Position: Head of Research – East Africa
Full Time | Location: East Africa
About Village Enterprise
Village Enterprise is dedicated to empowering the rural poor in East Africa by providing them with the tools, resources, and skills to create sustainable livelihoods.
The organization’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty through innovative and effective poverty graduation programs. To achieve this, Village Enterprise focuses on the rigorous testing and scaling of innovative solutions to alleviate poverty and improve livelihoods in East Africa.
Position Overview
The Head of Research will play a pivotal role in advancing Village Enterprise’s mission by ensuring the quality, relevance, and rigor of all externally conducted impact evaluations. This leadership role involves overseeing the organization’s innovation pipeline, ensuring that promising ideas are rigorously tested to provide evidence for potential scale.
Although the Head of Research will not lead direct program monitoring and evaluation (M&E)—a responsibility managed by the M&E Lead—the role requires close collaboration with the M&E team and other stakeholders to shape and implement the organization’s learning agendas.
Key Responsibilities
External Research Leadership and Management
- Establish and manage research partnerships, including collaboration with academic institutions, evaluation firms, and research consultants.
- Serve as the primary liaison for external research partnerships and lead the dissemination of formal requests for proposals.
- Ensure all research efforts are aligned with Village Enterprise’s strategic goals, uphold ethical standards, and deliver actionable insights.
- Oversee the design, implementation, and communication of research studies, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental evaluations.
- Collaborate with external evaluators to develop research protocols, data collection plans, and analysis frameworks.
- Ensure that research findings are integrated into Village Enterprise’s organizational strategy and programmatic decision-making processes.
- Lead the development of training and knowledge-sharing initiatives to build internal capacity for engaging with rigorous research programming.
Innovations Pipeline Oversight
- Work with program and technical teams to identify key areas for innovation and experimentation, particularly around poverty graduation solutions.
- Lead the design and testing of innovative approaches to poverty alleviation using lean impact and human-centered design principles.
- Ensure that innovations are rigorously evaluated for impact and scalability, collaborating closely with external partners and Village Enterprise leadership.
- Lead the analysis, reporting, and communication of internal experiments and innovations.
- Implement training and knowledge-sharing strategies to enhance internal engagement with the innovations pipeline.
Stakeholder Engagement and Dissemination
- Present research findings to donors, partners, and policymakers through reports, presentations, and thought leadership engagements.
- Contribute to positioning Village Enterprise as a thought leader in the poverty graduation and development sectors.
- Build and maintain relationships with academic and research networks to stay informed on the latest advancements in the field.
Contributions to Learning Agendas
- Support project teams in developing and executing learning agendas as capacity allows.
- Share best practices from external research to inform internal learning frameworks and initiatives.
Communications, Fundraising, and Administrative
- Represent Village Enterprise in partnership and fundraising meetings as needed.
- Support fundraising efforts through research insights and outcomes.
- Monitor and advise on annual budgets for research and innovation pipeline activities.
- Perform other administrative duties as required.
Required Qualifications and Experience
- Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Economics, Development Economics, Public Policy, Statistics, International Development, Design Thinking, or a related field.
- A minimum of 8+ years of experience in research management, preferably within international development or poverty reduction sectors.
- Proven expertise in designing and managing RCTs and other rigorous evaluation methodologies.
- In-depth understanding of modern product design principles such as human-centered design, lean impact, and agile methodologies (e.g., scrum).
- Strong experience in managing complex relationships with external evaluators, academic institutions, donors, and other stakeholders.
- Exceptional analytical skills, with the ability to transform complex research findings into clear, actionable insights.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present research to diverse audiences.
- Experience working in cross-cultural environments, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., Stata or R).
Core Competencies
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to align research initiatives with organizational goals and long-term priorities.
- Leadership: Proven experience in leading cross-functional teams and managing external research partnerships.
- Adaptability: Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
- Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to working across teams and cultures.
- Innovation: Passion for exploring and testing new approaches to solving complex social challenges.
Application Instructions
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply immediately by submitting a cover letter and CV outlining their qualifications and experience. Village Enterprise values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment. The deadline for applications is rolling, and interested applicants are advised to apply early.
Village Enterprise is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, particularly those with experience in East Africa or similar settings.
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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the hiring company. For any inquiries, please contact the hiring organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding
