Senior Assessment Officer - Research Project Focal Point for Somalia, based in Nairobi at IMPACT Initiatives

RESPONSIBILITIES

Research Planning and Design

• Serve as the overall research project focal point for the four-year SRH RCT programme, providing strategic direction and ensuring all research activities are implemented in line with project objectives, the agreed study protocol, IMPACT research cycle guidelines, and donor requirements.
• Lead the design and refinement of annual data collection rounds, covering both quantitative (survey-based) and qualitative (in-depth interviews, focus group discussions) components, ensuring methodological rigour and consistency with the RCT design across both country contexts.
• Oversee the contextualisation of data collection tools (quantitative questionnaires and qualitative guides) for each data collection round, ensuring tools are contextually appropriate, translated, and piloted before deployment in Somalia and South Sudan.
• Ensure all research designs, tools, and protocols are validated by IMPACT HQ and relevant ethics bodies before each data collection round begins.

Research Implementation

• Provide strategic oversight and technical guidance to in-country teams in Somalia and South Sudan who serve as the primary data collection leads in each context, including direction on enumerator recruitment and training, field supervision protocols, and quality assurance systems.
• Develop and roll out comprehensive quality assurance frameworks for each data collection round, including back-check protocols, data audit procedures, and real-time monitoring of data quality indicators, ensuring consistent standards across both countries.
• Lead enumerator training design for each data collection round in close coordination with the in-country teams, ensuring all enumerators are equipped to administer both quantitative surveys and qualitative data collection tools with fidelity to the study protocol.
• Ensure all data is collected, stored, and managed in line with IMPACT Data Management Guidelines, applicable data protection policies, and the ethical requirements of the study protocol.
• Monitor data collection progress across both countries, promptly identifying and resolving challenges or methodological deviations, and escalating issues to the line manager and IMPACT HQ as needed.

Data Analysis and Product Drafting

• Provide support or review of analysis and outputs drafted by research partner
• Beyond the RCT and SRH-focused project, conduct ad hoc analysis and support to the South Sudan and Somalia missions, or to Horn of Africa/East Africa for strengthened regional analysis and support

Donor and Partner Engagement

• Serve as the primary IMPACT interlocutor with the donor, providing regular updates on research progress, milestones achieved, challenges encountered, and lessons learned across both country programmes.
• Be the key focal point for donor reports and research updates, ensuring these are accurate, well-written, and submitted on time, and that they reflect the contributions of both the Somalia and South Sudan in-country teams.
• Facilitate regular project review meetings with the donor and key partners, preparing presentations and briefing materials to support strategic dialogue on emerging findings, study adaptations, and implications for programming.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with implementing partners in Somalia and South Sudan, ensuring research activities are well-coordinated with partner programming and that findings are disseminated and used effectively.

Knowledge Generation and Learning

• Document lessons learned from the research programme, including on SRH-related sensitivities, RCT implementation in fragile contexts, mixed-methods approaches, and longitudinal data collection, contributing to IMPACT’s broader knowledge base.
• Ensure all external engagement is clearly documented and communicated to the line manager and relevant colleagues.

Project Cycle Management

• Ensure compliance with project cycle management requirements at all phases, including planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Track deliverables and timelines across all research outputs and data collection rounds in both countries, and alert the line manager to any risks to delivery.
• Contribute to donor reporting by drafting narrative sections on research activities and findings.
• Participate in project kick-off, review, and completion meetings as required.
• Other tasks as requested by the line manager.

Data Confidentiality and Protection

• The SAO will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes, ensuring full compliance with IMPACT’s data protection policy, applicable research ethics requirements, and standard operating procedures. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorised sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.

REQUIREMENTS

Essential

• Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a Master’s degree in Public Health, Social Science, Development Studies, or a relevant discipline.
• At least 4 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian or development research or programming, with a strong preference for candidates with experience in Somalia and/or South Sudan. Prior experience managing multi-year, multi-country research projects is an asset.
• Demonstrable knowledge of sexual and reproductive health in humanitarian or fragile contexts, including maternal health, family planning, and gender-based violence.
• Proven experience designing and managing mixed-methods research cycles in humanitarian or low-resource settings. Specific experience with randomised control trial (RCT) design and implementation is preferred. Experience with longitudinal study designs and multi-round data collection is highly desirable.
• Excellent written and spoken English. Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality research reports, donor updates, briefs, and presentations for diverse audiences, including technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work independently and provide oversight and mentorship to in-country research teams working remotely, while managing complex, multi-stakeholder research projects.
• Ability to operate sensitively and effectively in a cross-cultural environment, including in complex security contexts. Experience working with local research teams and community stakeholders across diverse settings.
• Experience designing quantitative and qualitative data collection tools in KoboCollect, ODK, or similar platforms required.

Desirable

• Experience working in Somalia and/or South Sudan, including familiarity with the humanitarian coordination landscape and key actors in both contexts.
• Experience conducting or overseeing research with vulnerable populations including displaced persons, women and girls, and adolescents, and familiarity with ethical frameworks for research in humanitarian settings.
• Experience engaging with donors on research programmes, including preparing reports and participating in technical review meetings.
• Strong applied statistics background and experience developing sample frames.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• For this position, salary between 2’580 CHF and 2’640 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD NB - IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
• Accommodation provided in the guesthouse, or a housing allowance provided for longer-term contracts.
• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swiss life – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance.
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered).
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)
• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.
• Predeparture induction - 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’ HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in Acted HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training.
• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff, and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.
• Enrolment in the IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Programme within the first 3 months of contract.