Vacancies: Deputy Director (Research), Deputy Director (Knowledge Management & Advocacy)
The Population Council is an international, non-profit, non-government institution that seeks to improve the well-being and reproductive health of current and future generations around the world and help achieve a human, equitable and sustainable balance between people and resources. The Council’s major program areas are HIV&AIDS, Reproductive Health and Poverty, gender, and Youth. The Council conducts biomedical, social science and public health research and helps build research capacities in developing countries. The Population council works in collaboration with a broad range of Nigerian institutions. Due to its imminent roll – out of an ambitious 5-years community – based adolescents girls’ empowerment program in Northern Nigeria, the Council is seeking qualified individuals to fill the following positions:
Position: Deputy Director (Research) – 1 Position
- The successful candidate will oversee and manage an ambitious program of research and impact evaluation to show the linkage of asset building and safe spaces to positive outcomes for adolescent girls in Northern Nigerian.This research will be closely linked to capacity building tor ministries, NGOs, and CSOs; expansion pilot projects; and dissemination of evidence and best practices in asset building, safe spaces, and for adolescent girls related to these areas. The research manager will provide technical support to governmental and nongovernmental organisations to strengthen their capability to develop and carry out research and to analyse and use the results for policy and program change for girls programming and asset building related to safe spaces. S/he will also participate heavily in the development and strengthening of the research skills of the project “learning hubs” partners who will continue research and programming activities after this project ends. The research manager will work closely with other project staff to develop, carry out and disseminate project activities to ensure proper alignment with research objectives and activities.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate must possess:
- Doctoral degree preferred, or masters with extensive experience, in Social Development, Sociology, Public Health, Education, or related field with solid expertise in a range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, monitoring, and evaluation.
- Demonstrated know ledge and research experience on health and other social issues facing women and girls in Nigeria.
- Eight or more years’ experience in designing, implementing, and overseeing a range of research initiatives, including randomized controlled trials, longitudinal cohorts, and innovative qualitative and participatory methods. Project experience should include rigorous monitoring and evaluation and incorporating cost effectiveness into project planning.
- Strong understanding of the following research and data collection activities: qualitative interview and focus group design, quantitative survey design, quantitative data analysis, randomized controlled trials, operations research, and longitudinal studies.
- Excellent training skills and proven ability to provide technical support to a diverse, multi-cultural group of stakeholders.
- Strong management and organizational skills.
- Ability to handle a heavy workload with competing priorities.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and to also function as part of a team.
- Proficiency in both Microsoft Office and various statistical and data analysis programs is required.
- Excellent verbal and w riling skills in English and communications skills.
Position: Deputy Director (Knowledge Management & Advocacy) – 1 position
- The successful candidate will coordinate the generation, collection, analysis, synthesis, and dissemination of information and data pertaining to a project to promote asset building and safe spaces for adolescent girls in northern Nigeria. The knowledge management and advocacy specialist will work closely with the team leader, deputy team leader, and other team members to coordinate work on an appropriate monitoring, evaluation, and reporting system, ensure quality and timely reporting on project progress and learning, and identify and disseminate key research results, best practices, and lessons learned from the project. S/he will also be responsible for the management and sharing of data and information within the project team and for overseeing the presentation of data to the donor and Population Council. S/he is expected to bring the latest innovations and approaches to knowledge sharing using appropriate ICT, mobile platforms, social networking, data presentation, and other recent advances to enhance project performance at all levels.
Qualifications: The ideal candidates must have:
- Master’s degree in Communications, Media, a Social Science, public health, education or related field with significant field experience in project monitoring and evaluation, applied research, and communications.
- At least five years experience in at least one (preferably more than one) of the following areas: project monitoring and evaluation, project evaluation, applied research design, field research with a strong focus on communications and information dissemination.
- Proven fluency in the English language with strong English report writing and presentation skills.
- Proven training/capacity building skills in knowledge management, M&E, advocacy, and/or communications.
- Experience with developing electronic and written publications, preferably within an international development context
- Excellent communication and analytical skills.
- Demonstrated knowledge on new and innovative social media and technologies and their applications to knowledge management and international development project.
- Experience working with women and girls programming in Africa, preferably in Nigeria or West Africa.
- Ability to handle multiple tasks; proven self-initiative and problem solving abilities.
- Team player, with good personal and management skills.
- Proven track record of quality performance in highly pressured environments.
- Computer skills, including Word, Excel, Power-Point, and Access.
- Willingness to travel within Nigeria and surrounding region as necessary.
Mode of application: Qualified candidates should follow the instructions below:
1. Send an application letter (stating your current salary and salary expectations) and resume to: nigeria@popcouncil.org on or before Tuesday, June 25, 2013.
2. Clearly state the position title for which you are applying and your full names – starting with the surname first, then other names (e.g. Deputy Director (Research) – BEN, Shehu Ekong) – in the subject area of the email.
3. All attachments must be in PDF format.
Candidates who do not follow the above instructions will be automatically disqualified.
Population Council reserves the right to cancel the recruitment process at any time. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
No phone calls, please.
The Population Council is an equal opportunity employer
