Job Description

Job Title: Research & Innovation Hub Coordinator

Sector: Research & Development

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Job Overview/Summary:

IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab / Research and Innovation (R&I) Unit brings together a multi-disciplinary team combining IRC’s commitment to rigorous research and evidence-based programs with new approaches to designing, testing, and scaling breakthrough interventions for the humanitarian and development sector. Airbel helps the IRC serve people affected by crisis with the most effective and efficient programs; designing and rigorously testing interventions, supporting the IRC in interpreting and applying existing research to develop high-quality, evidence-based programs, and conducting cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness analyses to ensure the best use of our resources. –It also aims to design, nurture, and scale new humanitarian interventions and delivery models by applying best practices from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, rapid iteration, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in the humanitarian context.

The Tanzania Research and Innovation Hub is a collaboration between the IRC, Innovations for Poverty Action, and the Behavourial Insights Teams and is developing additional in-country core partnerships that bring further value. This Hub aims to enable adaptive project design, small-scale pilot studies, and larger-scale impact evaluations in Tanzanian refugee camps and surrounding host communities to improve outcomes for crisis-affected populations and create more impact for every dollar spent on aid.

The Tanzania Research and Innovation Hub is an exciting initiative that will work in close coordination with IRC’s operational work in Tanzania and globally. IRC in Tanzania works in the sectors of health, education, protection, and empowerment to provide humanitarian support to hundreds of thousands of refugees and Tanzanian host communities. 

Key responsibilities:

Based in IRC Tanzania head office in Dar es Salaam, but working closely with all partners and programme colleagues, the Tanzania Hub Coordinator will be responsible to lead the development, implementation, and impact of the Research and Innovation Hub:

• Coordinate with Hub partners to ensure the development of:
• Tanzania Hub partnerships with research, innovation, and humanitarian organizations
• Conclude the Tanzania Hub strategy, priority focus areas, and objectives, to be reviewed on an annual basis.
• Overall business development strategy, in collaboration with Research & Innovation Business Development staff and BD teams with other Hub Tanzania partners
• Develop and manage clear protocols and processes for pipeline idea generation and decision-making
• Ensure clarity on roles and responsibilities and involvement of each partner along the pipeline process/project lifecycle

Tanzania Hub Coordination:

• Lead a collaborative and vibrant culture of dialogue, support, and impact across Hub members. This will include formal and informal engagement, retreats, meetings, and other forums for information sharing and exchange.
• This is likely to include:

1.  Chairing regular monthly steering committee meetings to workplan and check in on progress
2.  Organizing periodic strategic gatherings (retreats, workshops, planning meetings etc)
3. Project and / or business development opportunities – specific meetings, as required

• Driving growth of the Hub portfolio: Working with global and national programme development and grants colleagues, together with consortium partners, the coordinator will gather necessary inputs, develop concept notes and proposals; proactively pursue business development opportunities aligned with the Hub priorities, and liaising with potential donors and partners.
• Proactively develop and manage strong partnerships with academics, consultants, and other organizations that conduct related (design) research and programming; policymakers, practitioners, and relevant Tanzanian actors, including UNHCR
• In collaboration with the IRC Tanzania country program and other Tanzania Hub, represent the Tanzania Hub to external donors and other stakeholders. Respond to field queries regarding the Hub and present findings in actionable terms.
• Maintain and develop relationships with relevant government and other institutions, including ensuring relevant regulatory and research ethics permissions and protocols are established and observed.
• Develop and update contracts, agreements, and governing frameworks amongst Hub partners, as needed

Tanzania Hub Project Leadership and Support

• In collaboration with Hub partners, determine the appropriate contracting mechanism for each project.
• Work with project leads to ensure that projects are set up for success, including developing clear scopes of work, budgets, and project management structure.
• In collaboration with the IRC Tanzania M&E Manager, ensure that Hub projects have a robust M&E plan, including the collection of key implementation information.
• Oversee all research initiatives of the hub; identify those that will be Hub led, or Hub supported, and manage regular tracking and risk assessment to ensure research projects are delivered on time with quality.
• Identify appropriate research projects that will require direct leadership and in those cases, lead or support the design and implementation of (design) research projects in collaboration with research leads and technical advisors, field programs, and (design) research partners, , with a time-bound scope of work
• Provide operational advice to project leads and other Hub partners as required and as relevant for project implementation (advise on camp permits, security, transportation options, etc)

Collaboration with programmes, operations, and monitoring and evaluation

• In collaboration with the IRC Tanzania M&E Manager, regularly review IRC Tanzania M&E data to identify potential areas for future innovation and research.
• Serve as a member of IRC’s Country Management Team, contributing to IRC strategy, programme delivery, and impact
• Build collaboration with operational teams, ensuring that research is rooted in programme needs and directly contributing to positive change for clients in Tanzania

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Research & Innovation Senior Advisor and Deputy Director of Programs TZ
Position directly supervises: Research consultants; research grants officer

Indirect Reporting: Tanzania Hub Steering Committee members
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

• R&I Director of Implementation and Scaling
• R&I Senior Management Team
• Tanzania Country Management Team
• Technical Advisors and Coordinators for all relevant programme sectors
• IRC M&E Coordinator

Qualifications

• A strong leader with experience of strategic leadership and management and a track record of delivery. 
• Education: Master’s in development studies, social sciences, or other relevant fields, or a Bachelors’ degree with significant field experience
• Work experience: Signigificant (at least 5 years) of progressive experience. Field experience strongly preferred
• Demonstrated expertise in research and innovation in the humanitarian or development sector
• Excellent organizational skills: the ability to multi-task, learn quickly, and work independently and productively in a fast-paced and detail-oriented environment
• Flexible work attitude, proactive and demonstrated creativity: the ability to work productively in a team environment and the ability to problem-solve creatively with minimal guidance
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: the ability to effectively liaise with and motivate a variety of people in a multi-cultural environment and across various time zones
• Demonstrated success in leading business development opportunities and proposal writing
• Excellent oral and written communications skills (English) required
• Multi-lingual skills advantageous – with priority placed on Swahili
• Experience in working in East Africa is preferred
• Ability to travel to field sites an average of one week per month or two weeks every two months

The deadline for this application is 12th October 2020