Associate Research Manager – Humanitarian Infrastructure & Damage Unit for Ukraine, based in Kyiv

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

IMPACT Initiatives is a Geneva-based humanitarian NGO, aimed to improve the impact of humanitarian, stabilization, and development action through data, partnerships and capacity building programmes. With over 400 staff members, including assessment, data analysis, GIS experts, and field professionals, IMPACT teams are present in over 20 countries across the Middle East Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. IMPACT is a sister organization of ACTED, an NGO with headquarters in Paris. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support on its fields of intervention.

The work of IMPACT is done through collaborative initiatives, to ensure research and analysis is actionable and context relevant. The main initiative of IMPACT is the REACH Initiative.

REACH was founded in 2010 as a joint initiative of IMPACT and ACTED, in partnership with the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to develop and promote information that enhances the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction, and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments; (bl situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

We are looking for an Associate Research Manager in Ukraine.

Department: REACH

Position: Associate Research Manager

Contract duration: 12 months

Starting date: November 2024

Location: Kyiv

COUNTRY PROFILE

IMPACT has been present in Ukraine since 2014 and scaled up significantly following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in February 2022, which resulted in civilian casualties, widespread damage to housing and public service infrastructure, large-scale displacement and market disruptions. IMPACT provides humanitarian actors with rigorous data and in-depth analysis to ensure aid interventions in Ukraine are timely, appropriate, and relevant.

In this context, IMPACT’s Humanitarian Infrastructure and Damage Unit (HIDU) analyses the war’s impacts on the built and natural environments. This includes:

• Infrastructure damage assessments using remote sensing of high-resolution satellite imagery.
• Qualitative analysis to understand the socio-economic impacts of infrastructure damage.
• Assessments to support winterisation responses.
• Analyses of war-induced environmental contamination, with a focus on damaged industrial facilities.
• Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) assessments in conflict settings.

The unit combines quantitative, qualitative and GIS methods to produce actionable information in support of humanitarian and recovery action in Ukraine. The unit’s scope of work continually adapts to account for the evolving context and information needs of humanitarian actors. The HIDU regularly engages with a range of stakeholders, including humanitarian clusters, local and international non-government organisations (NGO), governmental authorities and emergency responders. The team also pilots humanitarian application of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), through local and global partnerships.

FUNCTIONS

IMPACT seeks an experienced Associate Research Manager (ARM) with experience in team management and project implementation in complex humanitarian settings. Under the supervision of the Senior Research Manager (SRM), the successful candidate will:

• Provide direct line management to a team of up to 8 national and international staff members, including Senior Assessment Officers (SAO), Assessment Officers (AO), GIS Officers (GISO), and Data Officers (DO). This includes overseeing their career development, performance appraisals, and training.
• Oversee several research cycles from inception to completion, including research design, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Represent IMPACT in various fora, including humanitarian clusters, recovery stakeholders and government authorities.
• Manage and develop external partnerships, and leverage them to enhance the impact and reach of IMPACT’s work.
• Contribute to strategic development of the Humanitarian Infrastructure and Damage Unit and the broader IMPACT mission. Identify opportunities for innovation and improvement in research methodologies and project implementation.
• Support with logistics, reporting, fundraising, and financial planning tasks.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Make a meaningful impact on humanitarian efforts and recovery actions in conflict-affected areas.
• Further develop leadership and management skills, including staff development.
• Manage and develop local and global partnership and apply emerging technologies like AI to humanitarian work.
• Expand your professional network within the humanitarian sector.

The ARM is a key role in overseeing IMPACT activities in Ukraine. The position is based in Ukraine, with the specific location to be discussed.

