Research Manager

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT INITIATIVES (IMPACT)

IMPACT Initiatives (IMPACT) is an NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative (REACH), which aims to improve the impact of humanitarian, recovery, and development action through quality information, coordination, and capacity building of partners in the sector. IMPACT has been present in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) since 2019. To implement REACH activities, IMPACT works with 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 in its fields of intervention.

We are currently looking for a Research Manager to lead the analysis cell

We are currently looking for a Research Manager to lead the analysis cell

Department:           REACH

Position:                      Research Manager

Contract duration:        12 months (with possibility of extension)

Location:                     Caracas, Venezuela

Starting Date:              01 August 2024

FUNCTIONS

IMPACT is seeking an experienced candidate who has previously managed teams and implemented projects in a complex humanitarian setting. The candidate should be comfortable representing IMPACT with donors and be able to coordinate and liaise with a range of senior external partners. The Research Manager (RM) will be responsible for overseeing the strategy development and implementation of the Venezuela Humanitarian Analysis Cell, under the supervision of the Deputy Country Coordinator, based in Bogotá, Colombia. The position is based in Caracas, with travel to other locations in Venezuela expected.

The overall goal of the RM will be to ensure the smooth running of the newly formed Humanitarian Analysis Cell, he/she will be responsible for the implementation of evidence-based and contextualized analysis of humanitarian needs to support key humanitarian coordination structures and decision making in Venezuela. This will include operational and programmatic oversight and management of activities, including line-management and organisation of the Data and GIS Specialists who will lead various analysis workstreams, as well as a high level of external engagement required to ensure the effectiveness of the analysis cell for the response. In addition, the RM is responsible for the oversight of project implementation, Human Resources, reporting, and providing input to the strategic development of REACH in Venezuela.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1.      STAFF MANAGEMENT

-        Direct management of international and national team members, including recruitment, appraisals, and career management;

-        Day-to-day management of the analysis cell, including the development of work plans and performance indicators, and development and implementation of capacity training plans to improve efficiency and performance;

-        Conduct regular check-ins with staff within the unit, and promote team building, productivity and staff welfare as the main pastoral focal point for staff in the cell;

-        Be available to provide regular support and technical backstopping;

-        Take on additional work streams and management responsibilities as well as advise in strategic mission decision-making as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT)

2.      MANAGEMENT OF ANALYSIS CELL PRIORITIES

2.1    Research Design and Analysis

-             Ensure that all analysis and/or assessments are planned in-line with relevant project and programme objectives and with REACH research cycle and other relevant guidelines;

-             Ensure that all Cell staff are comprehensively briefed on objectives and expected outputs of research cycles and/or analysis conducted, and that the overall implementation strategy of any given activity is clearly understood;

-             Ensure that required secondary data analysis has been conducted in preparation of and to contribute to any analysis;

-             For each new activity or analysis, review ToRs before they are sent to Geneva for validation and ensure that TORs are validated by HQ before commencement.

-             Monitor data analysis exercises, keeping track of progress and delays, ensuring correct implementation in line with agreed TORs and/or partnerships with key external partners;

-             Compose and construct, in close coordination with analysis cell staff, a comprehensive analysis framework and a timeline of key milestones to be informed

-             Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners, in particular OCHA, key UN Agencies and NGO fora are engaged in prioritization, planning, research design and analysis.

-             Ensure that all analysis conducted contributes to overall improvement in humanitarian response prioritization through close coordination with key stakeholders in the response.

-             Ensure regular situation updates on data analysis have been produced and circulated to relevant external counterparts, particularly, but not limited to the Information Management Working Group, The Needs Analysis Working Group, the INGO forum and other coordination fora, clusters or working groups as necessary:

-             Potential to be tasked with additional leadership or co-chairing roles in information management coordination fora within the response;

2.2   Product drafting, dissemination and evaluation

-             Ensure the drafting of timely and accurate analysis output, particularly to be timed to support key humanitarian planning milestones (i.e. analysis framework, presentations, reports, factsheets, etc.) which comply with IMPACT’s guidelines and quality standards;

-             Review all relevant analysis products before they are sent to IMPACT HQ for validation and ensure that all written products are validated by IMPACT HQ before external release.

-             Under supervision of IMPACT HQ ensure that research products are uploaded, and disseminated in a context specific manner, in relevant data portals, as specified in ToRs;

-             Ensure that lessons learned are gathered and documented at the end of each research cycle;

-             Support monitoring and evaluation as specified in the research ToRs

3.      STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

-        Lead on identifying information gaps in line with humanitarian priorities, and identify advocacy and dissemination strategies to strengthen the impact of our work;

-        Lead on formalising synergies with other assessment and knowledge management actors, as well as strategic partnerships with key humanitarian stakeholders and decision makers – With particular importance give to finding contextually sensitive ways to overcome dissemination and communication challenges between humanitarian actors;

-        Contribute to the development and implementation of the REACH Venezuela country strategy;

 

4.      EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

-        Represent REACH/IMPACT in cluster and multi-sector meetings/technical working groups in country, and follow up on technical issues identified in cluster meetings;

-        Present research findings to relevant partners, to enhance their use and impact;

-        Ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycle;

-        Ensure that external communications with partners and key stakeholders, including UN agencies, local and national government, and NGOs has been conducted and documented as appropriate

-        Support the IMPACT Country Representative and Deputy Country Coordinator in external engagement on REACH/IMPACT strategy or for fundraising and grants management.

 

5.      ACCOUNTABILITY TO COMMUNITIES AND BENEFICIARIES

The RM is responsible for ensuring that all interactions with Venezuelan communities are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner. Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about IMPACT programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies. This is the responsibility of every IMPACT staff member.

6.      CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION

The Research Manager will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners, or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• For this position, salary between 3’100 CHF and 3’360 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 and food provided in a guesthouse.

• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance

• This base is not a family duty station

• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered)

• R&R after 2-3 months (flight ticket up to 500$ + 200$ of living allowance) if duty station allows

• 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’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;

• Enrolment in IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Programme within the first 3 months from the start of contract.

• 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

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