Research Manager at IMPACT Initiatives

POSITION PROFILE

• The Research Manager will be responsible for contributing to the strategy and supervising all research work done by IMPACT in Sudan, under the supervision of the Country Coordinator, and in liaison with HQ in Geneva. The candidate should be comfortable representing IMPACT with donors and be able to coordinate and liaise with a range of senior external partners. This position requires a profile that can be both analytical and managerial, as the Research Manager’s job can range from coordinating with external partners (whether data actor, humanitarian cluster, or donor) to analytical oversight of research products to logistics.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Research Manager’s responsibilities include:

Staff Management

• Direct management of international and senior national team members, including recruitment, conduct of appraisals, as well as staff career management;
• Development and implementation of capacity training plans for team members;
• Day-to-day management of team members, including the development of work plans and performance indicators.

Project/Research Cycle Management

• Ensure all assessments and analysis are planned and implemented in a structured and coherent manner, in line with relevant project and strategic objectives, and with global REACH guidelines;
• Oversee all Research Cycles, including reviewing ToRs, methodology notes, tools, products and dissemination strategies.
• Ensure the writing and production of timely, accurate and analytically rigorous reports, assessments, and factsheets;
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in assessment design and planning;
• Monitor output achievement, project expenditure and ensure timely completion of the project.
• Actively advocate for the improving of analysis within REACH products, and using common methodologies, tools and analysis frameworks across units where relevant

Grants Management

• Under the guidance of the Country Coordinator, manage grants, including initial discussions with donors, conceptualisation of new projects, drafting proposals, regular reporting, and M&E;
• Under the guidance of the Country Coordinator, oversee the financial management of all grants covering research projects, including oversight of budget and expenditure;
• Ensure that contractual obligations are met in terms of programs deliverables.

External Engagement

• In coordination with the Country Coordinator and SMT, represent REACH with donors, partners, and the wider humanitarian aid community in Sudan.

Strategy Development and Implementation

• Under the guidance of the Country Coordinator, develop the units’ strategy, engagement and involvement with various technical and coordination forums;
• Work with key clusters and partner organizations and working groups to understand the various relevant information gaps within Sudan and identify how REACH can fill these gaps;
• As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), contribute to the development and implementation of the REACH Sudan country strategy;
• Develop and implement dissemination strategies to strengthen the impact of REACH programmes;
• Engagement with HQ on research and/or coordination.
• Provide contextual and technical support and guidance for assessment teams across all units
• The Research Manager will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. They will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a master’s degree in a relevant discipline;
• At least 4 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian setting, such as program management, evaluation and assessments;
• Excellent quantitative and qualitative research design, data collection, and data analysis experience required;
• Demonstrated team management skills, including remote management;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting and reviewing;
• Prior experience with humanitarian coordination fora;
• Prior knowledge of the region an asset;
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility and work independently;
• Ability to operate Microsoft Word, Excel required;
• Ability to operate Adobe Suite preferred;
• Skills in SPSS, R or related statistical software are considered an asset;
• Fluency in English required, Arabic is an asset.