Research Manager, Evaluation, Research, And Analytics

Research Manager, Evaluation, Research, & Analytics Division, United States

Social Impact (SI) is a Washington, DC-area international development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over one hundred countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits.

Social Impact strives to be a great place to work. We are proud of our diversity and actively seek to expand it as a way of improving our employees’ experience, our collective professional breadth and the quality of the work we do. We seek to promote equity and inclusion through our policies and practices and build a culture of belonging for everyone where differences and authenticity are honored and embraced. We work hard to create opportunities for growth and ensure that our staff are fulfilled and engaged. We believe we are better when we collaborate, learn from one another and have fun while working hard.

Position Description:

The Research Manager (RM) will support Social Impact's Evaluation, Research, & Analytics (ERA) Division and will primarily work on the USAID Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Learning, Evaluation, and Research III (DRGLER) contract. The purpose of this global mechanism is to advance learning, evaluation, and research within the DRG sector as well as provide critical data on the impact of USAID’s DRG activities in the field. Studies under this contract include impact evaluations, rigorous outcome performance evaluations, literature reviews, evidence reviews, toolkit development, and data analytics/visualization.

The RM will support the Chief of Party and Senior Program manager with contract management tasks as well as serving as a program manager on various studies commissioned under the contract. Additionally, the RM will undertake a range of technical tasks on these studies, including conducting literature reviews, conducting interviews, qualitative and quantitative analysis, data visualization, and reporting. The RM may have the opportunity to support other research projects for USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), The US Department of State, The World Bank, or other donor agencies and organizations. The RM reports to Research Directors on individual projects and the Division Head or a Senior Research Manager as their main supervisor.

Responsibilities:

Service Delivery (75%):

RMs manage a portfolio of research studies (including DRGLER III)), carrying out core managerial and technical functions, with oversight by Research Directors and other senior technical project staff. RMs oversee the work of junior staff on individual contracts and coordinate with consultants, subcontractors, and clients. RMs manage research studies through their life cycle from the start-up and design phases through multiple rounds of data collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination. This position will also require supporting the contractual, administrative, and reporting functions of a large contract. Specific responsibilities may include:

Technical Service Delivery:

• Lead and/or support common technical tasks on projects including literature reviews; research/evaluation design; instrument development and programming; enumerator training; data quality assurance; data cleaning and statistical analysis; qualitative data collection, coding and analysis; report writing; data de-identification; and dissemination.
• Oversee the work of local data collection contractors and conduct regular quality control on quantitative and qualitative datasets, using SI’s standard quality control processes.
• As appropriate, participate in field work, such as data collection, capacity building, program monitoring, or research/evaluation design. These tasks will be graduated to match level of proficiency and skill.
• In collaboration with senior technical staff, conduct quality assurance to ensure high quality client deliverables (e.g., research/evaluation design reports, research/evaluation reports).

Contract Management:

• Establish and maintain contract mechanism management processes and templates, such as budget, consultant, and subcontract trackers, deliverable templates, and guidance materials for conducting studies under a contract mechanism.
• Support consortium partner engagement and subcontract administrative tasks.
• Manage weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual contract and financial reporting and provide reporting guidance to study teams under the contract mechanism.
• Support recruitment of staff in response to research study requests; support the development of concept notes and budgets in response to research study requests.
• Establish, monitor, and update research/evaluation work plans.
• Work with Finance Department to monitor project budgets and financial status and ensure financial reporting requirements are met.
• Identify, recruit and contract personnel for research/evaluation projects as needed.
• Lead procurement of local data collection partners as needed including writing RFPs, outreach to firms, proposal review and selection, and subcontracting.
• Oversee mobilization and logistical preparations for research/evaluation team travel, with the support of junior project staff and SI’s travel provider.
• Coordinate research/evaluation team inputs for contract deliverables.
• Serve as a responsive point of contact for clients.

Business Development/Revenue Generation (10-15%)

• Support marketing, business and proposal development related to new ERA opportunities and, as time permits, other evaluation-related new bids.
• May write technical proposals, review draft proposals, draft work plans, and work with the Finance Department to develop proposal budgets.

Other Management Functions (10-15%)

• Support service area management functions and participate in or lead internal initiatives in the ERA division as opportunities arise and as availability allows.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of a Master’s degree.
• A minimum of five years of work experience, with at least two years of experience managing USAID or USG-funded development projects or evaluations.
• Academic training or practical experience in conducting and managing research studies.
• Academic training and/or practical experience in one or more democracy, human rights, and governance sub-sectors.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and maintain timely communication with all stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage teams to completion of high-quality written research/evaluation products.
• Knowledge of government or donor contracting practices, especially with USAID, MCC, or other USG clients.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and implement pertinent company and client policies and procedures.
• Ability to travel overseas for short-term assignments.
• A commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive work and learning environment.
• Fluent in English.

Preferred:

• This position responsibilities entail facilitation of engagement with other staff, clients, and stakeholders who are typically in the DC, MD, and/or VA (DMV) area. Candidates located in the DMV area will be prioritized.
• Advanced working proficiency in Spanish or French.
• Knowledge of and practical hands-on experience with Stata.
• Demonstrated expertise with large-scale survey research and data collection.
• Academic training or practical experience in impact evaluations, and familiarity with randomized control trials or quasi-experimental designs.

Come join our diverse, innovative and collaborative team! We offer you the opportunity to play a leading role in the growth of our company, working as part of a creative and committed team, making a difference in advancing development effectiveness across the globe.

To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website: http://www.socialimpact.com

SI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls.