Research Officer

REPORTING TO: Research Associate I
LOCATION: Nairobi, Kenya
JOBS SUPERVISED: Study Coordinators, Team Leaders
ASSIGNMENT LENGTH: 12 months, renewable by mutual agreement

Position Summary:

Population Council – Kenya (PC-Kenya) seeks an experienced professional to serve as a Research Officer who will be responsible for all aspects of study and data management within the adolescent focused team. The job holder’s key responsibilities will include managing the study field work, teams and data collection; programming data collection tools; coordinating the processing of collected data; supporting project staff with data collection activities; overseeing proper management of data including secure back-up and archiving; leading data cleaning, and data analysis and reporting.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Lead all aspects of data collection management for ongoing and new research projects, including designing data entry screens; recruiting, training and supervising team leaders and research assistants; and overseeing data cleaning processes.
2. Assist project staff with the design and implementation of research studies by reviewing study tools; programming the tools on mobile handheld devices such as tablets in android platforms; and training research assistants on utilization of new data collection and entry technologies.
3. Work with project and field staff to ensure successful implementation of program monitoring and evaluation strategies and frameworks by conducting data validation and verification checks.
4. Support project staff with data analysis and reporting including generating summary results of research data, transcribing open-ended data, and preparing summary reports of research activities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Master’s degree in statistics, information technology, computer science, management information systems (MIS) or MIS-related field with at least 2-3 years of relevant experience; or a satisfactory combination of education and relevant experience.
2. At least two years of experience in leading quantitative and qualitative data collection exercises for large scale surveys. Experience managing data collection in ASAL counties preferred.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with managing large datasets and relational databases such as Access and SQL, and programming using JAVA, Python, XML or SQL on Android or Windows platforms.
4. Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with data cleaning for large datasets and data analysis in STATA. GIS skills are an added advantage.
5. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills including demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision and as part of a team in a multi-cultural environment.
6. Strong supervision skills demonstrated by prior experience of successfully supervising a small group of data personnel.
7. Readiness to travel within Kenya and internationally.