Senior Research Manager in Chemonics Group UK Ltd./ PFRU 2

General information

The program "Partnership for a strong Ukraine" Phase-2 (PFRU-2) is a multi-year donor program implemented under the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth of Nations and Development (MFA) of Great Britain in cooperation with the Ukrainian government. The goal of PFRU-2 is to provide the Ukrainian state with better conditions for managing the inclusive recovery and revival of Ukraine in partnership with civil society and the private sector in the face of Russian aggression.

Main tasks and responsibilities (main functions):

The senior manager of research manages the planning, implementation and quality assurance of research activities in the component "Governance and recovery of services" (including the sub-components "Public management and infrastructure recovery", "Economic recovery and employment", "Security and protection of the population"). This position involves strategic control, ensuring high quality of research, management of partnerships, participation in the formation of the evidence base and transfer of knowledge in order to adapt policies and practices. The Senior Research Manager will work closely with the Director of Research, Technical Advisors, Strategic Projects and cross-functional component staff to ensure research aligns with strategic project objectives and research data needs.

The Senior Research Manager is responsible for:

• Lead and manage research in the field of governance and service recovery in accordance with approved strategies, work plans and budgets.
• Interact with stakeholders to provide up-to-date information on research results, collect feedback and facilitate adaptation of program and project activities (as needed).
• Coordinate work with strategic projects to ensure integration of research activities and timely implementation according to the schedule
• Ensuring the dissemination of research results in accordance with the communication strategy.
• Controlling research service providers and ensuring compliance with contractual and ethical requirements.

Specific duties of this position:

• Development of research proposals and plans for research activities in accordance with the theory of change, strategic project goals and research data needs.
• Analysis and approval of research materials from technical advisors, specialists and consultants in order to ensure methodological discipline.
• Supervision and mentoring of project specialists in order to ensure the implementation of research.
• Control of processes purchases related to research, including compilation and analysis ofof works and ensuring the accuracy of technical specifications.
• Development and analysis of invitations to participate in grant competitions for conducting research in cooperation with strategic projects, providing technical feedback on the results of the work of grantees.
• Development of the scope of work of consultants and participation in the recruitment and selection processes.
• Compilation of reports on the progress of implementation and results of research, as well as participation in the preparation of quarterly and strategic reports.
• Cooperation with the unit of monitoring, evaluation and organizational learning (MEL) in order to ensure the quality of data and support in the evaluation of results.
• Support of the knowledge management process and its dissemination.

Performance of unplanned tasks and duties as needed and on the instructions of the manager in order to ensure the overall effective implementation of project activities PFRU-2.

Key Competencies:

The Senior Research Manager will actively utilize each of the following key competencies to successfully perform the role. To effectively support his/her team, he/she will:

• spend time and effort to understand the goals of PFRU-2 and his/her role in achieving them by building relationships that strengthen group dynamics;
• enthusiastically take on additional new tasks necessary to acquire professional skills and contribute to the achievement of program goals;
• uses available resources (instructions, home page, etc.) to determine appropriate next steps;
• prioritizes tasks by urgency, need for follow-up by others, etc. to perform work effectively, and makes adjustments, adapts, and shows flexibility when priorities change;
• identifies problems and informs his supervisor about them, and proposes solutions based on understanding the problem;
• learns from mistakes, failures, successes, feedback to understand own strengths, development needs and professional growth;

Qualifications:

• Master's degree or higher in social sciences, public administration or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in managing research projects, preferably in the field of providing social services, community involvement, public administration, local self-government.
• Considerable experience in the development, implementation and quality assurance of research.
• Confirmed expert knowledge in the development and implementation of research in the field of public administration and community involvement.
• Experience of interaction with state bodies, public organizations and civil society is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of ethical principles research and best practices.
• Proven ability to manage research, budgets, partnerships.
• Excellent communication, analytical and stakeholder interaction skills.
• Experience in managing staff and managing teams.
• Experience working with international donors or research institutions (preferred).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment while maintaining quality standards.
• Fluency in English and Ukrainian is a must (written and oral).

Place of work:

Kyiv (Ukraine)

Subordination:

The Senior Research Manager will report to the Director of Research.

