Research Lead - Economic Opportunities at Mercy Corps

The Position 

• The Research Lead will provide direction to Mercy Corps’ research and learning on economic opportunities, which includes a number of technical areas including cash, Market Systems Development (MSD), agriculture, youth employment and financial inclusion. They will be responsible for advancing Mercy Corps’ growing research agenda, partnerships, and portfolio on economic opportunities issues. The position engages strategically across the organization and externally to develop and drive research that is responsive to the major policy debates and knowledge gaps around program theories and practice. 
• A key element of this role is mobilizing the organization’s internal expertise, analysis, and research to drive program impact, identify scalable solutions, and influence external priorities and decisions. To this end, the Research Lead works closely with Mercy Corps’ Policy and Advocacy team, and collaborates with Mercy Corps’ Technical Support Unit, Media and Communications, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Crisis Analytics teams. In addition, they work closely with program and country and regional teams to identify relevant questions, ensure that evidence is being used in improving program strategies, and that new programs are designed to generate evidence for further learning and influence.
• The role will involve developing and managing original research products, in consultation with members from other teams. They will lead research and drafting of major long papers, shorter reports and quick-turn around analytical pieces. The Research Lead will contribute to new research grant opportunities and partnerships, to help expand the scope and impact of our research and influence around economic opportunities. 
• The position serves as a public thought leader, engaging externally with government, think tank, academic and institutional partners, to advance our evidence and analysis on economic opportunity issues. The Research Lead dedicates time to raising the profile of Mercy Corps’ research and evidence by giving high profile talks, participating in panels and research networks, and attending key external forums, as well as cultivating and deepening relationships with donors, policy makers, academics, and other evidence consumers. The position writes timely analysis, thought pieces, and other products, which maximize the impact of and learnings from Mercy Corps research.

Essential Responsibilities 
Research and Learning Team Leadership and Management 

• Co-lead Research and Learning team strategy development to develop/refine priorities, oversee work planning, resource allocation, implementation, and adaptive management.
• Represent the team on strategic internal and external initiatives, working groups, and fora related to advancing research and evidence in the humanitarian and development fields.
• Contribute to team communications in research and evidence to promote more effective and efficient coordination within and across the organization, including to executives and other senior leaders.
• Regularly contribute to new research proposal development and technical advising to country and program teams, advising on partnerships, and reviewing and input to major research designs, analysis, and written products.
• Supervise researchers or project coordinators, including providing them strategic direction in line with the broader research strategy, operational support, performance reviews, and mentoring/coaching.
• Manage and recommend use of discretionary research funds towards filling high priority opportunities needed to advance the economic opportunities evidence and learning agenda.
• Contribute to a team and organizational culture of curiosity, experimentation, collaboration, and learning to improve our capacity to produce and use rigorous,  ethical, actionable research. 

Evidence Generation

• Lead the implementation of the global research agenda on economic opportunities, in collaboration with Mercy Corps technical, policy, and program teams, as well as key academic and think tank partners.
• Collaboratively identify, design, and lead research opportunities that respond to our priority topics and questions on economic opportunities, and that connect to Mercy Corps’ programming.
• Manage and coordinate the work of external researchers, co-authors, data analysts, research assistants, and other consultants to execute and communicate studies on economic opportunities. 
• Lead or co-author program and policy-relevant research products, including technical reports, white papers, policy briefs, commentary pieces, op-eds, and other products tailored to key audiences. 

Partnership and Resource Development  

• Promote Mercy Corps as a respected generator and consumer of research, as an organization that implements evidence based programming, and as the go to organization  for conducting credible and actionable research on economic opportunities in fragile contexts.  
• Act as leading external voice in contributing to and influencing policy and practice on economic opportunities issues based on our research and learning, including representation at key external program and policy forums.  
• Develop and advance partnerships with think tanks, academics, and other research entities that improve the credibility and reach of our studies, and strengthen relationships with and engagement of local research partners where Mercy Corps operates. 
• Establish and maintain strategic relationships with key consumers and users of our evidence, including peer NGOs, think tanks, and government officials.
• Cultivate / strengthen relationships with foundations and institutional donors, and identify and lead the development of grant proposals to grow the resource base for our economic opportunities research portfolio. 

Representation and promotion of evidence use

• Ensure research findings translate into appropriate external products to support evidence-based influencing activities, including drafting of policy-related talking points, policy briefs, and key messages to use in external engagements.·      
• Act as leading external voice in contributing to and influencing policy and practice on economic opportunity issues based on Mercy Corps’ research and learning. 
• Promote awareness and uptake of research through publishing in widely-read outlets, participating and presenting in high-profile forums, and leveraging connections with technical experts, policy makers and thought leaders.
• Actively translate and promote awareness and use of research and evidence to inform organization-wide  strategies and priorities related to programming and policy advocacy on economic opportunities. 

Supervisory Responsibility

• Consultants, research partners, researchers, research assistants, and interns as required. 

Accountability 

• Reports Directly To: Senior Director, Research and Learning 
• Works Directly With: Senior Director for Economic Opportunities, Other Research and Learning Team members, Policy and Advocacy team, Regional and Country Teams, relevant Technical Support Unit team members, Media and Communications Team, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Crisis Analytics team.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our programs and research.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills 
The ideal candidate will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following qualifications and characteristics:  

• Ph.D in Development Economics, other relevant discipline with minimum 5 years applied research experience or a Master’s degree with over 10 years of research, evaluation, or analysis experience in international humanitarian and development programs. 
• Experience conducting independent research, analysis and publishing on economic opportunities or related topics in fragile contexts.  
• Expertise in at least one core technical area related to economic opportunities, such as sectoral cash, Market Systems Development (MSD), agriculture, youth employment and financial inclusion. 
• Knowledge of the rigorous and innovative methods in the field of applied research and impact evaluation of humanitarian and development programs, with a focus on economic development and recovery issues     
• Excellent leadership, management and team building skills that include the ability to mentor and coach peers within the team and across teams      
• Excellent analytical skills that include both an attention to detail and an ability to grasp complex theories and conceptual frameworks      
• Demonstrated representation and communication skills, including demonstrated ability to convey research findings and their implications to multiple audiences, including senior policy makers, practitioners and academics      
• Strong networks, relationships, and profile with major external actors, including policy and academic audiences     
• Intimate understanding of major policy issues, program theories, and academic discourse on economic development and recovery approaches in fragile contexts
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites, including traveling to insecure environments, is required
• Familiarity with major donors such as USAID, FCDO, and relevant foundations and corporations
• Fluency in English is required; French, Spanish, or another second language strongly preferred