Research Manager

Position: Research Manager

Organization:

CARE International in Lebanon and the Global Women’s Institute at

the George Washington University

Department/Division:

Program

Unit:

GBV & Protection

Position Title:

Research Manager

Work Location:

North Lebanon and Beirut

Supervisor:

GBV & Protection Coordinator

Job Summary:

The Global Women’s Institute (GWI) and CARE are currently seeking a Research Manager who will support the research project “Empowered Aid: Transforming gender and power dynamics in the delivery of humanitarian aid” in refugee-hosting areas of Lebanon.

About the Research

Since its magnitude first came to light in 2002 the aid community’s focus on addressing sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) has primarily rested on establishing reporting mechanisms and punitive actions against perpetrators of such violence, and only recently shifted toward documented, pro-active measures to mitigate risk and prevent abuse and exploitation from occurring. This project seeks to further examine:

• the mechanisms through which material aid (i.e. food and non-food items) is delivered, and
• how these processes might inadvertently increase the risks of SEA within affected populations, in order to address them.

Its goal is to support the creation or adaptation of aid delivery models that actively work to reduce power disparities and give women and girls a sustained voice in how aid is delivered.

The Research Manager will be the face of the project within Lebanon and oversee the day-to-day activities of conducting participatory action research with refugee women and girls (Year 1) with preference to candidates who have experience with evaluations, as the second year will focus on testing ways to make distributions safer. S/he will be responsible for developing and maintaining good working relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, including government, civil society, I/NGOs, UN, academia, and others.

About the Global Women’s Institute (GWI)

The Global Women’s Institute at the George Washington University (GWU) is a university-wide initiative dedicated to improving gender equality and supporting the rights of women and girls worldwide. The Institute’s action-oriented research spans from prevalence studies that generate rigorous evidence on the magnitude of gender-based violence (GBV) to evaluations that measure the effectiveness of interventions preventing and responding to this violence. With a particular expertise in conducting research on GBV during conflict and post conflict periods, GWI documents experiences of women and girls during times of crises and generate evidence on what works to reduce the violence they experience. By strengthening the global knowledge base on gender issues and being a catalyst for change, GWI aims to make a difference in the lives of women in the US and around the world.

About CARE

CARE is a leading relief and development non-governmental organization working to end global poverty. Established in 1946, it is now a confederation composed of 14 members and 4 affiliates. Working in over 95 countries around the world, CARE is reaching more than 83 million people through its programs. With more than 11,000 employees worldwide, we have a strong local presence: 95% of our staff are nationals of the countries where our programs are implemented. 

In Lebanon, CARE was first registered in 2006 and has been actively programming since 2013 as part of CARE International’s response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Working with both host communities and refugees, CARE International in Lebanon (CIL) works with the most vulnerable across many parts of Lebanon with a strong presence in North Lebanon in and around Tripoli. CARE puts a special focus on women and girls as pivotal forces for social change, and work in partnership with communities, including the most vulnerable, to help them determine their needs, plan strategies and implement programs that they themselves will carry to completion and sustain beyond CARE’s direct involvement.

Supervises

A project officer

Working Conditions:

This position will be based in Tripoli or Beirut office, with extensive fieldwork

Salary:

Based on CARE Lebanon salary scale

Employment Start Date:

February 2019

Duration of Contract:

12 months with possibility of extension depending on performance and funding.

Contract Type:

Fixed Term Employment Contract

Other contract elements:

Benefits: Social security/Health Insurance & Transport allowance.

The direct supervisor reserves the right to adapt this job description at any time during employment according to needs.

Any extension of this contract is dependent on performance review and funding availability.

Education & Certification:

Master or PHD degree desirable

Minimum Education Level:

Master

Posting Restrictions:

Right to work in Lebanon

Proven Experience:

• Qualitative or participatory methods (such as focus groups, key informant interviews, community/body mapping, safety audits, and/or ethnographic research techniques) related to GBV or gender issues and preferably in humanitarian settings;
• Works well with participatory and creative processes, where ideas and plans may change—while ensuring timeline, budget & reporting requirements are met;
• Experience working with refugee communities, preferably in Lebanon within the last 2 years;
• Has designed/developed materials such as data collection tools, training curricula, research or programming briefs, guidance documents, and project reports;
• Preferred: Experience designing and implementing evaluations and/or M&E systems, preferably related to GBV or gender issues and in humanitarian settings;
• Optional: Experience providing GBV or child protection services or managing programs in Lebanon;
• Existing professional networks among humanitarian stakeholders in Lebanon is a plus.

IT / Software / Skills:

Familiarity with MS Office software, including Excel. Knowledge of data collecting tools is a plus

Language Skills:

Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Arabic.

Competencies

• Supports and believes survivors and is an enthusiastic champion of women and girls;
• Strong research and analytical skills, and ability to design and direct research, needs assessments, and evaluations;
• Flexible, detail-oriented, able to work well in teams and individually;
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills;
• Outstanding organizer;
• Effective in networking, facilitation and representation.

Detailed Responsibilities & Tasks

Project Management

• To oversee the day-to-day activities of conducting participatory action research with refugee women and girls;
• To ensure the overall research and project activities move forward with the agreed timeline and principles as per donor agreements, as well as GWI and CARE guidelines;
• To act as the focal point between GWI and CARE, including receiving technical assistance from GWI staff and coordinate with CARE throughout the life of the contract;
• Proactively troubleshoot issues as they arrive, in close communication with Project Lead;
• Manage relationships with various stakeholders important to the project, including the operational partner, TAG members, government at various levels, humanitarian actors, other researchers, etc.
• Undertake administrative tasks, as well as additional duties in line with project needs.
• Work closely with admin, logistics, procurement, and HR units to ensure the success of the project by initiating relevant planning tools (such as procurement plans) and regular coordination meetings.

Research and Technical Support

• Organize and undertake field work and data-collection;
• Design and develop materials for the “Empowered Aid” study, often through collaborative processes, including but not limited to research protocols and tools, referral materials, research briefs, meeting notes, guidance documents, and project reports;
• Organize and co-facilitate 1-3 participatory action research workshop(s), as well as an in-person meeting of the Lebanon Technical Advisory Group (TAG), which will consist of national and sub-national stakeholders and meet periodically to review the research plans, support research administration and validate and disseminate the findings in the local humanitarian communities.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Monitor the implementation of the project through setting up a system to collect relevant data and contribute to project reporting requirements;
• Ensure proper documentation, tracking and filing of all project activities in line with research objectives, GWI and donor requirements, CARE compliance rules and implementation strategy;
• Deliver on all narrative and quantitative reports as per CARE internal requirement, GWI and donor requirements;
• Ensure internal communication and data sharing of the project with relevant departments specifically MEAL, grants, communications, and advocacy.

CARE is an equal opportunity employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, gender, color, religion, and sex.