Position Description

Forcier Consulting is seeking a Senior-level Research Manager for the Monitoring, Evaluation, Coordination, Contract - Deux (MECC-2) opportunity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic (CAR). This five-year activity will provide support to USAID’s Democratic Republic of the Congo Operating Unit (DRC), Central African Republic Operating Unit (CAR), and Central African Regional Operating Unit (CAROU). Support will include technical and advisory services in planning, designing, conducting, disseminating, and learning from monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the Mission’s portfolios in order to measure progress towards the Mission’s development objectives and improve the achievement and sustainability of the Mission’s development outcomes. Additionally, MECC-2 will provide services to strengthen the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) capabilities of USAID/DRC staff, targeted local partners, and the Government of DRC.

The Senior Research Manager will be a full-time position based in Kinshasa or Goma, with travel as approved/needed to other project areas. The Senior Research Manager will report to senior management of the MECC-2 project and will be responsible for contributing to the design of M&E activities, overseeing the implementation of M&E activities in-country, and managing data analysis processes and writing of high-quality professional reports as needed.

This position is contingent upon award of the MECC-2 contract.

Description of Responsibilities and Qualifications

Working closely with senior management, the Senior Research Manager will be responsible for designing and implementing M&E in complex environments and will help guide clients through complex design decisions. The Senior Research Manager will manage field-team logistics in the DRC, including in conflict-prone regions, and will develop and maintain protocols for ensuring enumerator safety and fidelity to study design. During fieldwork, the Senior Research Manager will perform data quality checks and will communicate data quality concerns to Fieldwork Managers to ensure they are addressed in a timely manner. Following the conclusion of fieldwork, the Senior Research Manager will be responsible for analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data and presenting findings in high-quality technical reports in both French and English.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design of performance and impact evaluations and performance monitoring to be implemented in country
• Oversee aspects of the development of quantitative and qualitative research tools, including programming tools in ODK
• Directly oversee the implementation of M&E activities in the DRC, to include managing data collection efforts and all resulting data
• Establish and train data collection teams on protocols for enumerator/researcher safety
• Establish and maintain data quality assurance and control processes, as well as protocols for the ethical collection and storage of sensitive data involving human subjects, including gender-based violence, child development, or health-related outcomes
• Analyze and present quantitative and qualitative data findings in a way that maximizes their utility for USAID and implementing partners
• Assist in any other tasks as needed by MECC-2 senior management

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of international development experience, with work in research design, implementation, fieldwork management, analysis, and technical report writing
• Advanced university degree (Master’s or PhD), preferably in a social science, international development, or related field
• Experience conducting fieldwork/managing field teams in conflict-prone areas is required, preferably in the DRC
• Experience designing and implementing evaluations and performance monitoring in complex environments
• Strong data analysis skills, including command of sampling methodologies, quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques and experience working with statistical software (Stata preferred)
• Proficiency in written and spoken French and English, including ability to produce high-quality technical reports in both French and English
• Experience developing and maintaining data quality assurance and control systems and data collection protocols
• Strong management, supervision, and communication skills
• Experience with survey scripting preferred
• Experience with USAID-funded programs in the DRC preferred