Research Manager – Sudden Onset and Surge Team for Switzerland

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

MPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO whose headquarter is based in Paris and is present in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support on its fields of intervention.

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

We are currently looking for a Research Manager with experience, knowledge, and technical expertise in humanitarian research and needs assessments.

Title: Research Manager – Sudden Onset and Surge

Location: Geneva, Switzerland (75% plus travel)

Contract duration: 12 months

Start date: June 2022

POSITION PROFILE

IMPACT Country Programmes Team is seeking Research Manager (RM) to lead a team of experts in the creation of an Sudden Onset and Surge Team under the supervision of the Head of Country Programmes. The RM will deploy to lead or support country teams, during sudden onset emergencies, during under-funded or ‘forgotten’ natural disasters or to support internal capacity, specifically related to Multi-Sector Needs Assessments (MSNAs).

The RM will work closely with IMPACT’s global research and programmes teams based in Geneva HQ, as well as the Country Programmes Team. Past experience conducting humanitarian research, especially humanitarian needs assessments, is essential. Fluency in English is required, French, Spanish and Arabic highly desired, along with quantitative analysis skills, and effective coordination and communication skills.

Functions

Under the supervision of the Head of Country Programmes, based in Geneva, the Research Manager will perform the following functions (as required):

1. Ability to deploy 75% or more to any IMPACT mission as required, primarily to support existing mission in delivering on existing programming, scaling up in response to emerging crises, or establishing new missions in any sudden on-set emergency in areas outside of current missions.
   1. Support to programme teams, with a primary focus on ensuring successful delivery of MSNAs
   2. Support Country Teams with technical capacity and training, as well as the development of assessments, methodologies and IM, where needed, during deployment
   3. Coordination with IMPACT Global programmes teams, to strengthen linkages and ensure development of effective, efficient and relevant programming
2. Respond to sudden onset emergencies/natural disasters with sufficient assessment and analysis capacity in the immediate aftermath of such events.
3. Manage a small team, including day to day line management duties, and advise prioritisation of need globally

Requirements

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a Masters degree in a relevant discipline such as research methods, social sciences research, humanitarian studies, international development, or similar;
• At least 3 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian settings;
• At least 2 years of experience conducting field-based primary research, humanitarian research, or humanitarian needs assessments;
• Familiarity and experience with the Humanitarian Programme Cycle and humanitarian coordination system;
• Familiarity and experience with research methods best practices, social science statistics, and quantitative data analysis;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
• Strong external engagement and verbal communications skills;
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
• Fluency English required, French/Spanish/Arabic highly desired
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Knowledge and experience in R or other statistical analysis software and Adobe InDesign a plus
• Ability to multitask with tight deadlines
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment