Job Title: Associate I
Reports to: Sarah Kelley
Role Type: Full-time
Salary: $70,000
Location: Boston: hybrid, Minimum 2 days in-office
FLSA Status: Exempt
Prepared Date: May, 2025

POSITION SUMMARY

The Associate I, OAI, plays a critical role in supporting the execution of projects, internal program operations (such as data entry, scheduling, etc.), and client engagements to leverage data, technology, and evidence-based strategies to drive social impact. This role requires a highly organized, analytical, and adaptable professional with strong communication skills and a commitment to advancing community outcomes. The Associate will coordinate and support client engagements, internal operations, and knowledge management, ensuring high-quality execution that meets practice, client, and organizational objectives.

Role Dynamics: The Associate I, OutcomesAI (OAI), is deeply committed to delivering better community outcomes using AI. Deploying AI for mission-related goals is a new field, and candidates must be curious, entrepreneurial, have a growth mindset, and enjoy working in collaboration. This role regularly collaborates with key internal stakeholders, including other members of the OAI team, as well as PE Analysts and members of the Communications team. This role also interacts with external clients engaged in projects, such as practitioners and funders. This role reports to the Director, OAI and will work on projects led by their manager or by other Directors on the OAI team.

Cross-Team Collaboration: While this role is primarily assigned to a specific team, it may also contribute to projects that involve multiple teams or the entire organization. This requires working effectively across departments, aligning with shared goals, and coordinating with project leads who may not be the direct manager.

Core Expectations: Uphold programmatic excellence standards and adhere to organization-wide expectations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Engagement & Project Delivery (70%)

• Provide project management, including coordinating client engagements and communities of practice, tracking deliverables to meet timelines, and ensuring alignment with client and organizational goals.
• Support and coordinate logistics for virtual and in-person meetings and events. Virtual event management includes coordinating breakout rooms and utilizing meeting engagement tools. Event management responsibilities include vendor coordination, catering, travel arrangements, and other event-related details to ensure seamless execution.
• Support the delivery of consulting, technical assistance services, project scoping, and technical assistance or coach matching by ensuring high-quality service delivery that drives program impact.
• Assist in client and partner communications including building and maintaining microsites, monitoring microsite activity, and deploying engagement tools. Ensure timely client follow-ups to enhance stakeholder engagement and collaboration.
• Assist in developing, refining, and updating program materials, reports, and communications to support program goals and stakeholder engagement.
• Support program implementation by assisting with the facilitation of training, communities or practice, and other group events.
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research and analysis on secondary and primary resources and client-provided data and information. Synthesize key findings, identify implications and opportunities for action. Create reports, presentations, case studies, and other knowledge products to support program objectives and provide high-quality support to engagement leads.
• Establish and maintain successful relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support program initiatives and objectives.
• Stay informed on developments in data, evidence-based policy, artificial intelligence, education, and the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors to ensure alignment with emerging trends and best practices.
• Maintain effective knowledge management by tracking, organizing, and synthesizing project documents, research, and stakeholder interviews to support informed decision-making and program success.
• Represent the organization in relevant meetings, capturing key insights and effectively communicating them to internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Have a desire to build repeatable processes, such as steps to launch a client engagement, and content to support the efficient scaling of the practice.
• Maintain an awareness/curiosity of developments and trends in the field relevant to PE's OAI strategy

Department Operations (30%)

• Support business development by conducting research, drafting proposals, and engaging with funders as relevant to the team’s scope of work.
• Maintain project management tools, Salesforce, and other knowledge management systems to ensure accurate data tracking, reporting, and accessibility to inform decision-making.
• Partner with PE’s communications team to support disseminating and promoting reports, blogs, events and other activities.
• Support advisory group meetings, internal team gatherings, and special projects by coordinating logistics, preparing materials, and ensuring timely follow-ups.
• Work cross-functionally to develop tools and resources that can be utilized across multiple engagements and PE.
• Learn and apply the PE Way while actively participating in team meetings, retreats, PE Citizenship activities, and required trainings.
• Active participation in OAI team learning logs, internal tools that OAI maintains to support the development of shared knowledge and practice formation.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 2+ years of full-time, continuous experience in research, consulting, client services, or project management.
• Interest in AI and technology is required; a data science background is a plus

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

You must be able to support project leads by conducting research, synthesizing information, generating high-quality presentations, and maintaining project timelines. Throughout engagements, you will develop a deep understanding of our partners’ contexts to ensure meaningful and impactful contributions. A commitment to delivering work that drives real impact is essential, along with a willingness to roll up your sleeves and provide support wherever needed. Success in this role requires the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, client services, and consulting environment, demonstrating adaptability, strong analytical skills, and a collaborative mindset. This position will collaborate with cross-functional teams on joint projects, ensuring alignment, effective communication, and successful outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

We are also looking for candidates who have:

• Background or experience in education, workforce development, nonprofit evaluation, or the social impact sector.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders, including clients, partners, and external collaborators, in a consultative capacity.
• Experience providing technical assistance to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research, including interviews, policy analysis, and data visualization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise, and high-quality content.
• Ability to effectively visualize data to support program evaluation, reporting, and decision-making.
• Ability to read, interpret, and derive insights from data visualizations.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• High proficiency in Google and Microsoft software, including Docs/Word, Slides/PowerPoint, Sheets/Excel, and Asana and Salesforce.
• Familiarity with group collaboration tools such as Slack, Google Team Drive, and Zoom, or a willingness to learn.
• Proficient in using technology with a strong curiosity and willingness to learn new systems.
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to navigate evolving priorities in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Virtual Team Collaboration – Ability to work effectively in a remote environment with team members across multiple time zones. Regular availability is expected between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM (ET).
• Workload Flexibility – Expected to work 40-50 hours per week, with fluctuations based on client and organizational demands.
• Travel Requirements—Travel up to 25-30% is required to meet the organization's needs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Ability to sit, talk, and listen for extended periods, up to 8 hours daily.
• Requires fine motor skills, including continuous typing for up to 4 hours.
• Ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 30 pounds.

WHY JOIN PROJECT EVIDENT?

We hope you're excited about the possibilities of working at Project Evident! To support you in bringing your best self to work, we offer:

• Comprehensive Benefits – Generous medical, dental, and vision plans, a 403(b) retirement plan with employer match, and life and disability insurance.
• Flexible Time Off – Unlimited vacation days, Summer Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and organizational-wide closure from December 25 to January 1.
• Support for Your Growth & Well-Being – Remote work stipends, reimbursement and time off for professional development, and coverage for relevant membership fees.

ABOUT PROJECT EVIDENT (www.projectevident.org)

Project Evident exists to help organizations harness the power of evidence to achieve greater impact. We do this through a blend of direct technical assistance and field building. We offer a comprehensive platform of tools, resources, and services to help state education agencies, local education agencies, nonprofits and funders improve how they measure, evaluate, and report results, while strengthening their ability to build and use evidence.

Project Evident is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce committed to a culture of belonging and accountability.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are often reluctant to submit a job application unless they meet all qualifications—we encourage applicants who may not meet 100 percent of the position qualifications to apply anyway.