Country Research Lead for Nigeria at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Country Research Lead for Nigeria

Reference No.: req9894
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Program Administration
Employment Category: Proposal
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Job Description

• IRC is seeking a Country Research Lead for Nigeria for the DFID-funded 6-year Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crisis (ERICC) programme. ERICC will operate in Myanmar, Nigeria, Jordan, Lebanon, South Sudan and Syria.
• This role can be full-time or part-time (50%) and will be Nigeria-based. The position is contingent on the IRC being awarded funding and is anticipated to begin in the Spring of 2021, at the earliest.

The ERICC programme will consist of the following components:
Component 1:

• Research on the most effective approaches to education delivery in conflict and protracted crisis.
• This includes setting the overall research design and developing a research framework that will include a set of overall research questions that will address the key evidence gaps in the field and help to inform programming for education in conflict and protracted crises.
• The delivery of the research itself is also a major element of Component 1.

Component 2: In-country operational support. This includes:

• Expert Technical Advice delivered through a demand-driven call-down mechanism in ERICC focal countries. Operational support will be provided either directly to DFID country offices, DFID-funded programmes, implementation partners, or in-country partners
• Small scale research: support to DFID country offices, implementation partners and in-country outside of the ERICC focal countries to assist in the design, development and adaptation of education programmes
• Programme scale up and strengthening grants: a fund that can be utilised by DFID country offices and implementing partners to support the cost of adapting education programmes in line with recommendations on how to improve their delivery of outcomes that emerge from expert technical advice delivered under Component 2

Qualifications / Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and technical leadership and direction, define and implement ERICC activities in Nigeria to achieve project goals and objectives
• Oversees the development of a coherent country and/or regional research agenda and workplan
• Acts as the face of the ERICC programme in Nigeria and substantively engages with a range of stakeholders
• Maintains active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including government officials, other Nigeria partners, other implementing agencies, and related institutions
• Undertakes strong and robust engagement with DFID and national government as well as other key national & regional stakeholders
• Supervises the Nigeria research managers and closely collaborates with Principal Investigators, commissioned partners, and the ERICC Programme Director to ensure that studies are on track and are of high quality
• Ensures implementation of projects & technical support as selected under Component 2
• Represent the project in Nigeria to ensure uptake of evidence. Communicate on project achievements and lesson learned
• Support Nigeria project staff by creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, mutual respect, and empowers staff to take responsibility

If taken as a full-time role, the Country Research Lead will also:

• Define the research questions that will be studied in one or more studies in Nigeria, ensuring that they are fit for purpose and respond directly to DFID’s requirements
• Develop and/or choose appropriate research tools and methods to use in order to undertake effective research on the question identified,
• Define an appropriate analysis plan, including for the writing and publishing of manuscript
• Ensure that research is conducting in line with DFID’s ERICC ToR and the consortium’s overall approach to the project as outlined in the ERICC proposal
• Uphold all necessary standards to ensure that research undertaken is compliant with DFID’s Ethical Research Guidance.
• Author and publish various research outputs, including academic articles to be published in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals.
• #Li-GR1

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online