Principal, Research & Strategy

Mark43’s mission is to empower communities and their governments with new technologies that improve the safety and quality of life for all. We build powerful, scalable, and elegant software that sets a new standard for the tools upon which our first responders rely. Our users are diverse, and we are therefore committed to embracing diversity of thought and experience within our team. 

We are looking for a Principal, Research & Strategy to join the Global Services team. In this role, you will operate at the intersection of public safety, research, and technology, helping agencies better understand and act on their data to drive meaningful operational and policy outcomes. You will build deep relationships with agency leaders, translate research into practical guidance, and shape how Mark43 defines and supports effective data use across the field. 

This is not a traditional research role. You will focus on making the right knowledge accessible and actionable, while building the partnerships and credibility that allow that knowledge to drive real-world impact at scale. 

What You’ll Do 

If you were part of our team, here are some things you would have done last week: 

• Built relationships with police departments and public safety agencies, engaging leadership, analysts, and frontline staff to understand how they use data, where gaps limit impact, and strategies to address those gaps 

• Partnered with an agency to identify priority data use cases and designed and executed analytical products that support operational and strategic decision-making across areas such as crime analysis, resource allocation, workforce development, victim services, and community engagement  

• Synthesized and translated public safety research and evidence into practical, accessible guidance, analysis, and products for agency executives.   

• Produced knowledge products such as practice guides, research briefs, and case studies that turn complex evidence into clear, actionable insights  

• Built and maintained partnerships with academic institutions, researchers, and policy stakeholders to strengthen the practice’s credibility and relevance  

• Represented Mark43 in external forums and at conferences, contributing to how the field thinks about data-driven and evidence-informed public safety  

• Collaborated cross-functionally at Mark43 to connect agency insights and research to product development, company strategy, and customer success 

What You’ll Need 

We are looking for a Principal Researcher with 7 or more years of professional experience leading applied research initiatives. This level of experience is critical because you will be designing rigorous evaluation frameworks, influencing executive stakeholders, facilitating cross-sector collaborations, and representing Mark43 with external partners and audiences.  

You will bring a strong strategic orientation, with the ability to identify what agencies most need to know, connect those needs to what the evidence can offer, and build the partnerships required to close that gap. You should be comfortable operating independently in ambiguous environments, taking an entrepreneurial approach to building something new while moving seamlessly from strategic thinking to practical execution. Success in this role also requires a collaborative working style that builds trust across internal and external stakeholders and thrives alongside complementary technical expertise. 

Required qualifications include:  

• PhD in Public Policy, Economics, Criminology, Political Science or a related field  

• 7+ years leading applied research in government, justice system, or policy environments  

• Deep familiarity with public safety agencies as organizations — how they work, what they struggle with, and how to build the trust that makes substantive partnership possible 

• Strong knowledge of the public safety research landscape and track record of building field-level relationships with agencies, researchers, and policymakers — and representing organizations credibly in those settings 

• Experience working with justice system or other complex government data and a critical, nuanced perspective on how public safety data can be used responsibly 

• Experience producing knowledge and evidence-based products that make research accessible and actionable 
• Comfortable with up to 25% travel

Our team is remote friendly within approved states, with travel expectations based on client and project needs. Travel may include onsite collaboration with agencies, executive presentations, conference participation, academic partnerships, and strategic and operational planning sessions.