Research Officer – Humanitarian Policy & Practice

Purpose of Job

To contribute to HPG’s high-quality and innovative research, policy advice and communications programme, with a view to informing and inspiring humanitarian policy at international and country level.

To work across a number of HPG’s projects, undertaking research and analysis, supporting events and communications, and engaging humanitarian practitioners and policymakers in HPG’s research and advisory processes.

This role will work flexibly across HPG’s current Integrated Programme People, power and agency, and/or a number of current HPG priorities, including humanitarian dilemmas in Ukraine and humanitarian accountability.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Research and Funding:

• Contribute to a number of research projects within HPG’s current portfolio.
• Collaborate on primary and secondary research including reviewing documents and collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data.
• Contribute to and/or author literature reviews, research reports, policy briefs and other documents for publication, under the supervision of colleagues.
• Support analysis of the outcomes of research, and develop ideas for the application of research outcomes.
• Monitor and analyse developments in the external environment
• Contribute to research proposals, expressions of interest and full project proposals.
• As possible, undertake travel overseas for research related purposes.

Project Management:

• Under the overall direction of colleagues, liaise with and report to donors, and manage consultants and the inputs of other project partners.
• Supervise interns and other short-term staff working within the team under the direction of colleagues.

Policy advice, public affairs and dissemination:

• Working with communications colleagues, organise meetings, workshops, and events.
• Support HPG’s digital engagement and communications through disseminating analysis and research through social media, mainstream media and at events.
• Present research results internally and externally at conferences and meetings nationally and internationally.
• Liaise and network with a wide range of agencies including attending meetings on behalf of Programme and providing short meeting summaries for distribution within the team and more widely.

Collegiate life:

• Undertake travel overseas as necessary and appropriate for the fulfilment of the above responsibilities.
• Contribute to the Institute’s collegiate life, in particular through cross-HPG research collaboration and ODI activities such as discussion groups, lunchtime meetings, staff meetings, working groups, interviews and peer review of written outputs.

Person specification

Essential

Knowledge and Qualifications

• A degree and post-graduate degree in relevant discipline
• Active knowledge of key national and international institutions in the humanitarian sector and beyond

Experience

• Experience in producing research outputs in a short period of time and for different audiences

Skills/Abilities

• Excellent analytical and writing skills
• Good presentation and networking skills
• Multitasking skills – ability to work flexibly across multiple projects
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate successfully and cultural awareness
• Excellent IT skills (Word, Excel, Power Point)
• Ability to work in a team
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally on a frequent basis, which may include overnight and weekends on occasion.
• Ability to work on own initiative

Desirable

• Lived or work experience in a humanitarian crisis setting
• Previous experience in a policy development research environment, i.e. policy-oriented research, demonstrated by publications and reports
• Knowledge of one or more themes relevant to HPG’s Integrated Programme or current project priorities
• Some research methods experience (survey based, or qualitative)
• Fluency in a language other than English and competency in others
• Ability to analyse quantitative and qualitative data

Key Relationships and Contacts

Internal:

Director of HPG, HPG Senior/Research Fellows and Officers, HPG Programme Managers, HPG Communications colleagues and other ODI colleagues

External:

• NGOs/donors
• Research partners/individuals in country
• Other research institutes/universities in the UK and internationally

All staff are expected to:

• Positively support equality of opportunity both within ODI and externally
• Help maintain a safe working environment and take responsibility for own and colleagues’ Health and Safety
• Undertake such other duties within the scope of their post as may be asked by their manager