Research Manager

We are currently looking for a Research Manager to support our team in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Department: REACH

Position: Research Manager

Contract duration:12 months

Location: Jerusalem, occupied Palestinian territory

Starting Date: ASAP

FUNCTIONS

Within his/her Unit, the Research Manager leads the IMPACT team to achieve program excellence and ensure the highest level of impact and accountability, while ensuring compliance to IMPACT’s guidelines and standards.

In addition, the Research Manager also serves as Country Focal Point and contributes to the development and implementation of IMPACT’s country strategy, and promotes organizational vision and core values across the mission.

In his/her mission, the Research Manager will be hosted by ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, Logistics and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide by ACTED’s Security, HR, Administration and Logistics rules and regulations, and, in coordination with ACTED, will ensure IMPACT staff in his/her unit abide by them.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Research Manager responsibilities include the following:

Strategy development & implementation

Context analysis: With a specific attention on the mission’s technical, programmatic and institutional focus, the RM ensure that IMPACT has an up to date understanding of:

• The humanitarian situation, including circumstances and operations around related aid and assistance
• Efforts to apply the Triple Nexus by the UNCT and related actors, and the operations of development and peacebuilding actors
• The overall political, social, and economic circumstances of the country

Develop and oversee the implementation of a Country Strategy in alignment with other actors in country and global priorities; take a lead role in identifying strategic opportunities for strengthening IMPACT’s work in the country; in particular:

• Identify new programs and approaches in which the mission can add value to the humanitarian response and programming by other actors
• Identify funding opportunities to consolidate, strengthen, and/or expand the mission’s programs
• Coordinate with ACTED mission on potential programming, including linkages and potential joint programming
• Ensure mission activities are relevant and can have a measurable impact on the aid/humanitarian response

Ensure team members within the mission are aware of the strategy and their contribution and role within it.

Research Planning and Implementation

Oversee key activities related to research planning, including monitoring that proper activities are conducted in advance of research and relevant actors are engaged where appropriate

• Ensure that all research is planned in line with relevant project and program objectives and with the Unit/Country strategy
• Ensure that all research complies with IMPACT’s HQ Research Department and other relevant guidelines
• For each assessment, review ToRs before they are sent to Geneva for validation and ensure that TORs are validated by HQ before any data collection begins
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in assessment design and planning
• Keep track of progress and delays of all assigned assessment throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or identified challenges for specific assessments are reported to the CC and HQ research department in a timely manner

Oversee key activities in research implementation, including providing oversight of data collection activities and generation of associated outputs, as well as engagement and coordination with relevant internal and external partners, both in-country and with relevant global partners

• Oversee the recruitment of enumerators and other data collectors for necessary projects and ensure necessary training is providing for data collection activities
• Monitor the collection of data, including coordination with potential field coordinators and supervisors and to ensure alignment with ToRs and SoPs
• Manage and oversee necessary engagement with logistics, financial, administration, security and HR processes directly related to all work of the mission’s projects, including implementation of key tasks as applicable
• Ensure that all collected data is stored in line with IMPACT’s Data Management Guidelines, and with the ToRs (data management plan Annex)
• Ensure that data and its analysis are validated by IMPACT HQ before product drafting stage, with particular emphasis that data and analysis have been validated as containing no personal information
• Maintain regular communication with IMPACT HQ on progress and deadlines for written products
• Ensure the drafting of timely and accurate assessment outputs, which comply with IMPACT’s guidelines and quality standards
• Review all products before dissemination and ensure that all written products are validated by IMPACT HQ before external release

Knowledge Sharing and Learning Process

• Ensure learning by the Unit from relevant best practice internally and externally both nationally and globally and make learning available for other programs; organize a program review workshop and document lessons learnt at the end of each program.
• Share and consolidate knowledge at mission level, with key staff and (as relevant) with Global Units and Communities of Practice
• Deliver and participates in inter-agency, multi-stakeholders knowledge sharing / lessons learned exercise

Project Cycle Management

Project and Grants Management

• Management of relevant all Project / Grant cycles within the mission, as relevant. Follow up on internal project cycle management processes (Kick-off/end meetings, Project Factsheets, etc), as well as external reporting requirements to donors
• Monitor output achievement, cash burn rates and ensure a time completion of projects through review of BFUs, Project factsheet, and project reports;
• Ensure that contractual obligations are met in terms of deliverables as well as narrative and financial reporting requirements, and (as relevant) with ACTED PD and finance departments;
• Ensure contractual monitoring and evaluation indicators are identified and tracked in a timely manner;

Finance Management

• Anticipate financial risks and gaps in funding;
• Control project budgets within Units to avoid under/over spending, in link with CC and (as relevant) IMPACT and ACTED finance;
• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting, in link with CC and (as relevant) IMPACT and ACTED finance;
• Ensure accurate budget expenditure tracking and forecasting, in link with (as relevant) with IMPACT and ACTED finance;