This position is full-time employment.

Application details:

Apply through the following link by December 4. For roles requiring knowledge of the English language, English-language resumes are preferred (but not required). We encourage applications from people with disabilities. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Please do not call. Chemonics will contact the finalists. 

PFRU-2 Recruitment - Candidate Application

Background

The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine – Phase 2 (PFRU-2) is a multi-year, multi-donor funded program managed by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and governed in collaboration with the Government of Ukraine. PFRU-2’s aim is to set improved conditions for the Ukrainian state, in partnership with civil society and the private sector, to lead on inclusive national recovery and revitalization in the context of Russia’s aggression.

Principal Services and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

The Senior Research Manager leads the planning, implementation, and quality assurance of research activities under the Governance and service recovery domain (including public administration & infrastructure recovery, economic recovery & employment opportunity, safety, protection and security). The role provides strategic oversight, ensures research excellence, manages partnershipsand contributes to evidence generation and knowledge translation to inform policy and practice. The Senior Research Manager works closely with the Research Director, technical advisors, strategic projects and cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with the project’s strategic objectives and research needs.

The Senior Research Manager is responsible for:

• Lead and manage the research on Governance and service recovery in line with approved strategies, work plans, and budgets.
• Liaise with stakeholders to provide research updates, gather input, and contribute to adaption of the programmer and project activities as needed.
• Coordinate with strategic project teams to ensure research activities are well-integrated and delivered on schedule
• Ensure dissemination of research products aligns with the communications strategy.
• Oversee providers of research services and ensure compliance with contractual and ethical requirements.

Specific responsibilities for the role:

• Develop research proposals and research activity plans aligned with the theory of change and strategic projects’ objectives and research needs.
• Review and approve research outputs from technical advisors, specialists, and consultants to ensure methodological rigor.
• Supervise and mentor project officers to support research implementation.
• Oversee procurement processes related to research, including drafting and reviewing scope of work and ensuring technical specifications are accurate.
• Design and review Calls for Proposals for research grants in coordination with strategic project teams, provide technical feedback on grantee deliverables.
• Develop consultant scopes of work and participate in recruitment and selection processes.
• Draft research completion and activity reports and contribute to quarterly and strategic reporting.
• Collaborate with MEL teams to ensure data quality and support outcome assessments.
• Support knowledge management and dissemination.
• Ad hoc tasks and duties as required and assigned by the supervisor to ensure the overall efficient implementation of PFRU-2 activities.

Core Competencies:

A successful Senior Research Manager will be actively engaged across each of the core competencies listed below. They will effectively support their team by:

• Investing time and effort in understanding the PFRU2 goals and objectives and their role in implementing them through relationship building that strengthens group dynamics.
• Enthusiastically take on additional new tasks and work as needed to build professional skill set while supporting program goals
• Utilize available resources (guidance documents, landing page, etc.) to determine appropriate next steps
• Prioritize tasks based on urgency, follow-up required from others, etc. to efficiently complete work; adjusts, adapts, and remains flexible to changing priorities.
• Determine, define, and raise issues to their supervisor and propose solutions based on understanding of issue.
• Use mistakes, failures, successes, and feedback as learning opportunities to understand own strengths, development needs, and improve professionally.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in social sciences, governance, or a related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience managing research projects, preferably in social service delivery, community engagement, governance, local government.
• Strong experience in research design, implementation, and quality assurance.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing governance and community-level research.
• Experience engaging with government institutions, community organizations, and civil society is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of ethical research principles and best practices.
• Proven ability to manage research, budgets, partnerships.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience in supervising staff and managing teams.
• Experience working with international donors or research institutions (desirable).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, while maintaining quality standards
• Fluency in English and Ukrainian (written and spoken) is required.

Location:

Kyiv, Ukraine

Reporting:

Senior Research Manager will report to Research Director.

Duration of Assignment / LOE:

This is a full-time position.

Application Details: 

Apply using the following link by December 4th. For roles requiring English language skills, English language CVs are preferred (but not required). We encourage to apply people with disabilities. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. No telephone inquiries, please. Chemonics will contact finalists. 

PFRU-2 Recruitment - Candidate Application