Research and Data Senior Manager

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

ACT is seeking to hire a Research and Data Manager to supervise its documentation project.

In 2015, while continuing to push for a State mechanism to investigate the fate of the missing, ACT started a research project to gather and preserve information that are vital for any truth-seeking process. Indeed, the passage of time renders witness accounts more challenging and clandestine gravesites are being damaged or destroyed by construction activities. This reduce or even destroy the possibility of ever understanding what happened to the missing and identifying their remains and hand them over to their families. 

ACT’s project consists of collecting information on individual cases of disappearance, events of the Lebanese civil war related to cases of disappearance, checkpoints and detention centers as well as information on suspected clandestine burial sites. This information is collected from open sources, individual interviews with family members, ex-combatants and witnesses, and field visits.

In 2017, ACT started designing and developing its own software (database) that enables to classify a large amount of information related to disappeared persons' cases, to link each layer of information as well as automatically integrate them into a mapping system. The visualization of the location of each layer of information (e.g., cases of missing people, places of disappearance, events, sites of graves) and their linkage facilitates the analysis process. Geographic analysis capabilities also enable ACT to develop hypotheses on the itineraries of disappeared persons and cross-link cases thereby inferring patterns and potential reconstructions. ACT will continue to enter the data gathered by the research team in its database that will be handed over to the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared once operational.

SUPERVISION

The Research and Data Manager works under the supervision of the Executive Director and reports to her/him regularly.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Coordination of the Research Project

• Coordinate and follow up on ACT's research project with the research team.
• Overview project implementation and budget utilization, ensuring consistency with donor agreements.
• Prepare narrative reports for donors and financial reports in close collaboration with the finance officer.
• Regularly update the project partners and members of the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared on the progress of the research.
• Maintain positive relationships with donors.

Research and Data Structure

• Examine and analyse the current database structure and content and in consultation with the research team, draft a plan for the research project:
• Develop the research strategy in collaboration with the research team
• Develop work plans for the research team to implement the strategy.
• Develop and refine ACT's specific guidelines on good research data practices, ensuring that Research Data Management (RDM) is integrated with existing research information management and publications systems 
• Review and provide insights for the database to cater for future research demands and evolving standards. 
• Develop the methodology and the SOPs in collaboration with the research team
• Manage the proper archiving of all sources in the archive system as per the SOPs (hard drives and database)
• Communicate regularly with the developer and data analyst any needed improvement to the database.
• Providing advice/recommendations to researchers relating to data process and case report form design. 
• Provide strategic leadership and guidance to the research and identify the priorities within it
• Work directly with the research team to draw key messages, conclusions and recommendations from the research

Human Resource Management

• Supervise the research team (data analyst and researcher)
• Regular research team meetings and internal communication
• Support the Executive Director with recruitment and selection of new research staff members
• Agreeing on project objectives with the research team and providing semi-annual reviews

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Coordinate and facilitate monitoring and assessment of the research project
• Developing appropriate M&E tools

 KNOWLEDGED, COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

• Advanced university degree in history, social science, forensic science or related field.
• A minimum of five years of experience in research work and data management.
• A minimum of three years of experience in management of research projects and teams
• Excellent drafting skills.
• Excellent understanding of the Lebanese civil war and post-conflict context.
• Fluent in Arabic and English, with excellent written and verbal skills. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills, organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong computer skills.
• Programming knowledge desirable 
• Experience in the development of research tools and projects. Independent, adaptable, flexible and hard working.
• Prior working experience in topics related to dealing with the past .