Research Director

Note - This is a remote role, with up to 10% travel. We are open to applicants based in any country but we cannot normally sponsor work permits.

ABOUT PREVAIL FUND

Prevail is a new nonprofit foundation dedicated to catalysing large-scale social change by helping givers and doers achieve more ambitious and impactful goals. These are long term, focused initiatives deploying capital over 10-12 years. Rather than diversifying across multiple causes, we prioritise deep, strategic investments in proven solutions with the potential to reshape global norms.

We are currently closing out our first year of grant making in our foundational education program, having provided $20m in grants in 2024, growing to $30m+ in 2025. We have additionally built out early stage initiatives focused on dengue fever elimination and climate-friendly air conditioning, both of which have secured $ms in initial funding. As we demonstrate our ability to launch successful philanthropic initiatives, we are hiring a senior researcher to identify new initiatives that could cost-effectively absorb large funds, and answer key programmatic questions in our existing portfolios.

THE ROLE

The Research Director will directly conduct high-quality, actionable research into the most cost-effective opportunities to tackle key challenges facing low-income countries. This is not an academic role: we want you to propose practical solutions that we can actually launch as ambitious, well-funded programs.

As Prevail Fund’s Research Director you will:

• Conduct practical research into the most cost-effective ways to spend large philanthropic sums in low-income countries: this will involve reviewing or conducting meta-analyses and speaking with leading experts across a range of sectors, and will likely also include getting into the weeds by visiting programs in person.
• Synthesize and translate evidence from this research to determine what is and is not working, what might scale cost-effectively, and identify the breadth of actors working on the issue that might be able to absorb significant funding
• Identify and address critical bottlenecks in major global challenges (e.g., disease elimination, poverty reduction, climate change). This might involve proposing R&D investments or market-creating purchase guarantees.
• Conduct research to answer key programmatic questions: examples might include, “In which countries should we launch a dengue fever elimination initiative?” and “Do the effects of literacy programs for children persist into adulthood?”
• Conduct bespoke research to support the giving plans of leading philanthropists
• Partner with other key members of the team to iterate on research needs

ABOUT YOU

You're an experienced research professional driven to see your research make a real-world impact. You can communicate complex ideas clearly and thrive in a fast-paced environment.

• Research Experience: You have significant (10+ years) experience in conducting decision-relevant research. Examples might include economics or quantitative social science research. Experience in global development research is a strong asset but not required.
• Action orientation: You conduct goal-oriented research, identify the most efficient path to reaching that goal and ensure all outputs are directly relevant to the decision or actions being considered.
• Concise Communication. You can communicate complex concepts/analysis to our ideas to colleagues and partners in a clear and compelling way.
• Reasoning transparency and humility: You transparently outline how you came to key conclusions, you are open about your key uncertainties and can propose strategies to remove those uncertainties
• Team Management: You’re excellent at building and leading diverse, global teams. You set a high bar for excellence while creating a supportive, growth-oriented culture. You provide direct feedback and coaching to enable your team to achieve their goals and continuously improve.
• Data Skills: You have an analytical mindset but we do not expect you to directly conduct analysis or study design. Most importantly, you love to synthesise complex data and identify clear recommendations.

ABOUT OUR TEAM

We work in a fast-paced, results-driven environment. Our culture is built on the following values and competencies:

• Ownership and Outcomes: We have a bias for informed action. When something goes wrong, we reflect inward, and take responsibility for outcomes. When we see an opportunity to improve, we proactively take the lead and rally others to find a solution.
• Humility: We prioritise collective success over personal accolades, welcome constructive criticism, and have a strong ethos of continuous feedback.
• Scout Mindset: We are life-long learners, value open-mindedness and champion a genuine willingness to change our beliefs based on evidence.
• Data: We look for the right data and metrics to understand the context, draw conclusions and make informed recommendations.
• Motivated by Scale: We are energised by ambitious targets and moving fast to achieve them.
• Team Oriented: We are quick to ask for help, and we are quick to help others before being asked.
• High Adaptability: We thrive in rapidly changing, low-context environments and can quickly pivot based on new information, adjusting priorities as needed.

PREFERRED START DATE

As soon as possible – applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

JOB LOCATION & TRAVEL

Prevail is a globally distributed team with all staff operating remotely. For this role, we are open to applicants based in any country but we cannot normally sponsor work permits. If you would require visa sponsorship, please let us know in your application. You should be open to modest travel to conferences and team retreats, perhaps up to 10% of your time.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS.

The compensation for this role depends on the successful candidate's skillset, their experience level, and their desired working location. We always share salary bands for roles before the informational call, with the final salary offer determined on interview performance.

We offer a meaningful benefits package including health insurance, a home workspace or coworking stipend, a learning and development allowance, and a competitive and flexible leave policy.

CAREER GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

We have a culture of constant learning and we invest in developing people. Although this is a start-up environment, you will have regular check-ins with your manager, regular career feedback sessions, and constant feedback generally. Constructive career growth is very important to us.

DURATION

Full-time job.

HIRING PROCESS

If we see a match with your skills and experiences, we’ll invite you for a 30 minute informational call with our recruitment team where you can ask any questions you like about the role, or working at Prevail. The second round is a 60 minute call with the hiring manager. The final round is a work sample exercise and final interview brief. We aim to always provide feedback within one week of any interview.

TO APPLY

Please complete a simple 3 minute contact form here there is no cover letter required.