Research Manager (Associate) for Senegal, Based in Dakar At IMPACT Initiatives

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We are currently looking for a Research Manager (Associate) to support our regional team in Senegal.

Title: Research Manager (Associate)

Contract duration : 1 year

Work location : Dakar, Senegal

Start date : May 2025

PROFILE REGION

Dakar is IMPACT Initiatives’ regional office for West and Central Africa. The Research Manager (Associate) position is based in Dakar, Senegal. It is dedicated entirely to regional or cross-border projects within the country missions covered by the regional office.

FUNCTIONS

The Research Manager (Associate) will be responsible for ensuring the successful implementation of cross-border projects and regional analyses, and will be responsible for a team of regional analysts to do so. He/she will be under the supervision of the Regional Office Representative.

He/she is responsible for coordinating regional projects with partners/country teams, and conducts presentations to partners and any other relevant external engagement to maximize the visibility and impact of regional projects. He/she also ensures the relevance of regional projects and provides programmatic guidance in line with the regional strategy, to which he/she contributes.

He/she is also responsible for developing and contributing to the implementation of an ongoing capacity building program for regional and country team members (as needed and requested), and (where appropriate) providing training.

This position requires both an analytical and managerial profile, as the work of the Research Manager (Associate) can range from coordination with external partners (whether a data actor, a humanitarian group or a funder) to analytical oversight of research products, including support for logistics, reporting and financial planning.

The scope of the position will be adapted to the experience and acquired skills of the selected candidate.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The research manager (associate) will have the following responsibilities in particular:

TEAM MANAGEMENT

  • Under the direction of the Regional Office Representative, direct management of the regional team of evaluation officers, including recruitment and career management of staff. The team is composed of two analysts based in Dakar for regional or cross-border projects.
  • In coordination with the regional office representative, development and implementation
  • implementation of training plans for team members;
  • Day-to-day management of team members, including the development of work plans and performance indicators.

RESEARCH PLANNING

Coordination of research within the framework of regional/cross-border projects

  • 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 research terms of reference, methodological notes, tools, products and dissemination strategies.
  • Ensure the writing and production of 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 all units.

Field deployment capacity (surge missions)

  • Carrying out support missions (remotely or in person), in the event of a need identified by
  • another country. These missions will respond to a surge mission terms of reference drawn up and
  • communicated by the Country Coordinator, including with results, a timetable and a budget clearly defined and consistent with the skills of the Regional GIS Specialist.

MONITORING CONTRACTS AND PROPER MANAGEMENT OF SUBSIDIES

  • Under the direction of the Regional Office Representative, support grant-related components, including conceptualization of new projects, proposal writing, regular reporting, and monitoring and evaluation, in close collaboration with the Regional Grants Officer.
  • Ensure the implementation and monitoring of M&E monitoring tools, in accordance with contractual obligations, in close collaboration with the regional grants manager.
  • Support the Regional Office Representative in the financial management of programmatic costs of regional projects, including budget and expenditure monitoring, in close collaboration with the Regional Finance Manager.
  • Under the direction of the Regional Office Representative, ensure that programmatic contractual obligations are met, in line with expected results.

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

  • Ensure representation in relevant working groups at regional level, in conjunction with the regional office representative, the regional SMT and the regional strategy.
  • Ensure the presentation and dissemination of the results of regional programs, in the relevant working groups in order to maximize the impact of IMPACT information products.
  • Provide actors in the humanitarian coordination system with reliable and accurate advice and technical support, in line with IMPACT’s strategy at the regional level and in close coordination with the regional office representative.
  • Actively participate and contribute to knowledge sharing and lessons learned exercises between agencies and stakeholders.
  • Support the regional office representative in technical or thematic discussions with donors or stakeholders in the humanitarian coordination system (OCHA, sectoral groups, technical working groups, NGO forum), in accordance with the communication / external engagement strategy
  • More generally, contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, including through the application of IMPACT’s mandate, ethics, values ​​and position in relation to other actors and by helping to create a culture of rigorous use of evidence and learning among humanitarian responders.

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGIONAL STRATEGY

  • Work with key regional stakeholders to understand information needs and identify how the regional office can fill these gaps.
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of the regional strategy, particularly on the programmatic part, in conjunction with the regional office representative, the SMT and the program teams.
  • In coordination with the regional office representative, develop and implement
  • dissemination strategies to strengthen the impact of regional research cycles.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION

  • The Research Manager (Associate) will maintain the strictest confidentiality regarding all data collected and related processes. They will actively take steps to prevent unauthorized sharing of all information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners or collected during their assignment with IMPACT.

REQUIREMENTS

  • Years of professional experience At least 3 years of relevant professional experience in a humanitarian context, such as program management, assessment and evaluations;
  • 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 research community. Previous experience with humanitarian coordination forums is desirable;
  • Management Experience Demonstrated people management skills are desirable, including remote management;
  • Thematic experience Previous experience with multi-sector projects
  • 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;
  • Academic Qualifications Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline;
  • Software Skills Proven knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Good knowledge of R, SPSS, and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software is an asset.
  • Security Environment Ability to work in a complex and challenging security environment.
  • Language skills Fluency in French is required, fluency in English is an asset.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

  • For this position, the salary is between CHF 2,820 and CHF 3,120 per month (before income tax), etc. plus a monthly living allowance of USD 300.
  • NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary scale, based on the position’s grade and staff education level. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied to account for the fact that some staff members are required to work in challenging locations where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
  • Accommodation and meals in a guesthouse. Depending on the country’s situation, a contribution to a housing allowance of up to 75% of the reference index
  • country-specific 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
  • On a case-by-case basis, accompanied person status and corresponding benefits may apply (health insurance and airfare for dependents, study allowance for children).
  • Airfare every 6 months and visa fees covered (in-country travel and business expenses are fully covered)
  • 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.
  • IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and health insurance
  • provided covers, among other things, up to €1,000 per year in psychosocial counseling costs.

How to apply

Please apply directly on the website: Research Manager (Associate) for Senegal, based in Dakar (Link For External Applicants) | Impact