can do their best work.