Research Manager – PANDA Unit

We are currently looking for a Research Manager to lead our PANDA Unit in Iraq.

Department: PANDA

Position: Research Manager

Contract duration: 12 months

Location: Erbil, Iraq (with potential travels to Baghdad, security permitting)

Starting Date: January 2023

FUNCTIONS

Under the management of the Deputy Country Coordinator (DCC), the Research Manager oversees the programs and staff within the PANDA Unit. The objectives of IMPACT’s Project Appraisals and Assessments or PANDA activities include the improvement of the effectiveness, efficiency and efficacy of humanitarian and development interventions. PANDA supports the entire humanitarian programme cycle, including programme design, assessments, baselines, monitoring and evaluation. 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 with IMPACT’s guidelines and standards. As part of the country’s Senior Management team, she/he contributes to developing and implementing IMPACT’s country strategy and promotes organizational vision and core values across the mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Research Manager responsibilities include the following:

Strategy development & implementation

Context analysis: With specific attention on his/her Unit’s technical, programmatic, and institutional focus, and in coordination with the DCC and Country Coordinator (CC), the RM ensures that IMPACT has an up-to-date understanding of:

• The country’s socio-economic situation and the humanitarian/development situation;
• The humanitarian/development planning, coordination, transition mechanisms, and key stakeholders.

Develop and oversee the implementation of a Unit Strategy in alignment with the country strategy plan (CSP) and global priorities; take a lead role in identifying strategic opportunities for strengthening PANDA work in the country, in particular:

• Ensure the Unit’s activities are relevant and have a measurable impact on the humanitarian/development response;
• Identify new programs and approaches in which the Unit can add value to the transition away from the humanitarian architecture;
• In coordination with the DCC and CC, identify funding opportunities to consolidate, strengthen and/or expand the Unit’s programs;

Research Planning

• 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, support relevant staff in designing research questions and reviewing ToRs before they are sent to Geneva for validation;
• Ensure that ToRs are validated by HQ as well as understood and used by assessment staff and stakeholders, and updated as required;
• Keep track of progress and delays of all assigned assessments throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or identified challenges for specific assessments are reported to the DCC/CC, and relevant stakeholders if needed.
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in assessment design and planning to make PANDA outputs more tailored to stakeholders’ needs.

Research Implementation

• Monitor training and data collection activities, ensuring their correct implementation in line with agreed TORs;
• Ensure logistics, financial, administration, security and HR processes directly related to the Unit’s work and ongoing assessment have been appropriately implemented and coordinated with the relevant ACTED departments.
• Ensure that all collected data is cleaned and analysed in line with IMPACT Minimum Standards as well as stored in line with IMPACT’s Data Management Guidelines, and with the ToRs (data management plan
• Maintain regular communication with IMPACT HQ on progress and deadlines for written products;
• Ensure and review the drafting of timely and accurate assessment outputs (i.e. reports, factsheets, etc.), which comply with IMPACT’s guidelines and quality standards before they are sent to the DCC and IMPACT HQ for validation;
• Ensure that all written products are validated by IMPACT HQ and respect IMPACT communications guidelines before external release.

Knowledge Sharing and Learning Process

• Ensure learning by the Unit from relevant best practices internally and externally both nationally and globally and make learning available for other PANDA teams by sharing LL in the PANDA CoP;
• Engage with relevant stakeholders in knowledge sharing/lessons learned exercises at the end of each research cycle.

Project and Grants Management

• Management of relevant all Project / Grant cycles within his/her Unit (in coordination with DCC/CC)
• Contribute to external reporting requirements to donors; monitor output achievement, and cash burn rates and ensure timely completion of projects through review of BFUs;
• Ensure that contractual obligations are met in terms of deliverables as well as narrative and financial reporting requirements, in close coordination with the DCC/CC, and (as relevant) with ACTED PD and finance departments;
• Provide ad-hoc support to project implementation through troubleshooting and eliminating blocking points;

Finance Management

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

Asset and IT Management

• Ensure proper asset management and data backup;
• Ensure the use of a country server for secure storage and sharing of internal documentation.

Leadership

• Provide leadership within the PANDA unit as well as within the country Senior Management Team in line with IMPACT values.

Staff Management

• Ensure that staff within his/her unit understand and can perform their roles and responsibilities as per their TORs;
• Mentor and support the Unit team to build capacities, improve efficiency and performance but also strengthen team cohesion and staff welfare;
• Management of interpersonal conflicts within the Unit;
• Ensure regular updates with DCC/CC about staff potential, career management, training opportunities, contractual issues, and difficulties faced with or expressed by field-based staff;

Administration and HR management

• In support of the DCC/CC and ACTED HR (if relevant), contribute to transparent and timely identification and recruitment of staff working in the Unit;
• Ensure regular performance appraisal and career management of all staff in the Unit;
• Ensure timely attendance sheets, leave plans, as well as exit forms for departing staff.

Internal communication

• Facilitate internal communication within the unit team both bilaterally and through regular team meetings ;
• Ensure regular reporting to the DCC and CC, including any programme or HR-related challenges.

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 Unit’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 that all Unit staff are aware and fully abide by ACTED’s regulations in terms of administration, logistics and security;
• Ensures that the Unit’s movements are coordinated with and validated by ACTED’s Security department, in the frequency and modality requested by the latter;
• Immediately inform and coordinate with the CC and ACTED CD should any IMPACT staff, as well as staff working under IMPACT supervision, not respect ACTED regulations, especially in terms of security.

External Engagement

• In coordination with the DCC and CC, ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of the 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;
• Under the direction of the DCC and CC, engage in the dissemination of research products, in line with IMPACT Dissemination and External Communication Guidelines and contractual obligations;
• Ensure that research products are uploaded to relevant data portals and properly stored, as specified in Research ToRs.

Strategic External Engagement

• Under the guidance of the DCC/CC, leads the development of content and information for country-level advocacy
• Development strategic partnerships with key humanitarian stakeholders and decision-makers who actively participate in stabilization and development efforts.

Project Development

• Support the IMPACT CC and DCC in external engagement about IMPACT strategy;
• Develop proposals, concept notes, and budgets in close coordination with the IMPACT CC and DCC, 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 an INGO at the field level (possibly in the MENA region). Proven track record in the successful management of international and national teams in humanitarian contexts.
• Familiarity with humanitarian/development system: Familiarity with the humanitarian and development 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 are needed. Previous experience in impact evaluations and monitoring frameworks is desired. Knowledge of participatory methodologies is an asset.
• Software skills: Proven knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and InDesign. Familiarity with R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software is an asset.
• Multi-tasking skills: Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles in a complex environment.
• Level of independence: A self-starter with a proven ability to work independently with minimum supervision.
• Cross-cultural work environment: Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility and in-country travelling.
• Experience in geographical region or stabilization context: Experience in the MENA region or a country transitioning to development/stabilization is desirable.
• Language skills: Fluency in English is required, and competency in Kurdish or Arabic is an asset.