IMPACT ET REACH
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). The objective of REACH is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that improve the decision-making and planning capacity of the humanitarian community in emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) needs and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; and (c) provision of databases and (web) mapping facilities and related expertise.
IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization manages several initiatives, including the REACH initiative. The IMPACT team is composed of specialists in data collection, management, and analysis, and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO headquartered in Paris and present in approximately 30 countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, allowing IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support in its areas of intervention.
We are currently looking for a Research Manager based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to support our team in the Coastal Countries (Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo).
Title: Research Manager-
Contract duration : 1 year
Work location : Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Start date : November 17, 2025
COUNTRY PROFILE
In the context of the increase in the risk of conflict and the number of displaced persons and refugees or asylum seekers in the north of the coastal countries (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo), IMPACT has expanded its operations in order to i) better understand the risks of conflict and displacement in the region, ii) support the sharing of expertise in research and information on activities to respond to the needs of populations, and iii) implement or support activities to assess the needs of populations. This work is carried out by two teams based in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) and Cotonou (Benin), in coordination with partners present in the countries (national and local authorities, international and national NGOs, UN agencies) and in order to be able to quickly mobilize quality information on the humanitarian situation in these intervention areas.
FUNCTIONS
The Research Manager will be responsible for leading the Coastal Country Mission Evaluation Team, composed of three evaluation officers. Under the supervision of the IMPACT Country Coordinator (based in Cotonou), the Research Manager will lead the development and implementation of mission activities, which may include the implementation of evaluations and analyses, research training, and information management activities.
This position requires both an analytical and managerial profile, as the work of the Research Manager can range from coordination with external partners (whether government representatives, research stakeholders, humanitarian groups or donors) to analytical oversight of research products, including support for logistics, reporting and financial planning.
RESPONSABILITES
The research manager will have the following responsibilities in particular:
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Under the direction of the IMPACT Country Coordinator, direct management of the evaluation team members, including recruitment and career management of staff. The team is currently composed of three national contract staff based in Abidjan and Cotonou;
- In coordination with the IMPACT country coordinator, development and implementation of training plans for team members;
- Day-to-day management of team members, including developing work plans and performance indicators and conducting regular performance reviews.
PROJECT/RESEARCH CYCLE MANAGEMENT
- Ensure that all assessments and analyses are planned and implemented in a structured and consistent manner, in accordance with relevant project and strategic objectives, as well as REACH global guidelines;
- Oversee all team research cycles, including review of terms of reference, methodological notes, tools, products and dissemination strategies.
- Ensure the writing and production of relevant, precise and analytically rigorous results;
- Ensure that relevant stakeholders and partners are involved in the design and planning of the evaluation;
- Monitor product delivery, project expenditures and ensure project completion on time.
- Actively promote the improvement of analysis in REACH products and use common methodologies, tools and analytical frameworks across units, where appropriate.
FINANCING MANAGEMENT
- In coordination with the IMPACT Country Coordinator, contribute to the conceptualization of new projects and the writing of proposals, as well as to reporting and monitoring and evaluation on existing projects;
- Ensure that contractual obligations are met in terms of program results.
EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT
- Maximize the relevance and impact of implemented activities by communicating on them with partners (government actors, NGOs and UN agencies, coordination groups and sectoral groups) throughout the project cycle.
- In coordination with the IMPACT country coordinator, represent IMPACT to donors, partners and the entire intervention community in coastal countries.
DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY
- Contribute to a better understanding of the various information gaps within coastal countries and to the identification of activities that can fill these gaps;
- In coordination with the IMPACT country coordinator, develop and implement dissemination strategies to strengthen the impact of the mission’s research cycles;
The Research Manager will maintain the strictest confidentiality regarding all data collected and related processes. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of all information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners or collected during his/her mission within IMPACT.
KEY SKILLS FOR THE POSITION
BASIC SKILLS
- Integrity : Acting professionally while holding oneself and others accountable, acting transparently and taking responsibility for one’s actions.
- Resilience : The ability to effectively maintain focus on professional goals while adapting and demonstrating flexibility when contexts, demands, and circumstances change.
- Collaboration : Ability to work cooperatively with others from different backgrounds and perspectives, engaging effectively internally and externally.
RESEARCH – EVALUATION
- Research Cycle Management : Ability to ensure that research meets all minimum requirements and objectives set throughout the research cycle ( expected level of mastery: 3/5 ).
- Data Communication : Ability to effectively translate and disseminate research findings through accurate and effective research outputs ( Expected proficiency level: 4/5 ).
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning : Ability to monitor and record progress, lessons learned and research results in accordance with the IMPACT monitoring and evaluation framework ( expected proficiency level: 2/5 ).
OTHER KEY SKILLS
- Portfolio management : ability to operationalize objectives and direct decision-making using resource and project management ( expected level of mastery: 2/3 ).
- Performance management : effectively helping staff to give their best within the framework of a positive management relationship ( expected level of mastery: 2/3 ).
- Understanding of the context : Knowledge and understanding of the contextual environments in which staff work ( expected level of mastery: 2/3 ).
- Humanitarian sector : Understanding of the history, architecture, main actors and dynamics of the humanitarian sector ( expected level of mastery: 2/3 ).
- Strategic influence : Ability to influence the actions of decision-makers based on research findings ( expected mastery level: 1/3 ).
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Years of professional experience At least 3 years of relevant professional experience in a humanitarian context, such as program management or monitoring and evaluation;
- Research Skills Excellent experience in quantitative and qualitative research design, data collection and analysis;
- Familiarity with the aid system Good understanding of the aid system and the humanitarian and development research community. Previous experience with humanitarian coordination forums is desirable;
- Management Experience Demonstrated people management skills are desirable, including remote management;
- Multi-country environment Ability to work on multiple projects and multiple countries at the same time;
- Thematic experience Preferred prior experience in information management, multi-sector assessments and/or environmental risk analyses;
- Experience in the geographic region Prior experience in the region/support is desirable;
- Communication and Writing Skills Excellent communication and writing skills for effective reporting and editing;
- Intercultural work environment Ability to work in an intercultural environment requiring flexibility and autonomy;
- Software Skills Proven knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Good knowledge of R, SPSS and/or STATA, Power BI, or other analytics and visualization software is an asset.
- Language skills Fluency in French and English is required.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- For this position, the salary is between 3,000 CHF and 3,120 CHF per month (before income tax), etc. as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD.
- NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary scale based on the position’s grade and the staff’s education level. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied to account for the fact that some staff members must work in difficult locations where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
- Accommodation and food in a guesthouse. Depending on the country situation, a contribution to a housing allowance of up to 75% of the country-specific benchmark may be considered instead. NB – IMPACT is hosted by ACTED in this country
- Membership in a Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approximately 9.975% of the staff’s gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance
- This base is not a family duty station
- Airfare every 6 months and visa fees covered (in-country travel and business expenses are fully covered)
- R&R after 2-3 months (airfare up to $500 + $200 living allowance) if duty station allows
- Contribution to baggage transport: between 20 and 100 kg, depending on the duration of the contract (+ baggage and personal property insurance)
- Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Leave for family or compassionate reasons, if applicable.
- Pre-departure induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives headquarters in Geneva + one week of pre-departure training at ACTED headquarters in Paris, including a 4-day on-site security training;
- Enrollment in the IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Program within the first 3 months of contract start.
How to apply
Please apply directly on the website: Research Manager for Côte d’Ivoire, based in Abidjan (Link For External Applicants) | Impact