Research & Evaluation Technical Lead (Based in Sub-Saharan Africa) at The Khana Group

Job Description

The Research & Evaluation Technical Lead is a highly technical role. The candidate will lead research and evaluation activities across the firm, including conducting rigorous evaluations (i.e. research design, sampling, instrument development, data collection etc.) for various projects and understanding the full spectrum of research implementation. We are looking for someone with strong quantitative and qualitative evaluation and data collection background, experience using a variety of software for data collection and analysis and experience with various evaluation and research methodologies.

The Research & Evaluation Technical Lead will also be involved in discussions to build the organization and maintain sustainability; global recruitment, personnel management, coaching and mentorship and other management activities.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Lead the implementation of research, project evaluations and data collection
• Supervise the research team in all country offices to ensure research activities are conducted according to established TKG and international standards; manage multiple M&E / research projects and teams
• Lead / support the entire M&E / research process – project inception, literature review, research design and methodology, questionnaire adaptation / development based on research / evaluation indicators, conversion of questionnaire to electronic format, material development, training, community entry, qualitative and quantitative data collection, quality control and risk mitigation processes, data cleaning and analysis; and reporting
• Support the development of M&E databases, policies and procedures, and systems
• Provide guidance and in some cases lead annual project reviews, participatory impact assessments, process monitoring, operations monitoring and lessons-learned workshops
• Develop a process for M&E or project related capacity building for internal staff and external participants as needed
• Contribute to policy/technical notes, concept notes and lead research reports writing
• With stakeholders, set out the framework and procedures for the evaluation of project activities
• Review the quality of existing social and economic data in the project area, the methods of collecting it and the degree to which it will provide good statistics for impact evaluation
• Organize and undertake training with selected individuals, stakeholders in M&E skills, including participatory aspects

Other Responsibilities and Tasks

• Support the organization in areas of business development and serve as technical writer in response to Request for Proposals or other types of solicitations
• In conjunction with other members of the management team, coordinate resources to ensure efficient and effective delivery of project activities
• Manage key team members (research staff – full time, part time and STTA) while providing leadership support and oversight to other staff when needed
• Be the focal point of communication to the leadership team on all M&E / research matters in the organization

Minimal Requirements

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in Economics, Political Science, Applied Statistics, or related field
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant international experience with progressive responsibilities in oversight of research, impact evaluations and data collection funded by bilateral (USAID, MCC, DFID) or multilateral (World Bank, UN) research and evaluation projects that leverages academic training and practical experience in quantitative research/evaluation and statistical methodologies.
• Significant experience conducting econometric analysis in the context of experimental or quasi-experimental research designs.
• Experience using various data analysis packages (i.e. SPSS, STATA, Nvivo, Atlas TI) and conducting various evaluations (i.e. Impact Evaluation, Value for Money, Baseline / Mid Line / End Line) is also essential
• Experience in quantitative and/or qualitative data collection methodologies and relating software packages (e.g. ODK, SurveyCTO, Surveytogo, Survey Solutions, Magpi or similar platform) is necessary
• Ability to effectively work in teams and embrace participatory approaches.
• Works with clients and local teams to design and implement Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning plans, processes, and activities, including integrating M&E frameworks into Missions’ strategic plans and overall objectives.
• Experience with impact evaluation approaches that incorporate analysis of large administrative or geospatial datasets
• Experience conducting remote surveys and managing remote teams is highly desirable
• Proven ability to develop user-friendly technical documents
• Strong interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, organizational and team-work skills
• Ability to work and travel internationally (est. 20% - 30%).
• Candidate must be based in Sub-Saharan Africa