Haiti Research Officer at Ark Group

Location: Fully remote, based in Haiti or Canada

Reporting to: Head of Research

Role type: Full time, 2-year Fixed Term Contract (contract renewed annually)

Closing date: 22nd December 2023

About Us

ARK is a social enterprise, empowering local communities through the provision of agile and sustainable interventions to create greater stability, opportunity and hope for the future.

We believe that strong, resilient communities are the foundation of local, national, regional and international development and stability – and ultimately a safer, peaceful and more prosperous world. At ARK, we have delivered research and programmatic interventions validating this approach in over twenty countries since 2008. As a social enterprise we work in partnership with communities, our donors, and other implementers to build local capacities, generate opportunity and bring about sustainable change.

Learn more about our impact here: https://www.ark.international/impact

About the role

ARK Group are currently recruiting a Researcher specialising in Haiti. Based in Haiti or in Canada, you will play a key role in a new longitudinal research project which will study perceptions of safety and security within Haitian communities across the country, to inform relevant policy initiatives in this space.

Reporting to ARK’s Head of Research and closely working with fellow research colleagues, Project Managers, and team members from areas like Communications or Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL), your responsibilities will involve conducting mixed-methods research. Focused on human security at the community level, security provision, and security sector reform in Haiti, you will be pivotal in enhancing ARK Group’s expertise in these thematic areas. You’ll be contributing to research design, undertaking data collection, ensuring data cleanliness, conducting analysis, and generating valuable research outputs.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the ARK team as we expand into new geographies, while developing a profile of research expertise in the region.

What you’ll be doing

• Develop ARK Group’s knowledge and expertise on Haitian community perceptions of safety and security, including perceptions of police, state and non-state security actors;
• Maintain situational awareness by keeping abreast of relevant socio-political, economic and security developments in Haiti, including threats to communities related to climate change and extreme weather events;
• Lead, under the supervision of the Head of Research and the Deputy Head of Research, the design of research plans, deliverables and data collection tools, such as semi-structured Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, field surveys, online questionnaires, participatory and observational research methods;
• Clean and analyse primary and secondary data and draft thematic and analytical reports;
  Produce and/or contribute to data visualisation products such as maps, dashboards, infographics, and graphs;
• Participate in the training of enumerators and assist with supervision of data collectors and field researchers and associated protocols and quality control mechanisms;
• Review and synthesize relevant scholarly and specialist material from academic journals, policy institutes/think tanks and international organisations;
• Contribute to the preparation of project-related presentations and attend meetings and calls with donors and/or other relevant stakeholders.

Requirements
You will have comprehensive research experience on human security, community security and/or security sector in Haiti; full professional fluency in French and English, and ideally working knowledge of Creole; advanced analytical and writing skills and a Masters degree in a relevant discipline (listed below).

Essential

• Experience conducting policy-oriented research in/on Haiti in the area of human security, security sector reform, policing and/or peacekeeping;
• Full professional proficiency in French and English and advanced writing skills;
• A Master’s degree in migration studies, political science, international relations, sociology, anthropology, development studies, conflict studies, international human rights law, or related fields;
• Familiarity with design and implementation of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methodologies;
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, organize, manage, analyse, and disseminate significant amounts of data/information;
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines;
• Accuracy, attention to detail with the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team using a solutions-oriented approach;
• Willingness to travel occasionally;
• Advanced computer literacy skills with Microsoft Office;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a member of a fast-moving team, willingness to contribute at different levels required to achieve success, self-motivated and ability to work independently;
• Commitment and passion to study the myriad security challenges facing Haitian communities, as well as those facing policing and peacekeeping missions, and how relevant policy initiatives can sustainably contribute to address those challenges;
• Commitment to the conduct of ethical research with human subjects and knowledge of gender mainstreaming, conflict sensitivity and Do-No-Harm principles.

Desirable

• Intermediate-to-advanced training in statistics, familiarity with SPSS and/or the R environment for statistical computing.
• Familiarity with relevant software such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data visualisation tools.

Why join ARK?

Impactful Work: Your expertise will directly impact the lives of those in need.
Global Reach: Collaborate with international experts and local stakeholders.
Innovation: Engage in pioneering solutions for sustainable change.
Career Growth: Expand your horizons with varied projects and challenges.

Our People

Our team covers a diverse range of professional backgrounds, from diplomacy, humanitarian, development and the military, to the UN, civil society groups, multilateral organisations, journalism and the private sector.

An ARK Person Is:

Smart: We think deeply about things. We’re proud of our institutional knowledge and our grounding in rigorous research, which we use to make informed decisions.

Humble: Our work leaves little room for pride or arrogance. Our operating environment is constantly evolving, and we recognise out limitations. We believe in and rely on the education and experiences of others while remaining quick to read, invite feedback, and ask sensible questions.

Accountable: Each of us want ARK, its partners, and beneficiaries to succeed. This means taking initiative, assuming ownership when necessary and never giving up on our beneficiaries. We are committed and accountable, to both our donors and the communities we serve.

Collegiate: We know we are stronger together and that every contribution counts. We trust each other and always support each other.

Outspoken: We tackle diverse challenges and we always want to find the best solution to a problem. We aren’t afraid to share our opinions and we want to hear those of others too.

ARK Group is an equal opportunity employer. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. ARK Group does not discriminate on the basis of ability, age, gender identity or expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. We welcome all kinds of diversity. ARK Group places human dignity at the centre of its development and stabilisation work and is this committed to the protection from sexual exploitation and abuse of children and adults. All ARK Group employees and related personnel are expected to share this commitment and only those who also uphold these values will be recruited as part of our team. This vacancy is therefore subject to a range of due diligence checks.