Chemonics International Job Vacancy For Research Manager, Ghana

Chemonics seeks a research manager to support USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) Lake Chad Basin (LCB) regional framework and potential research activities of USAID/OTI in the Sahel. The research manager will be based in Accra, Ghana, and manage LCB’s in-country relationships with USAID/OTI, USAID/OTI country programs, and USAID/West Africa Regional. In addition, the research manager will collect, analyze, and share data and other information on a range of topics relevant to USAID/OTI. The research manager will also likely be required to travel to Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria to support USAID/OTI country programs. This one-year assignment will begin around June 1, 2019, and end in June 1, 2020. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Responsibilities include:

• Liaise between USAID/OTI’s field-based staff in Accra, Ghana, and the LCB country programs
• Make key decisions regarding information collection and analysis, ensuring the information’s integrity and responding to requests within short timeframes
• Serve as the primary interlocutor between USAID/OTI, USAID/West Africa Regional, USAID/OTI country program field-based staff, and LCB framework staff or partners collecting data on subjects including politics, security, sociocultural issues, and economics in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel
• Coordinate communication and collaboration between members of program management at all levels, including expatriates and local staff, on issues pertaining to the LCB framework
• Ensure that country programs collaboratively develop all framework processes (e.g., requests for information, coordination, learning agenda updates, and revisions) and that those processes follow OTI Programming Principles, standard operating procedures, and communication protocols
• Manage, oversee, and report on research progress and the research platform’s ability to meet activity goals, including research staff in the field and potential subcontractors involved with the research platform
• Develop informational products for USAID/OTI country programs
• Manage the request for information (RFI) and information collection process by engaging with in-country networks
• Manage and supervise other field-based staff that may be hired as part of the LCB regional framework, ensuring consistent information flows and high-quality analysis of events
• Conduct various monitoring and evaluation functions
• Capture lessons learned, and develop best practices based on the LCB framework and knowledge management
• Help respond to coordination, research, and analysis requests for OTI from Burkina Faso and Niger as requested
• Supervise input of information to the USAID/OTI Activity Database, ensuring that information’s quality

Qualifications:

• At least five years of relevant experience managing donor-funded programs and focusing on complex problem sets in a related role
• At least four years of program management experience or experience managing research networks, including partners in high-conflict or fluid environments with security challenges
• Ability to collaborate with and take guidance from USAID/OTI field-based staff to ensure research, data collection, analysis, and informational products meet USAID/OTI’s needs
• Experience managing operations in complex, high-conflict, and quickly changing environments; management experience in LCB preferred
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to work under pressure and respond to time-sensitive requests
• Experience managing programs remotely; experience managing research programs with remote staff in high-conflict or fluid environments that require responsiveness, flexibility, and excellent coordination and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently and as a team member
• At least three years of experience with OTI programs and an understanding of OTI Programming Principles
• U.S. government security clearance preferred
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Fluency in English and proficiency in French required; proficiency in Arabic preferred