Senior Manager, Research Operations

About the Role 

We are looking for a Senior Manager, Research Operations to lead our growing Research Operations team, and manage remote data collection with a global network of Research Assistants and partners to collect high-quality data.

The Senior Manager is a new leadership position for the Research Coordination function at 60 Decibels. The Research Coordination function is comprised of 15+ Research Coordinators who directly manage global data collection projects end-to-end, receiving a scoped project mandate from our client services team and ensuring the resourcing, timeliness and quality of data collection, through our network of remote, part-time Research Assistants (enumerators) and vendors. The Senior Research Manager is responsible for managing the collective performance of this function, including managing the team to performance against targets (timeliness and quality of data collection), optimizing workflows, leading cross-functional coordination with Research Operations, Services and Sales teams, as well as identifying challenges and proposing solutions to improve the quality and timeliness of data collection.

The Senior Manager, Research Operations will:

• Lead the team that executes 40-70  simultaneous data collection projects in dozens of countries, to ensure data collection is timely, high quality and managed within budgets
• Manage a team of Senior Research Associates (5) and have ultimate accountability for data collection performance across a larger 25-person function
• Manage team-wide success metrics related to timely data collection, quality and cost management, identifying opportunities to drive continuous improvement
• Design and deliver regular reports to management on data collection productivity, costs, performance; synthesize and propose solutions for challenges 
• Partner with other Research Operations sub-functions to optimize Data Collection, which may include experimentation with new technology and data collection methods
• Lead cross-functional coordination with Research Operations, Services, and Sales teams to ensure seamless handover between functions
• Provide coaching and support on data collection and data quality management to broader team
• Propose innovative data collection methods, techniques, and strategies to meet changing research needs and industry standards
• Stay up to date with industry research ethics and data privacy standards, ensuring that data collection processes adhere to legal and ethical requirements
• Identify potential risks in data collection projects and develop mitigation strategies to ensure ongoing research success
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement within the Research Coordination team, optimizing data collection processes and implementing best practices to increase efficiency
• Lead training programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of Research Coordinators and Research Assistants in data collection, quality control, and best practices

About You

First and foremost, you bring compassion and dedication to this work because it matters to you. You take pride in delivering high quality data, no matter the complexity or challenges along the way, and have demonstrated success doing this across a range of complex circumstances. You have a bias towards action: you don’t shy away from roadblocks but actively tackle problems in a way that leads to the best outcomes and brings teams together. You are a skilled people manager, have a growth mindset, and know the value of being a part of an effective team.

More specifically, you bring:

• 10+ years of relevant professional experience, managing data collection, research or impact measurement programs
• Minimum 5 years’ experience managing end-to-end data collection in a research, impact measurement or academic setting; familiar with industry best practices and optimization opportunities for successful remote data collection across many markets and industries
• Demonstrated analytical skills used to drive business decisions and manage operations
• Demonstrated success managing people and high performing teams to deliver desired outcomes; cross-cultural competency a must
•  A natural collaborator, one who partners relentlessly and without ego in service of shared goals
• Critical thinking; able to identify roadblocks and potential solutions, evaluate if a solution is fit-for-purpose, seek alternatives when it’s not
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks; proven self-starter, proactive problem-solver with strong communication and project management skills
• Demonstrated success using Microsoft Excel is a mandatory requirement for this role, as you will be overseeing the delivery and management of large and complex datasets
• Demonstrated comfort navigating and learning new tools is a must: we use a combination of Qualtrics, Airtable, Slack and other standard Microsoft and G-Suite tools
• Demonstrated interest in or commitment to tackling global development and social issues

Interested in applying?

Deadline: Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

Location: We are currently recruiting for this position in one of the following locations:

• Nairobi, Kenya (hybrid)
• Bengaluru, India (hybrid)