Vice President of Research, Insights & Solutions

Essential Functions: Product-Led Research Strategy Define and lead Catalyst’s research strategy, aligning research priorities to organizational growth, supporter needs, and market opportunities. Own the end-to-end research-to-solution lifecycle, from agenda setting through productization, launch, and evolution. Make clear prioritization decisions about what to build, what to scale, and what not to pursue, balancing rigor with market relevance. Guide the development of proprietary frameworks, diagnostics, tools, and learning solutions grounded in research. Insights & Solutions Lead the translation of research into practical, scalable solutions, including learning programs, tools, diagnostics, and recognition initiatives. Oversee the evolution of Catalyst’s Awards and benchmarking programs to ensure relevance, rigor, and market differentiation. Partner with Product, GRSS, Marketing, and Communications to enable consultative supporter engagement and revenue-aligned outcomes. Establish clear measures of usage, adoption, and impact for Catalyst’s research products and solutions. External Influence & Thought Leadership Serve as a public-facing authority on workplace inclusion, leadership, and culture. Represent Catalyst at high-profile conferences, executive forums, and industry events. Publish and contribute practitioner-oriented thought leadership that shapes executive and organizational decision-making. Partner with Communications and Marketing to amplify Catalyst’s research and point of view across channels and audiences. Leadership & Operations Lead and develop a globally distributed, multidisciplinary team across research, insights, and solutions. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and learning. Serve as a senior leader within the Product organization and present regularly to the Senior Leadership Team.

Requirements: Advanced degree (PhD or equivalent) in organizational behavior, psychology, sociology, public policy, or a related field, with 10+ years of applied research experience leading complex projects and teams. Deep expertise in workplace inclusion, leadership, and organizational culture, with strong statistical literacy and experience overseeing advanced quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Demonstrated ability to evaluate research quality and rigor, including methodology, controls, segmentation, and interpretation. Proven product leadership, including ownership of research-backed products, solutions, or intellectual property with clear adoption or market impact. Established external influence, evidenced by executive-level speaking, published practitioner-oriented thought leadership, and industry credibility. Ability to operate effectively at the intersection of research rigor, product strategy, and market relevance. Executive presence with the ability to influence senior internal and external stakeholders. Proven people leader across diverse, multidisciplinary teams, with experience managing complex portfolios, budgets, and cross-functional partnerships. Strong strategic judgment and decision-making capability in ambiguous, evolving environments, with a global mindset and cultural fluency.