Research Lead at Busara Center

About This Role

We’re looking for a Research Lead at Busara to manage a portfolio of current Busara projects, ensuring high-quality work is delivered; manage our academic network, academic - advisory partnerships, and new collaboration opportunities; support on Busara’s international lab expansion; and line manage our team of managers and specialists with a growth mindset focused on mentoring and developing their expertise.

The Research Lead Will Have The Following Key Responsibilities 2. Vertical Quality & Efficiency (25%)3. Research Portfolio and Business Development (25%)4. Research Portfolio and Business Delivery (20%)Required QualificationsAt Busara we embed behavioral science into everything we do, including the hiring process. In an effort to de-bias ourselves from what we know can cause systematic hiring discrimination, we do as many things as possible blindly and objectively. For you, that means you have to fill out the questions on the application as well as upload your CV. I know, this is infuriating, but it's not because we're lazy -- it's because we are going to blindly review candidates based on the answers to your questions as well as their education and experience, and consider full CVs in future stages of the process. Thus, it's very important for you to fill out the questions completely, without mention of your name or any other potentially biasing information about yourself.

• Lead the Research Methods and Innovation vertical (25%)
• Lead the lab vertical with a focus on portfolio building, researcher network building, efficiency and quality of implementation. Be the voice for the lab internally and externally.
• Work closely with the Director to drive the strategy of the Labs vertical by setting, planning and executing on annual targets, and ensuring clear vertical harmony on priorities for the organization.
• Manage, motivate and coach lab staff across our global offices and lead development of team building events. Facilitate the development of team members’ skills and expertise through identification and execution of capacity building initiatives.
• Work closely with other Research Leads to identify opportunities for collaboration and opportunity development across verticals. Liaise with finance, operations and people teams for any inter-divisional processes.
• Manage communications to ensure clear internal knowledge management and harmonization across the lab vertical.
• Ensure the overall operational quality of the lab vertical, including that research and data systems are maintained and processes adhered to with the strictest standards: --- - Build learning and iteration into research processes and protocols - stay current on the latest research in quantitative methods to incorporate findings into Busara’s approach to research and to provide creative direction for engagements. Develop tools and toolkits that incorporate and codify learnings from the lab, other verticals, organizations and disciplines to set quality and standardized protocols for the vertical. Improve, codify and ensure adherence to our approach to ethical and open science standards
• Harness the value of the lab participant database toward remote and in-person research through improving identification methods, database management, and segmentation.
• Streamline internal processes (management of people, research, assets) and project budgets with a focus on efficiency and cost effectiveness and regularly coordinate within and across divisions, as needed
• Support the development of a portfolio of projects that contributes to quarterly and annual business development targets for the division
• Engage in proactive and reactive business development by leading contracting for our reactive engagements and by designing proposals, concept notes, and pitch decks for new partnership opportunities (eg. for KITE, courses) and knowledge sharing. Present at conferences, networking events, or client meetings.
• Develop and consolidate a network of researchers to support portfolio building and long-term partnerships to form a sustainable stream of revenue for the lab.
• Proactively design internal research, thought pieces, and demos to help facilitate new research offerings and service lines
• Manage and coordinate a portfolio of projects across multiple client bases (primarily academic researchers, but also private sector, government etc.) Structure successful project onboarding and offboarding exercises to support knowledge management between projects.
• Structure, design, and deliver our current and new external and internal engagements to client’s / PI’s satisfaction. Lead the pricing of current and future offerings and engagements from the lab.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for clients, partners, and PIs. Understand and preempt needs of stakeholders through proactive communication and troubleshooting.
• Develop and ensure Busara’s standards for quality of research protocols, pre-analysis plans, implementation plans and research ethics are followed across our work.
• Strategically assemble the vertical structure and teams on projects that maximize the probability of success, but also develop new skills and competencies among Busara’s talent pool and supporting divisions. Liaise with projects division to understand the pipeline of projects and lab support requirements.
• A Master’s degree in Economics, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or related fields. Strong technical understanding of economics, statistics and/or evaluation is necessary.
• 3-5 years of previous work experience in a related field with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong project management skills and experience with the ability to lead projects with a high degree of autonomy.
• Strong leadership alongside a clear focus on collaborative working, including experience line managing and supporting team members to develop their own skills and expertise.
• Strong quantitative skills including knowledge of and experience working with data analysis software with a focus on experimental social science and causal inference.
• Expertise in designing and implementing experiments (lab and/or field).
• Experience working with academic clients and managing large-scale research.
• Familiarity with behavioral science.
• Fluency and excellent communication and writing skills with a mastery of English.
• Flexible, self-motivated, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently and a team player