Implementation Research Manager needed at FHI 360

The Implementation Research Manager, based in Kano State, will be the full time in-country lead for this project, working closely with FHI 360’s country office and project counterparts working in other countries and at Headquarters and in other consortium partners. The Implementation Research Manager will manage implementation of the pilot, the mixed methods evaluation, and stakeholder engagement and communication, particularly with government counterparts, to ensure policy impact.

Accountabilities

Their primary responsibilities will be to:

• Manage coordination and communications with local stakeholders (including government counterparts)
• Manage the technical advisory and support inputs from global experts and project partners
• Convene and coordinate local stakeholders in the design of the PLA pilot, implementation plans, and scaling strategy
• Convene and coordinate local stakeholders in the design of the MEL system for the PLA pilot
• Convene and coordinate local stakeholders in the design of facilitation materials and training materials
• Secure relevant permissions and local ethical approvals
• Oversee the training of stakeholders for project implementation and the MEL system
• Provide overall management of field level implementation and coordination
• Oversee a local NGO who will provide support to project implementation, and support local capacity building as required
• Analyze project implementation to identify areas for improvement and propose appropriate technical strategy and guidelines.
• Manage periodic operational reviews
• Monitor outputs from the MEL system and draft implementation progress reports and interim progress reports
• Collaborate with the research and evaluation team to interpret data sets and other assessment findings.
• Track the scaling strategy
• Create knowledge management and dissemination products
• Develop technical briefs, reports, or other necessary materials to facilitate research, best practices, policies, and procedures.
• Support policy advocacy and dissemination of learning and results
• Ensure that project activities are delivered to schedule

Applied Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong understanding of the community health system in Kano
• In-depth knowledge of concepts, practices, and procedures with providing technical support for implementation research studies.
• Familiarity with data collection apps on tablets or phones (e.g., ODK, Commcare, or REDCAP) preferred
• Familiarity with basic statistical analysis (e.g., on SPSS, STATA, or R)
• Familiarity with qualitative data collection methods (e.g., in depth interviews, focus group discussions) and analysis
• Has sensitivity to cultural diversity and understanding of the political, contextual, and ethical issues in assigned areas.
• Articulate, professional, and able to communicate in a clear, positive manner with clients and staff.
• Must be able to read, write, and speak fluent English.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills.
• Excellent and demonstrated project management skills.
• Ability to influence and collaborate with others.
• Demonstrated proficiency with using Microsoft Office Suite required.
• Ability to analyze and interpret data, identify errors, and prepare reports.
• Ability to solve problems and implement corrective action as needed.

Competencies:

There are 31 FHI 360 development competencies, of greatest focus for this particular job will be:

• Project Management (Planning and Time Management) – Accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks (sets objectives/goals/measures). Breaks down work into steps, schedules, task/people assignments. Marshals people, time, and resource efficiently. Arranges information in a useful manner and orchestrates multiple activities at once.
• People Management (Making Others Great) Facilitate professional development of staff by providing challenging, learning assignments and opportunities. Shares and solicits feedback monthly at the very least. Helps establish compelling development plans. Assigns responsibility and accountability for tasks/decisions. Monitors process, progress, and results. Creates a climate in which people want to do their best.
• Creating and Managing Systems and Processes Recognizes the need for standardization and balances client and organization need in systems design. Anticipates the effects of process change on people while optimizing task efficiency and simplicity.
• Employees are expected to possess or have high potential for development of these three fundamental competencies.  

Problem Solving & Impact:

• Works on problems of moderate to complex scope that require review of various factors.
• Exercises good judgment with selecting methods and techniques to determine appropriate action.
• Decisions may cause delays and affect a work unit or area within a department.
• Identifies and raises issues to senior technical staff
• Networks with key internal and external personnel.
• Decision may cause delays or failure to achieve results that impact departmental goals.

Supervision Given/Received:

• Determines methods and procedures on new projects and assignments.
• Serves as team lead and may mentor other lower-level personnel.
• May supervisor junior level staff.
• Typically reports to an Associate Director/ Director.

Education:

• Master’s Degree or its International Equivalent in International Development, Public Health, Social Sciences or a relevant field Related Field.
• Project Management (PM) Certification preferred.

Experience:

• Requires 8+ years of relevant experience in technical implementation of projects/programs
• Experience managing implementation research including primary data collection; experience in both quantitative and qualitative data collection preferred
• Documented experience providing technical assistance and capacity building in the specific technical domain.
• Experience of working on community health systems
• Experience of USAID projects preferred
• Prior work experience in a non-governmental organization (NGO), government agency, or private organization.

Typical Physical Demands:

• Typical office environment.
• Ability to spend long hours looking at computer screen and doing repetitive work on a keyboard.
• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to lift/move up to 5 lbs.

Technology to be Used:

• Personal Computer/Laptop, Microsoft applications (i.e., Office 365, SharePoint, Skype/Zoom/Teams), cell phone/mobile technology, and standard office equipment.