What you will need to succeed

• Strong management and leadership skills.
• Familiarity with the international humanitarian sector.
• Strong knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Ability to multi-task in a rapidly changing environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Expertise in environment, DRR or is an asset.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. STAFF MANAGEMENT

• Provide clear strategic direction to staff, in line with the Unit and Country Strategy Plan.
• Manage team staff, including recruitment, appraisals, and career progression.
• Oversee daily team operations, crafting work plans, performance metrics, and implementing capacity training plans to improve efficiency and performance.
• Maintain regular communication with staff, fostering a cohesive, productive environment.

2. MANAGEMENT OF RESEARCH CYCLES

Assessment Preparation and Planning

o Ensure assessments align with project objectives and global guidelines.

o Brief staff on objectives and expected outputs, ensuring a clear understanding of implementation strategies.

o Review and secure HQ validation for assessment ToRs.

o Coordinate with GIS and Data officers to design relevant data collection tools.

o Engage relevant stakeholders and partners at all research cycle stages.

Data Collection

o Liaise with IMPACT’s Field Team for primary data collection.

o Provide regular updates on data collection to key stakeholders and address challenges as they arise.

o Collaborate with the FLATS team for logistical, financial, administrative, and HR processes.

Product Development

o Oversee the development of assessment outputs, ensuring compliance with IMPACT’s guidelines and quality standards.

o Liaise with IMPACT HQ for product validation.

Product Dissemination and Evaluation

o Upload research products to appropriate data portals under IMPACT HQ guidance.

o Document lessons learned after each research cycle.

o Engage in the dissemination of research products through targeted emails, presentations, and bilateral meetings.

3. EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

• Represent REACH/IMPACT in relevant fora, meetings and technical groups.
• Present research findings to relevant partners to enhance their use and impact.
• Coordinate and document the team’s external communication and engagement strategy.
• Ensure partners are involved at all stages of the research cycle.
• Develop and manage contractual relationships with external service providers to achieve research objectives.

4. CROSS-CUTTING FUNCTIONS

• Ensure appropriate information management within the team, according to IMPACT standards.
• Act as a cross-unit liaison to identify complementarities and opportunities for cooperation. Foster collaboration across units and teams to enhance efficiency and avoid redundancy.
• Develop new research proposals that respond to information needs and leverage team capacities.
• Strengthen monitoring and evaluation processes throughout research cycles.

5. ACCOUNTABILITY TO COMMUNITIES AND BENEFICIARIES

• Ensure all interactions with communities and respondents are respectful and consultative.
• Keep communities and respondents informed about IMPACT’s objectives, activities, beneficiary criteria, and methodologies.

6. CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION

• Maintain strict confidentiality on all data collected and related processes.
• Prevent unauthorized sharing of information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners.

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant discipline;
• At least 3 years of relevant working experience, including conducting and overseeing research in fragile settings;
• Previous experience in a management role in a humanitarian setting, should be able to successfully manage international teams in a humanitarian context;
• Familiarity with the international aid system and coordination mechanisms;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting of findings, including experience contributing to high level presentations and briefings;
• A self-starter with proven ability to work independently;
• Ability to multi-task, overseeing numerous research cycles in a complex environment;
• Ability to operate the Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint’
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural work environment, strong interpersonal skills;
• Fluency in English required, knowledge of Ukrainian or Russian an asset;
• Experience in Ukraine is an asset;
• Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment.

CONDITIONS AND BENEFITS

• For this position, salary between 2’900 CHF and 3’200 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD.
• Accommodation and food provided in a guesthouse. Depending on the country situation, a contribution to a housing allowance of up to 75% of country-specific benchmark can be considered instead. NB – IMPACT is hosted by ACTED in this country (this base is not a family duty station);
• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance;
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered);
• R&R after 3 months (flight ticket up to 500$ + 200$ of living allowance) if duty station allows
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance);
• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment, Family/compassionate leave when applicable;
• Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;
• Enrolment in IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Programme;
• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.

How to apply

Please apply at the following link: Associate Research Manager – Humanitarian Infrastructure & Damage Unit for Ukraine, based in Kyiv | Impact (impact-initiatives.org)