Education Researcher at International Rescue Committee

Job Overview/Summary: 
We are seeking three researchers to join the Airbel Impact Lab and work closely with the Education Unit to advance the IRC’s research on education. The positions will provide technical research support to different education research projects. Currently, the education research portfolio has over 30 on-going studies in 15 countries affected by conflict and crisis, including:    

• FCDO’s Education Research in Contexts of Conflict and Crisis (ERICC) in Nigeria, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
• Lego’s PlayMatters in Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania
• Lego’s TeachWell in Kenay
• USAID’s Accessible and Quality Basic Education in Afghanistan
• The researchers will support field-based research on Education programs, backstop new and ongoing research projects across the IRC’s Education portfolio and partner with technical units and country teams to support evidence-based programming.

Major Responsibilities:

• Support on the design, analysis and reporting of quantitative/qualitative research, including: 
• Needs assessments, learning assessments, and formative research studies to identify problems and existing practices.
• Implementation research to identify quality and fidelity of implementation and the degree to which they moderate education outcomes.
• Impact evaluations to explore the effects of education interventions on the literacy, numeracy, socio-emotional skills, transition outcomes of children in conflict and crsisi affected settings. 
• Measurement research to assess the reliability and validity of outcome and quality of implementation tools and establish protocols for improvement.
• Research on how to improve coherence for access, quality and continuity of in systems of education  
• Work with an internal team focused on education research moving our education research priorities forward. 
• Contribute to dissemination of research findings by writing blogs, briefs, and publications in academic journals and practitioner-focused outlets.

Job Requirements: 

• PhD or MA in education, economics or related field. 
• Two researchers should be knowledgeable of statistics, and have the ability to accurately interpret research findings from studies using causal inference research and multi-level modeling, using software such as Stata or MPlus.
• One researcher should be be knowledgeable and have experience with qualitative research, using software like NVivo, AtlasTi or Dedoose.
• Minimum five years of progressive experience in education research and/or relevant practice.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
• Solid organizational skills: ability to be flexible and work well under pressure, dealing with competing priorities, in a fast-paced team environment.
• Interest in and ability to think and plan at the ‘big picture’ level.
• Fluency in English a must; fluency in French, Arabic, Spanish, or Swahili is highly desirable.