Job title: Research manager - Outcomes and Assessment Validity

Hay grade: 16

Job Type: Full-Time Permanent (Start with 1 year fixed term contract)

Location: IB (International Baccalaureate®) Global Centre, The Hague (NL) or Cardiff (UK)

Salary negotiable depending on experience:
HG16 Salary NL: 75.439 - 94.299 EUR annually based on 40 hours per week (incl. 8% holiday allowance)
HG16 Salary UK: 54.927 -68.659 GBP annually based on 37.5 hours per week

Hybrid working opportunity (1 day per week at the office)

A relocation package and work permit sponsoring will be offered by relocation to The Netherlands

The Research Department serves as an integrated service and impact research unit within the Education Office, supporting an evidence-informed approach to decision-making across the organization. Its role is to provide feedback and evaluate the impact of curriculum, assessment, professional learning, and school implementation requirements on educational outcomes. Through its research activities, the department helps the IB both leverage existing knowledge and generate new insights to inform continuous improvement and innovation. The department also supports Community Partnerships & Development (CP&D) office by providing evidence that informs recognition, growth, and retention strategies. It also supports Assessment & Operations office by generating evidence on the effectiveness, validity, and impact of assessment-related initiatives, supporting ongoing quality assurance and enhancement efforts.

The Research Manager is responsible for designing and conducting rigorous research studies that generate evidence on the design, implementation, effectiveness, impact, and equity of educational programmes, student learning, curriculum, and assessment practices. Individuals in this role contribute to the continuous improvement of learning experiences, pedagogical approaches, and assessment systems by collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to inform the development of IB offerings and support strategic decision-making. They translate complex research findings into actionable insights for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that decisions are grounded in high-quality evidence. The role also involves leading research projects, managing external research partners when appropriate, and contributing to the organization's broader research agenda by generating knowledge that advances educational quality, innovation, and student outcomes.

Applications will be accepted until 11 October 23.59 CET .

About the IB

If you're looking to work for a global organisation with a meaningful mission, and with colleagues all over the world, then the International Baccalaureate® (IB) may have the ideal opportunity for you! The International Baccalaureate provides world-class educational services to over 5,800 schools across 162 countries. A career at IB is not just a job; it’s an opportunity to work with an innovative world leader in education services and contribute to our 50-year mission of creating a better and more peaceful world. Apply now to join our global organisation where we empower our employees to thrive and make a difference.

We are committed to building a working environment that values respect, diversity, and compassion. The International Baccalaureate is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified applicants.

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The Research Manager is responsible for designing and conducting rigorous research studies that generate evidence on the design, implementation, effectiveness, impact, and equity of educational programmes, student learning, curriculum, and assessment practices. Individuals in this role contribute to the continuous improvement of learning experiences, pedagogical approaches, and assessment systems by collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to inform the development of IB offerings and support strategic decision-making.

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• Master’s degree (PhD preferred) in, Educational assessment, Education research, Applied educational statistics or a related field.

• At least three years of experience in educational research, preferably educational assessment research and design, educational measurement, program evaluation

• Knowledge and understanding of the principles and standards for assessment design, validity and research; knowledge of digital assessment technologies and methods

• Significant proficiency in using statistical software (e.g., R, SPSS, STATA, Python)

• Familiarity with analytics and dashboards design

• Ability to manage and analyse large education datasets, and specifically student assessment datasets, including longitudinal or hierarchical data

• Extensive knowledge of assessment validity frameworks, psychometrics, test theory

• Knowledge of assessment design and principles, and current trends in international assessment and educational measurement

• Strong conceptual skills to frame research problems holistically and communicate findings to various audiences

• Understanding of research ethics, informed consent, and data privacy in educational contexts

• Familiarity with IB programmes or international education frameworks is highly desirable

• Strong skills in report writing, critical analysis, and translating findings for practitioner use

• Ability to collaborate across disciplines, work with designers and policy teams, and navigate complexity

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• Collaborate with Assessment, Education, and Community Partnership & Development (CP&D) teams to formulate research questions relevant to assessment validity, student and educator outcomes and teaching practices.
• Design and implement research studies and analyses aligned with Assessment, Education, and CP&D priorities (e.g., case studies, surveys, longitudinal studies, experimental/quasi-experimental designs).
• Design and conduct advanced statistical analyses of large datasets of existing IB and external performance data (e.g., OLS and logistic regression, hierarchical multi-level modelling, propensity score matching).
• Design and contribute to the development of long-term data analytics frameworks for assessment operational cycles.
• Ensure studies and analyses are designed with attention to equity, cultural responsiveness, and diverse learning contexts.
• Interpret, integrate and present results in internal reports, briefs, and publications that translate findings into practical recommendations for assessment practices and programme improvement.
• Actively contribute to impact reporting and evidence synthesis for assessment quality assurance and redesign, curriculum reform, professional learning initiatives, and school experience.
• Support the development of evidence-informed design principles for use in digital, project-based, or interdisciplinary curriculum models.
• Present findings to Education, Assessment and CP&D teams, academic and professional communities, and educator networks.
• Contribute to publications in academic journals and professional platforms.