About US:
Mercy Corps is an international non-profit organization which implements high-quality, analytical development programmes in very difficult places. Mercy Corps has been operating in Uganda since 2006. It has and continues to implement programs in Acholi and Karamoja sub regions. Mercy Corps is taking a community-led, market driven approach to address poverty and food insecurity needs through interventions that get to the root causes and contributing factors of economic vulnerability. Donors include the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Commission (EC), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC).
About GIRL Program:
Mercy Corps is undertaking new research in order to advance the organization’s gender and resilience strategy. We are interested in testing the critical links between women and girls’ access over assets and whether this leads to empowerment, increase influence over household decision making, improved food security and household adaptive capacity as a result. This research will align closely with Mercy Corps’ Girls Improving Resilience with Livestock (GIRL) program, which aims to empower pastoralist girls in the Karamoja region to improve their livelihoods and personal agency, as well as increase the food security and adaptive capacity of their households and the resilience of their communities.
Job Summary: The Program Researcher will be responsible for helping to design and implement this research initiative. The incumbent will offer support in the planning and execution of key research activities. The Program Researcher will work closely with the GIRL program team members in the Karamoja Region (Uganda), Turkana and West Pokot County (Kenya) to design and implement research activities including market assessments, gender and resilience reports, case studies and internal and external communications pieces.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Generate and implement research tools (Survey design, KII and FGD guidelines)
Carry out assessments, evaluations and monitoring surveys in area of operation. This will entail developing survey tools, administering tools, entering and analyzing data, report writing and facilitating results discussion.
Regularly document and share all learnings from research activities
Write reports, articles and blogs that synthesize key findings from across research activities and GIRL Program M&E efforts
Work in liaison with GIRL Program Coordinator to ensure synergy across GIRL M&E efforts and research activities
Visit sites and partners to collect supplementary data, stories and conduct qualitative research both independently and in teams
Build and strengthen professional relationships with local government officials, private sector partners, NGOs, other development organizations, and civil society organizations
Work with Program Coordinator, Program Officer and other staffs to ensure that activities are implemented on plan and progress towards targets is not compromised.
Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to credit Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its mission.
Perform any other duties as assigned by his/her supervisor or representatives
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
The applicants for the Mercy Corps Program Researcher job opportunity should hold a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Agriculture, Demography, Statistics, Business administration or relevant field
A minimum of three years of program monitoring and evaluation experience
Previous exposure and experience in the areas of gender, resilience and/or market development
Broad knowledge and understanding of concepts and skills in monitoring and evaluation, project cycle, results chain and frameworks, participatory monitoring
Ability to design and implement surveys, have knowledge of commonly used probability and purposive sampling techniques
Excellent writing and analytical skills
Broad working knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection, reporting techniques.
S/he should understand and be able to apply basic measures of central tendency and spread
In addition to Microsoft Excel, the incumbent should demonstrate fluency in use of at least one data management software including Ms Access, SPSS, STATA.
Fluency in both spoken and written English. N’Karamojon, Pökoot and Turkana language skills is an added advantage
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their E-mail applications including a cover letter clearly stating the salary requirements, updated CV (with three professional referees), and copies of academic qualifications/certificates to the Human Resource Manager, Kampala Head Office on 4th Floor Embassy Plaza, Plot 1188-1190 Ggaba Road. The E-mail applications with cover letter should be sent to: mcjobs@ug.mercycorps.org
Deadline: 24th February 2016