Research Officer, Institutional Learning

The Institutional Learning Team is composed of a global technical team working to support quality of the evidence Search’s programs generate across the world, promote best practices in research, learning, and evaluation, and contribute learning in partnership with other organizations for the broader field. The Institutional Learning Team has also developed platforms for innovation and sharing to elevate a diverse set of voices to lead in our field through DME for Peace and several communities of practice. The team is led by the Director of the Institutional Learning Team under the leadership of the Vice President of Strategy Alignment. It is global, dynamic, diverse, and engaged at multiple levels of the organization and with external partners.

Search is hiring a Research Officer, Institutional Learning to support its Africa hub. The incumbent will be based in one of Search’s offices within the hub.

Responsibilities

● Lead the execution of specific research projects and research grants in relation to the organization’s Theory of Change;

● Coordinate within and across teams at Search to pursue goals, standards and best practices in collaboration with a wider set of teams and departments;

● Collaborate with teams for high quality reporting, research, procurement and recruitment processes, and monitoring of grants as needed;

● Identify personal skills development goals to pursue in collaboration with supervisor annually.

Contributions

Research Execution & Learning

● Provide direct support to managers and other key internal stakeholders to develop, implement and review research;

Planning

● Participate in team planning review and lead key research project planning in line with the organization’s strategy;

Organizational Performance

● Participate in team reflections on research, and draft guidance and action plans to address bottlenecks to performance;

● Share technical input with teams setting objectives for staff in alignment with organizational performance.

Evidence & Impact

● Ensure learning documents (includes research, M&E and programmatic best-practices) uphold Search standards for assessing program impact and building evidence;

● Lead research and analysis that contribute evidence to the broader field in line with our learning agenda and global standards for assessing impact;

● Draft and review research, with a focus on feeding evidence and lessons learned back into programmatic design.

Technical Positioning

● Support teams with technical support, tools, guidance, and training materials on research to improve our impact and program quality, in line with standards of the broader department and organization;

● Collaborate within the department on initiatives that support staff to enter and build skills within networks of technical expertise in the organization;

● Participate in technical networks to channel Search learning back into programming and position Search as field leaders affecting policy and practice globally;

● Support staff across Search to build research professional skills within the organization’s learning platform, and develop trainings and resources that feed into technical paths for growth.

New Frontiers

● Draft future scenario analysis to build research organizational competencies;

● Develop and roll-out staff trainings in core competencies in collaboration with other ILT and Strategy Alignment staff on future-oriented competencies;

● Participate in and serve as organizational representative at relevant events and initiatives developed with partner institutions around future trends relevant for conflict transformation.

Infuses organizational values into all work.

Other duties that are broadly in line with the above key contributions as assigned.

Competency Behavior Indicators (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

● Initiates brainstorming or problem-solving meetings. With time in job, develops skills for analyzing and communicating program successes and failures; reports lessons learned to the team and other members.

● Represents Search at local and international events and meetings for academics and professional organizations. Develops skills to independently initiate and maintain relations with academia, partners, and funders. Articulates Search program/project goals and objectives within Search and to external audiences.

● Demonstrates appreciation for diversity of thought. Builds cross-functional relationships with other functional departments.

● Demonstrates ability to be adaptable and willing to confront and change own ideas and preconceptions with the resiliency and flexibility to make changes based on hearing a diversity of thoughts.

● Drafts team documents, briefing materials, and presentations. Articulates program/project objectives and how they fit into a team’s goals and/or Search’s mission and adapts to the communications setting.

● Applies standards, identifies areas for standardization and coordinates across functions from a multicultural perspective that reflects consideration of other cultures, other viewpoints, and other ways of doing things.

● Takes into account the environmental landscape, assesses one’s own and others’ viewpoints in their environment, and proposes solutions from an ethical perspective.

● Recognizes the options available for solving problems, conducts analyses, and calculates metrics and other technical tools to support informed decision-making.

● Conducts Quality Control of team documents, briefing materials, presentations, and systems data. Carefully reviews and checks the accuracy of information in work reports, management information systems, or with other individuals and groups. Checks the accuracy of one’s own and others’ work. Proactively informs management of potential risks and concerns; suggests resolutions.

● Independently prioritizes time to reach deadlines and reaches end results of assignments with ability to accomplish multiple steps with limited to no supervision.

Type and Nature of Contacts

Routinely coordinates with colleagues and consultants on-site and in the field and resolves problem situations with tact.

Represents, as assigned, selected programs or projects and other organizations, including donors, vendors, and international and local partners.

Interacts with country office and regional staff.

Education and Experience

Typically BS/BA with minimum 6 years’ experience.

Excellent knowledge of French (ideally native speaker) and English.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

Usual office environment conditions; ability to travel internationally at least 20%.

Supervisory and Budget Responsibility

Provide input on team technical performance of teams and supervise team Fellows and Interns as needed; Responsible for individual project budgets, and providing administrative support for budgeting and financial reporting as needed.