Needed Director of Research

Title: Director of Research, Middle East

Direct Line Manager: Director of Field Operations

Post: Amman, Jordan

Contract Type: 12 months with option of renewal

Job Summary

Forcier is seeking a Director of Research for its Middle East business unit to ensure the delivery of high-quality research and data collection projects for its clients throughout the region. Through direct management of Research Officers and Researchers, the Director of Research is expected to maintain quality standards in all projects and ensure adequate staffing and planning is actualized. The Director of Research plays a critical role in both managing client expectations with the realities of implementation, as well as ensuring Forcier delivers outstanding work products on every engagement. In addition, the Director of Research for the Middle East will be involved in capacity building staff, managing project budgets, and helping set the direction for the future of the unit.

Ideal Match

Forcier is looking for a motivated individual with experience managing and implementing projects in complex settings with excitement and a commitment to quality. An ability to manage a variety of project simultaneously, as well as a multitude of key staff, is essential. They must demonstrate advanced project management and budgeting skills and an aptitude for building capacity among their coworkers. They must have a keen understanding of various research methodologies and be a strong analytical thinker. Every day at Forcier is different, and we are looking for a Director of Research who is a proactive leader, strong communicator, and passionate about quality research.

Daily Tasks

● Serve as the primary point of contact with clients during the proposal stage and implementation of projects;

● Create and manage project budgets and manage project cash flows;

● Work with the business development team to identify opportunities and create robust and competitive bids for future work;

● Actively track all available staff, their levels of utilization, and their skill sets;

● Actively track all ongoing and incoming/nascent projects, and appropriately matching people/teams and their toolkits with projects;

● Provide or appropriately delegate/assign the provision of quality assurance and quality control on all deliverables from that country office;

● Assist in methodological design of projects at the proposal stage and during project implementation;

● Input on context and local knowledge of execution of projects internally and with clients;

● Attend meetings with current and potential clients, major planning meetings and other government meetings as required;

● Introduce innovation and best practices to enhance research programs and operational performance;

● Maintain quality standards in research programming in line with Forcier’s mission and values as well as international standards for research;

● Develop standard work policies and procedures for the research department and conduct annual performance evaluations of research staff in conjunction with the Director of Field Operations;

● Maintain reasonable workloads and expectations for all country office staff;

● Develop professional development plans for research staff to ensure skill-building and mentoring activities occur;

● Represent the organization and liaise with local and national authorities, UN Agencies and NGOs to facilitate successful coordination of activities and ensure transparency in the community.

The position is based in Amman, Jordan with periodic travel throughout the region. Any and all locations may be high-risk and hardship postings. Travel will be approved based on the Forcier’s Standard Security Operating Procedure.

Requirements

M.A. degree (or equivalent) in political science, anthropology, international development, statistics, or a related field.

Required Skills:

● Fluency in written and spoken English

● Experience in managing teams and human resources to ensure successful completion of projects and objectives

● Prior experience and technical skills in qualitative and quantitative tool development, scripting questionnaires in CAPI software (preferably with ODK), sampling, operationalization of complex research designs, data cleaning, quality assurance methods.

● Prior experience in planning and managing budgets and resources

● Strong analytical and writing skills with both quantitative and qualitative data

● Advanced knowledge of Stata, SPSS, or R required (preference for Stata)

● Experience collaborating with and managing diverse, multi-cultural teams

● Ability to conduct themselves in a professional manner with it comes to client and partner communication and interaction, and liaising with upper-level management

● Excellent knowledge of Office package, including good skills in Excel

● Ability to work independently in a stressful environment with minimal supervision

● Ability to produce high-quality work under tight deadlines

● Creativity and an ability to think outside the box to conceptualize projects and implementation strategies

● Strong communication skills, cultural sensitivity, curiosity, sense of humor and a ‘can do’ attitude

● Flexibility and willingness to work in other countries as needed

Preferred (but not required) Skills:

● Prior experience living and working abroad, preferably in a developing country; working experience in Jordan or Iraq will be considered an asset

● Knowledge of Arabic will be considered an asset

● Graduate-level coursework in research design and sample design

● Training in, or experience using qualitative analysis software (ex. NVivo)

● Training in, or experience using GIS analysis software (ex. QGIS)

Benefits:

● Salary commensurate with relevant experience, and in line with Forcier compensation guidelines

● In-country living stipend

● Accommodation

● Round-trip flights from your home base to duty station at the start and end of the contract

● Additional flight allowances during contract period

● Generous paid time off

● Medical benefits while stationed abroad

● Emergency medical and evacuation coverage while stationed abroad