Summary
Date Posted: Friday, June 09, 2023 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Reporting to the Chief Programmes and Strategy Officer, the Global Research Director oversees and accelerates StrongMinds’ research portfolio, the goal of which is to change ideas of what’s possible in depression treatment by building the evidence base for professional community health workers. He/She directs StrongMinds’ research portfolio, oversees, and promotes monitoring data usage, and drives evidence use internally and externally. The role will work to strengthen StrongMinds impact and evidence work at a global level, through systems strengthening and strategic technical support, driving change in data management and the team's culture and practice in appreciation of research processes and outcomes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Direct the organization’s research portfolio:
• Create and execute the overall strategic research agenda for the organization.
• Own all research systems, materials, and processes, including, but not limited to annual plans and budgets for SM Global-led research, research SOPs and one-pagers, go/no-go decisions for research undertakings and collaborations, and research presentations/slide decks that can be used across the organization.
• Collaborate with external researchers, including an upcoming randomized controlled trial, to ensure the research designs are aligned with StrongMinds learning objectives, and to ensure smooth operations throughout the research activities.
• Manage IRB and journal submissions/approvals across all research studies. This includes supporting the preparation of human subjects’ protocol materials, identifying best-fit journals for timely write-up and publication, and owning any continuing reviews, modifications, and reporting requirements for specific protocols, as needed. o Lead high-impact data analysis, interpretation of results, and sharing of the results in meetings and in papers.
• Oversee and continue to improve monitoring systems
• Expand country program participation in a multi-country data review and harmonization collaborative. Orient and onboard members to the collaborative and check in with them 1:1 on a quarterly basis to sustain high participation and identify opportunities to improve the collaborative.
• Oversee all “field” data collection in the organization, especially routine monitoring of clients. Countries should implement this according to standards set globally, and global should continuously monitor quality.
• Lead monthly calls with MERL leads. This includes setting the agenda, preparing materials, and managing meeting-related action items.
• Identify and roll out new technology solutions to support the data harmonization collaborative. This includes working with vendors to upgrade StrongMinds’ data sharing infrastructure in order to streamline routine data sharing, cleaning, and analysis across multiple organizations.
• Build and strengthen MERL teams
• Develop, implement, and monitor a monitoring plan addressing logic model, strategic and program evaluation questions, data collection methods, analysis and reporting
• In collaboration with MERL teams, leadership teams, partners, and stakeholders develop the outcomes and indicators that will be used to monitor StrongMinds’ progress towards its goals
• Ensure strong focus on the learning agenda, taking lead on development of learning questions
• Support programs by using data to improve programs and respond to client needs
• Drive evidence use internally and externally
• Ensure particular focus on staff as the organization’s customers, making sure that their data and information needs are met. Prioritizing sharing and making sense of learnings with staff.
• Help maintain StrongMinds’ internal, and public facing Global Dashboards and share results once a quarter- networking collaborative meetings,
• Identify and participate in conferences and convenings relevant to StrongMinds’ research outputs, while ensuring an equitable approach to participation.
• Publish StrongMinds’ quarterly learning papers, and annual research report that synthesize the latest evidence on programs, implementation, and practice. This includes drafting key learnings, best practice, tracking/growing audience engagement, and publishing a searchable database for the organization archives in which documents are accurately tagged by theme and geography.
• Engage with external actors to monitor and influence the global research agenda for depression treatment; this includes representing StrongMinds in external working groups focused on depression research.
• Cultivate a deep understanding of depression treatment, including staying up to date on new and relevant evidence, best practices, literature, and policy documents.
• Collaborate closely with Research, Communications and Advocacy leads to integrate research priorities and results into advocacy and policy change initiatives.
• Conduct research and analysis of issues as requested, including preparation of reports, white papers and journal publications recommendations and other materials.
• Management
• Manage the research team at the StrongMinds Global Office.
• Support the management of StrongMinds country Monitoring and Evaluation teams providing ongoing oversight, coaching, feedback, and support to build their capacity to further the mission of the organization
• Support the Global Leadership Team and contribute to the development and execution of strategic decisions.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
• Ph.D preferred, or master’s degree in international development, public health, social sciences, statistics, or a related field required., and at least 12 - 15 years’ experience.
• Minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in results-based management, data quality control and reporting for community-based programmes.
• Excellent experience using both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Experience assembling and managing research teams and ensuring the high quality of research deliverables.
• In-depth understanding of evolving research priorities and donor expectations for program results, outcomes, impact, and reporting.
• Experience managing complex relationships with a variety of stakeholders; experience mentoring staff and working with international and national consultants.
• Demonstrated leadership, strategic thinking/planning, management, and presentation

KEY COMPETENCIES
• Research and monitoring: You have expertise in study designs used to assess the effects of health systems or complex public health interventions and implementation strategies, including randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies. You also have significant experience in routine data collection, cleaning, analysis, presentation and use for decision-making.
• Management skills: You have proven experience managing multiple research projects with multiple stakeholders simultaneously. You have the thoughtfulness and confidence to work with a large number and wide variety stakeholders from diverse geographic, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds. You can break goals into manageable objectives and to work with a team to meet them on schedule.
• Initiative: You are someone who seeks out opportunity and acts thoughtfully without needing to wait for instruction. You can cast a vision while being attentive to detail. You are willing to roll up your sleeves and get the work done while also contributing to strategy at the highest levels of the organization.
• Compelling communication: You have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. You are a strong communicator who can tell a compelling story, built on data. You can adapt to various media and can demonstrate this via PowerPoint presentations, academic studies, reports, policy briefs or similar. Ability to analyze information, summarize findings and present them in ways easily understandable to decision-makers. Knowledge and experience of using evaluation and community-based research to inform program development.
• Adaptability: You feel comfortable defining new deliverables and processes in a rapidly changing work environment and can cope effectively with complexity and change.

You have/ are also:
• Inspired by healthcare as a human right
• Empathetic and driven by a desire for deep understanding
• A systems thinker who enjoys tackling large, complex problems · Able to collaborate with a distributed team on a self-directed work schedule
• Experience of working in a multicultural setting, demonstrating understanding of working in diversity
• Humility to embrace the members’ rich heritage whilst driving a process of continuous improvement.
• Flexible, willing to contribute to other streams of work and adaptable; able to tolerate delays, problem solving
• Able to negotiate and achieve positive outcomes when difficulties arise ·
• Reflective, and willing to learn from experience
• Willing to adhere to our Gender and Safeguarding policies,
• Willing to travel across all StrongMinds locations.
Languages: Excellent written and spoken command of English.


Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 120

Level of Education: Postgraduate Degree

Job application procedure

Interested applicants click here to apply


All Jobs

QUICK ALERT SUBSCRIPTION