Asset and IT Management

• Ensure proper asset management;
• Ensure proper IT systems, data back-up and protection from malware;
• Ensure sufficient and reliable means of communication;
• Regularly link with and report to IMPACT HQ hub and (as relevant) ACTED logistics and IT departments

Team Management and Leadership

Leadership

• Provide leadership within the mission
• Transmit IMPACT’s values and vision, and their declination across the mission

Staff Management

• Ensure that staff within his/her unit understand and are able to perform their roles and responsibilities;
• Ensure that all staff within Unit have clear and regularly updated TORs, workplans and Key performance Indicators against which their performance will be appraised;
• Promote team building, productivity and staff welfare;
• Mentor and support the Unit team to build capacities, and improve efficiency and performance;
• Management of interpersonal conflicts within Unit;
• Ensure regular update with staff about career management, training opportunities, contractual issues, difficulties faced with or expressed by field-based staff;
• Ensure communication and linkage with HQ HR is made immediately in case of HR problem by Unit member;
• Ensure all staff in Unit receive an appropriate introduction and training upon arrival/hiring;
• Ensure that all staff in unit receive regular training on IMPACT’s code of conduct and policies.

Administration and HR Management

• In support of the CC, contribute to transparent and timely identification and recruitment of staff
• Proactively adapt the staffing structure for the Unit to needs and funding, in coordination with ACTED country HR in the case of national staff
• Ensure regular performance appraisal and career management of all staff in Unit;
• Ensure timely and accurate HR reporting
• Ensure timely attendance sheets, leave plans, as well as exit forms for departing staff.

Internal Coordination and Communication

Internal Communication

• Facilitate internal communication within the mission and information sharing for a positive working environment;
• Ensure implementation of regular unit team meetings;
• Ensure that any risk to IMPACT programming, projects or staff is as soon as possible communicated to and understood by IMPACT director of country programmes and relevant HQ head of departments.

Coordination with ACTED

• Ensure regular coordination with ACTED’s Project Development, Finance and other FLAT departments at all stages of development and implementation of the mission’s projects, including participation in project kick off and lessons learnt meetings, support to drafting of monthly internal updates (BFU, RFUs, allocation tables, etc), and support to drafting of donor reports or amendment requests;
• Ensure compliance of all IMPACT staff to ACTED FLAT and security procedures;
• Ensure that all Unit staff are aware and fully abide by ACTED’s regulations in terms of administration, logistics and security;
• Ensures that the mission’s movements are coordinated with and validated by ACTED’s Security and Logistics departments, in the frequency and modality requested
• Regularly links with ACTED administration and finance to plan movement, travel and in relation to the Unit’s staff;
• Immediately inform and coordinates with ACTED CD should any IMPACT staff, as well as staff working under IMPACT supervision, not respect ACTED regulations, especially in terms of security.

INFLUENCING – External Engagement

Research-related External Engagement, Product Dissemination and Evaluation

• Ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycle: the preparation of the assessment; data collection; data analysis; review of research products; product dissemination; and lessons learnt; ensure that partner engagement is documented;
• Ensure that external communications with partners and key stakeholders, including relevant UN agencies, local and national government, and NGOs has been conducted and documented as appropriate for each Research Cycle;
• Engage in the dissemination of research products, including through articles, IMPACT social media contents, targeted e-mails, presentations, meetings, etc, in line with IMPACT Dissemination and External Communication Guidelines and Research ToRs;
• Under supervision of IMPACT HQ, ensure that research products are uploaded in relevant data portals, as specified in Research ToRs;
• Ensure that lessons learned are gathered and documented at the end of each research cycle;
• Conduct monitoring and evaluation as specified in the research ToRs and in line with IMPACT Guidelines.

Strategic External Engagement

• Conduct senior external engagement and output dissemination with key stakeholders, as well as coordination of external engagement by all mission staff
• Coordinate external engagement and dissemination activities with ACTED (as relevant)
• Lead the development of content and information for country level advocacy
• Develop strategic partnerships with key humanitarian stakeholders and decision makers
• Ensure coordinated and positive interactions between mission and ACTED

Project Development

• Conduct external engagement in relation to IMPACT strategy or (when requested and with focal point) to fundraising and grants management.
• Develop proposals, concept notes, and budget in close coordination in line with the Unit and Country Strategies.

REQUIREMENTS

Academic Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Research, Economics, Development Studies, or similar)

Management experience Previous experience in a management role in a INGO at field level . Proven track record in successful management of international and national teams in humanitarian contexts

Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system, and the research community;

Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting, including proven experience in contributing to high level presentations/briefings.

Years of work experience At least 3 years of relevant working experience or proven progression within IMPACT

Research skills: Excellent research and analytical skills an asset. Experience in assessments. M&E, field research, evaluations an asset.

Software skills: Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software an asset

Multi-tasking skills Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles in complex environment;

Level of independence A self-starter with a proven ability to work independently;

Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;

Experience in geographical region Past experience in the Palestinian context is desirable;

Language skills Fluency in English required, competency in Arabic an asset;

Security environment Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment

How to apply

Please apply on the website : Research Manager | Impact (impact-initiatives.org)