Director of Strategy and Evaluation

Career Guide
A Director of Strategy and Evaluation sets the organization’s strategic direction and proves what is working through rigorous evaluation. The role connects leadership priorities to measurable outcomes, guides investment decisions, and builds a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead strategic planning and translate priorities into clear goals and measurable outcomes
  • Design evaluation plans to assess programs, initiatives, and policies
  • Define success metrics and set up reporting that leadership can act on
  • Use qualitative and quantitative research to explain what is working and why
  • Advise leaders on which initiatives to scale, improve, pause, or stop
  • Build cross functional alignment across teams, including operations, finance, and program leaders
  • Manage evaluation vendors and research partners when needed
  • Ensure ethical practices for data collection, privacy, and informed consent
  • Develop team capability through coaching, hiring, and performance management
  • Present findings to executives, boards, funders, and external stakeholders

Top Skills for Success

Strategic Planning
Program Evaluation
Research Design
Measurement Framework Development
Data Analysis
Stakeholder Management
Executive Communication
Change Management
Budgeting
Team Leadership
Impact Reporting
Grant and Funder Reporting

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Senior Manager of Strategy
Senior Manager of Evaluation
Director of Strategic Planning
Director of Program Evaluation
Director of Insights
Transition Opportunities
Vice President of Strategy
Vice President of Impact
Head of Strategy
Head of Insights
Chief Strategy Officer
Chief Operating Officer

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Causal InferenceSurvey DesignData VisualizationOperational PlanningCost Benefit AnalysisFacilitationVendor ManagementData Governance
Development SuggestionsBuild a portfolio of two to three strategy and evaluation case studies that show clear questions, methods, results, and decisions made. Strengthen practical analytics and visualization skills, and practice presenting concise recommendations to senior leaders.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry LevelTypically not an entry level role
Mid LevelUSD 130,000 to 175,000
Senior LevelUSD 175,000 to 230,000
Growth Trend
Steady growth. Demand is strongest in organizations under pressure to show measurable impact, improve efficiency, and make evidence based decisions.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
DeloitteMcKinsey and CompanyBoston Consulting GroupAccentureKPMGUnited NationsWorld BankRTI InternationalMathematicaICF
Industry Sectors
Nonprofit and PhilanthropyGovernmentHealthcareEducationInternational DevelopmentManagement ConsultingFinancial ServicesTechnology

Recommended Next Steps

1
Create a one page strategy map linking goals, metrics, initiatives, and owners for a real or sample organization
2
Develop an evaluation plan template that includes questions, data sources, timing, and decision points
3
Publish a short impact report that translates findings into specific actions
4
Practice executive ready storytelling by writing a two page memo with three recommendations and expected outcomes
5
Audit data quality for one key metric and propose fixes for definitions, collection, and ownership
6
Network with strategy leaders and evaluation leaders to learn how decisions are made and funded in your target sector