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Nicolas Alvarez

@nicolasalvarez2

Research analyst with 15 years of experience working with organizations in Latin America and Europe. Skilled in mixed methods data analysis.

Germany

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a role where I can lead mixed-method research and benchmarking, build KPI/monitoring frameworks, and deliver clear, actionable insights for strategy, programs, and impact—preferably with cross-country stakeholders and room to grow.

I help organizations make data-driven decisions. I have spent 15 years doing research and analysis across Europe and Latin America, five of them based in Berlin, working with clients across both regions.

Over that time, I have worked inside government, higher education institutions, and foundations in Chile, and for the last 5 years as an independent consultant in Berlin. My work has included competitive benchmarking, skills gap analysis, survey research, and market analysis for private institutions, public organizations, and international clients. The methods are the same regardless of sector, and so are the questions.

What I work on:

Competitive benchmarking: how your organization compares to others across strategy, operations, services, programs, or products
Organization research and analysis: how your organization is perceived as a brand, culture, identity.
Market & landscape analysis: understanding trends, gaps, opportunities, and political and regulatory context, useful for entering or expanding in Europe or Latin America
Survey & data analysis: analyzing and making sense of data your team already has or needs to collect
Impact analysis: whether your programs and initiatives are delivering results and the change you were looking for
On-demand research: applied research and analysis capacity when you need it, without the overhead

Past clients include Instituto Unibanco, Universität Bamberg, Open Future Lab, Universidad Diego Portales, Duoc UC, Ombudsman for Children of Chile, and the Ministry of Education Chile.

Based in Berlin. Open to projects and collaborations across sectors, public, private, and international.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Independent Research Analyst

Current

Independent Research Analyst

Apr 2022 - Present (4 years 2 months)

Led 5 benchmarking studies comparing institutions’ structures, practices, funding models, and operations to help clients reposition strategy and redesign programs. Produced market/competitive analysis for higher-education clients, analyzed policy trends across 6 countries, and delivered trend reports from a 600-respondent national opinion survey.

Benchmarking Competitive Analysis Impact Evaluation RStudio

Research Analyst

Cluster of Excellence

Feb 2020 - Mar 2022 (2 years 1 month)

Conducted comparative analysis across 6 European and Latin American countries, producing 50+ country reports based on discourse/content analysis of parliamentary debates. Coordinated expert interviews with senior policy advisors in Chile and Poland and integrated primary data into cross-national research.

content analysis Interviewing Cross National Reporting Research Coordination

Freelance Analyst

Jan 2019 - Dec 2019 (11 months)

Delivered benchmarking and impact analysis for institutional clients, including work for Duoc UC to inform internal process improvement. Synthesized interviews and operational processes into a rollout guide for a public education directorate and supported municipality-level program improvement in Valparaiso, Chile.

Benchmarking Impact Evaluation Process Analysis Rollout

Project Coordinator & Analyst

Ministry of Education (Chile)

Oct 2014 - Dec 2018 (4 years 2 months)

Managed data analysis across a national dataset of 3.6M beneficiaries and 11,000 institutions, supporting leadership in targeting, segmentation, and performance monitoring. Produced data-driven briefs and supported stakeholder consultation for Chile’s first National Public Education Strategy, coordinating a 3-person monitoring team and the rollout of 3 programs.

Segmentation Performance Monitoring Report Writing Team Coordination

Analyst

Fundación Chile

Jan 2011 - Oct 2014 (3 years 9 months)

Conducted 3 mixed-methods evaluation studies for corporate-funded programs across 15 municipalities to assess impact and inform redesign decisions. Analyzed a 600+ respondent national survey and coordinated field research teams across regions, managing logistics and data collection operations.

Survey Analysis Interview Based Research Impact Evaluation Data Collection Program Redesign Support