Founded in 1994, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) is a national nonprofit dedicated to driving inclusive economic prosperity in under-resourced communities. Through research, executive education, coaching, technical assistance, and access to capital, ICIC helps more than 3,000 small businesses each year create jobs, generate wealth, and strengthen local economies.
Research has been central to ICIC’s work since its founding, informing its programs and its broader contributions to economic development, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth. Its small business initiatives include Inner City Capital Connections, the Inner City 100, Building for Growth, and the Manufacturing Accelerator Program, alongside partnerships with organizations including Goldman Sachs and Santander Bank.
The Opportunity
ICIC seeks a visionary and entrepreneurial Director of Research to shape the next generation of the organization’s research, influence, and impact.
Reporting directly to the CEO, this leader will guide a nationally recognized research function as new technologies, evolving economic conditions, and emerging approaches to data transform the field. Working at the intersection of research, strategy, innovation, and relationship-building, the Director will elevate ICIC’s thought leadership, identify new areas of inquiry, and help attract the philanthropic and earned revenue that sustains and expands its work.
The Director will define ICIC’s research agenda, oversee research and advisory engagements, and lead and develop a talented team. This leader will ensure that ICIC’s research remains rigorous, relevant, accessible, and responsive to emerging issues while exploring how AI and other technologies can increase its efficiency, scale, and impact.
Success will mean positioning research as a powerful strategic asset for informing decision making, driving community investment, strengthening small businesses and local economies, and advancing inclusive economic development.
The salary range for this position is $170,000–$200,000.
