Evidence Lead – Sudan Regional Response Pooled Fund (SRRPF) at Danish Refugee Council

The Evidence Lead will be responsible for the Research and Evidence Facility (REF), a key component of the Fund Management Unit (FMU) within the Sudan Regional Response Pooled Fund (SRRPF). The Evidence Lead will play a pivotal role in ensuring the strategic alignment and technical quality of research and evidence generated by the SRRPF. This position serves as the quality assurance focal point for all evidence outputs and promotes the use of research to drive impactful policy and programming outcomes. The Evidence Lead will lead the design, development, and dissemination of the Fund’s annual research agenda and oversee the creation of a learning platform to support knowledge sharing and advocacy efforts.

Responsibilities :

The Evidence Lead will

• Lead the development and delivery of the REF’s annual research agenda, review reports, and research database.
• Serve as the quality backstop for all evidence and research outputs produced by the Research and Evidence Facility (REF).
• Develop and supervise a roster of experts and researchers in Sudan and the region, prioritising local insights and expertise.
• Oversee the creation and management of the REF’s research and learning platform, ensuring it serves as a resource hub for stakeholders.
• Organise research events and coordinate communication activities to promote learnings and findings from REF outputs.
• Liaise with external information management working groups related to the Sudan response and advocate for evidence-driven programming.
• Collaborate with the SRRPF’s Technical Assistance Facility to integrate programmatic best practices into research outputs.
• Work closely with partner organisations and stakeholders in Sudan and neighbouring countries to identify and address research gaps and needs.
• Supervise research and expert consultants, ensuring deliverables are met on time and to a high standard.
• Manage the REF budget, ensuring allocation of resources where required, in support of the SRRPF learning and evidence objectives.
• Serve as the lead for external engagement activities, promoting research findings to influence policy and programming.
• Liaise with advocacy and communications focal points at partner organisations to amplify the impact of research outputs.
• Build and maintain relationships with external experts, policymakers, and academics to strengthen the REF’s research capacity

Experience and Technical comptencies (included year of experience)

• At least 10 years professional experience working with a research and evidence facility, preferably in the humanitarian, development and/or peacebuilding sectors, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Master’s or PhD in social sciences, with a focus on humanitarian, development, conflict, or displacement studies.
• Proven track record in conducting and publishing high-quality field research, particularly on humanitarian and/or displacement and/or conflict.
• Experience linking research findings to policy and programming outcomes.
• Strong knowledge of the Sudan and East Africa region is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in public speaking and external engagement within the humanitarian sector.
• Supervision experience, particularly in overseeing research and expert consultants.
• Strong coordination skills, with experience collaborating across multiple stakeholders and working groups.