Senior Associate, Research & Analysis, Institutional Giving

Milken Institute; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Insurance

Paid time off

Family Leave

Fertility Support

Disability Insurance

FSAs

Pet Insurance

Training & Development

Job summary

Milken Institute, a global nonprofit think tank based in Santa Monica, seeks a Senior Associate in Research & Analysis for Institutional Giving. The role focuses on data-driven grant reporting, impact measurement, and coordinating with program teams across Health, Finance and Strategic Philanthropy.

Hybrid work, with travel as needed. The ideal candidate has 3–5 years evaluating donor-funded programs, strong analytical skills, and experience with Tableau/Airtable; Python knowledge is a plus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• 3–5 years of relevant work experience evaluating donor-funded programs.
• Excellent organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and be proactive.
• Excellent analytical and synthesis skills; translate complex issues into plain messages for stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Research, monitoring and evaluation (70%): lead collection, storage, cleaning, explanation and analysis of programmatic data; synthesize findings for reports and proposals; coordinate landscape research; develop evaluation frameworks; ensure reporting requirements are met; communicate impact narratively or visually; occasional site visits or events.
• Process improvement and internal coordination (30%): maintain systems for grant deliverables tracking; drive quantitative data collection to inform fundraising and strategy; support cross-departmental collaboration; perform duties as assigned.

Skills

Data analysis

Grant reporting

Stakeholder comms

Program evaluation

Project management

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Tableau

Airtable

Python

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Senior Associate, Research & Analysis, Institutional Giving

Full-time Regular Santa Monica, CA, US

2 days ago Requisition ID: 1593

$70,000.00 To $85,000.00 Annually

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.

The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event.

About the Position

Reporting to the Director of Institutional Giving, the Senior Associate’s primary responsibility is to capture meaningful programmatic data, complete grant deliverables, and support efforts to refine and communicate the impact of programmatic activities to funders. The incumbent will be a vital partner of program teams across the Institute’s Pillars—Health, Finance, and Strategic Philanthropy—and will focus on strengthening impact measurement to drive program improvement and inform strategy. In addition to facilitating the collection and analysis of data, a successful candidate will have familiarity with translating broad goals into measurable outcomes and experience building systems that are responsive to program capabilities. Partnering with project management colleagues and finding efficiencies to streamline workflows across internal teams is another important aspect of the role.

The Milken Institute is seeking candidates that are self-motivated and entrepreneurial, with the ability to handle complex projects in a fast-paced environment while maintaining positive interactions with those at all levels of the organization. Individuals with a passion for and experience in programmatic data analysis, assessment, fundraising, and project management are encouraged to apply. Experience using new tools and platforms, including AI, to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of data reporting and grants processes is desired.

Responsibilities

Research, monitoring and evaluation (70%)

• Lead the collection, storage, cleaning, explanation, and analysis of programmatic data.
• Synthesize findings to contribute to reports, proposals, and other materials for institutional donors.
• Lead efforts to coordinate and synthesize relevant landscape research to benchmark programs and guide grants strategy.
• Support the development and implementation of evaluation and measurement frameworks.
• Ensure reporting requirements are met and make recommendations to program teams and partners.
• Develop ways to communicate programmatic impact in narrative and/or visual form.
• Occasionally conduct site visits or attend events relevant to program activities.

Process improvement and internal coordination (30%)

• Maintain systems to ensure accurate tracking and execution of grant deliverables.
• Contribute to a culture of evaluation and learning, leading efforts to identify and collect meaningful quantitative data to drive fundraising and program strategy.
• Support inter- and intradepartmental communications to ensure smooth collaboration, effective processes.
• Duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Three to five years of relevant work experience evaluating donor-funded programs.
• Excellent organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and be proactive.
• Excellent analytical and synthesis skills; able to translate complex issues into plain, easily digestible messages for stakeholders across different settings.
• Experience using software such as Tableau and Airtable as well as familiarity with Python or other tools for making use of large federal datasets is a plus.
• Comfortable working in a demanding, fast-paced organization with evolving processes; flexible and able to adapt to new situations.
• Creative problem-solver who can design and implement workable solutions.
• A proactive and enthusiastic approach to work, with the ability to build and maintain relationships at all levels, including program leaders.

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

This position will work in a professional office environment on a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week reporting in-person to the Santa Monica office location (Tuesday – Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely. Please understand, this schedule is subject to change at the Institute’s sole discretion.

This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. Additionally, this position requires interacting virtually on a regular basis with Milken Institute staff based in other locations in the United States and around the world.

Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.

We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.

Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone.

• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
• Fertility Support
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
• Pet Insurance Discount
• Training & Development:
• LinkedIn Learning –over 15,000 self-guided classes offered