As an Early Years Action Researcher, the candidate will play a pivotal role in advancing research and learning initiatives aimed at enhancing early childhood development within the program objectives. Their responsibilities will encompass qualitative and action research, strategic planning, methodological oversight, and technical guidance to help derive actionable insights for program design and execution. The candidate should be open-minded and ready to adapt, demonstrating flexibility in approach to accommodate evolving research needs and changing circumstances.
Key responsibilities
Collaborate with program team, partners, and other cross-functional teams to plan, coordinate, and execute research and learning activities.
Coordinate with field teams to ensure timely and high-quality delivery of research outputs.
Participate in programmatic discussions to integrate research into program planning at various levels.
Oversee research design, data collection, and data analysis, with a focus on mixed methods research aligned with the program.
Review and enhance research methods and tools for their contextual suitability and effectiveness in program implementation stages.
Lead analysis and synthesis efforts to derive actionable insights for the program.
Strengthen the research capabilities of program team members, to help them implement action research and learning initiatives effectively.
Lead efforts in documenting research methods and insights tailored to program contexts.
Disseminate research findings and policy recommendations to relevant stakeholders and contribute to knowledge exchange activities.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor s Degree in Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Social Work, Social Sciences , and related fields. Master`s degree is preferred.
Minimum 3 to 4 years of research and/or data analytics experience, preferably in the education domain.
Strong understanding of early childhood development and education, qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work collaboratively and independently, with a strong commitment to inclusivity and diversity.
Willingness to travel, often to remote locations
Technical Competencies
Knowledge of early childhood development, community engagement, parental engagement, nutrition, child and maternal health.
Ability to translate research findings into policy discussions and development programs.
Experience in mixed-methods research, including quantitative and qualitative approaches. Awareness of descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Comfort with programming languages such as R, Stata, etc.
Familiarity with education sector planning, and program management.
Awareness of gender and equity considerations in education and development programming.