Research Supervisor at Africa Management Solutions Limited (AMSOL)

Requirements

• To act as in-country support for the delivery of the research objectives of the wider Non-Commemoration Project and to provide direct historical support to the Non-Commemoration Project Team in Kenya.
• Undertake research in archives in Kenya and potentially across East Africa in search of the names of casualties from the two world wars who are not currently commemorated by the CWGC.
• Undertake research in support of the search for lost burial locations and seek to find answers to why these men were not commemorated following these conflicts.
• Lead and oversee collaborative projects with partners in Kenya, potentially involving the cataloguing and digitisation of rare and vulnerable records related to this work.
• Produce effective copies of relevant documents and manage their digital transfer to the UK Research Team, complete with contextual information.
• Carefully document the research undertaken, including detailed reports of collections and references to files checked, and recommendations for future work based on leads.
• Extensive engagement with local academics, archivists, historians, municipal departments, heritage authorities, local leaders, elders, interest groups and members of the wider public in search of relevant records to support the project.
• Act as the point of contact for the UK Research Team, relaying detailed findings to the Non-Commemoration Project Team in Kenya when relevant.
• Support the Non-Commemoration Project Team in Kenya in the delivery of external engagement and educational and outreach activities as required.

Team Performance

• Regular team meetings to update Non-Commemoration Project Team.
• Active and ongoing collaboration with colleagues in the Non-Commemorations Project Team in Kenya.
• Active and ongoing collaboration with your operational colleagues in the East Africa HUB Office.
• Support the delivery of marketing & communications, and education focus events and activities as required.

Financial & Risk Management

• Manage delegated budgets, prepare estimates, and submit monthly/quarterly expenditure reports as required.
• Follow the Commission procurement policy and regulations.
• Assess capabilities and portfolios of external service providers and ensure that they are reputable.

Job Functional Knowledge

• The ability to identify relevant collections within personal, state or government department archives and arrange access. Knowledge and experience of navigating complex archival arrangements and searching poorly catalogued collections for the information required by the project and working in close collaboration with archivists and other authorities in tracking down uncatalogued and possibly unseen material.

Business Expertise

• A firm understanding of the REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO REVIEW HISTORICAL INEQUALITIES IN COMMEMORATION and its recommendations. Ability to develop knowledge on the commission procedures and ensure that all project activities are carried out to current safety, health and welfare regulations and commission policies.

Leadership

• Provides direction and guidance to Project Team colleagues, operational colleagues, external stakeholders, and members of the public to deliver project outcomes. Has the confidence to challenge and question archival gatekeepers to seek out information that might not normally be publicly available. Follows-up leads to ensure that the archival research is thorough and the methodology robust.

Problem Solving

• It is known that some archives are difficult to access and that some collections are poorly catalogued, so an ability to be flexible, persuasive and adapt to local circumstances and situations is a must. Work may often take place in remote settings, where independent decision making will be required.

Nature of Impact

• Support the wider research objectives outlined by the recommendations in the REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO REVIEW HISTORICAL INEQUALITIES IN COMMEMORATION. Research will be fed back to the UK Research Team as well as into the Non-Commemoration Project Team in Kenya and will underpin all the project’s activity in East Africa.

Area of Impact

• East African teams and associated stakeholders including head office officials, and 3rd party stakeholders such as, Municipal Departments, Community Leaders, interest groups, war veterans, relatives, and members of the public.

Interpersonal Skills

• Effective verbal and written communications skills, specifically across differing groups of individuals (internal and external) and in a range of different mediums.
• Makes a positive impression and builds effective constructive relationships with fellow colleagues, members of the public, suppliers and works with a diverse range of people with a range of experience and skills.

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to postgraduate level in history or a related field, with demonstrable knowledge of the history of the First and Second World Wars.
• High computer literacy including use of Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Desirable

• Expertise in the field of British colonial history and the contribution of the Empire to the world wars.
• Familiarity with the purpose and work of the CWGC.

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable experience of high-quality research in East African archives as part of project delivery and knowledge of relevant collections within Kenya.
• Experience in working or collaborating with Kenyan governmental bodies.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English, in addition to a high level of literacy in their first language.
• The ability to make presentations and articulate complex information both upwards within an organisation, and to external stakeholders as required.