Senior Research and Innovation Officer

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Sexual and reproductive health is a core component of the IRC’s work with a comprehensive package aiming to ensure care before, during and after pregnancy – including safe and respectful maternity and delivery services for women and newborns; access to clients’ contraceptive of choice; treatment of sexually transmitted diseases; post abortion care; and clinical care for survivors of sexual assault.

The IRC is now launching a new SRH project in Uganda which will focus on advancing the learning agenda on self-care in humanitarian and fragile settings, using innovative self-care programming in Uganda as a learning lab. This program, which will be implemented in partnership with local organizations and institutions, will support IRC’s broader goals to expand a coordinated movement to transform self-care for women and girls living in humanitarian and fragile settings.

The IRC Uganda team has identified Bidibidi and Palabek refugee settlements in Yumbe and Lamwo districts for this project because of the already existing structures, complementary funding and the presence of existing local partners. Furthermore, the two field locations provide scenarios of acute emergency and a protracted state and IRC provides SRH service in both locations.

Project Overview: Today, Uganda is host to the largest refugee population on the African continent and the third largest in the world. It is also dealing with multiple shocks from over the border displacement, outbreaks- including COVID-19- and the growing impacts of climate change.

To address numerous SRH needs for humanitarian populations in Uganda, the IRC has been piloting SHIFT (Shifting Paradigms for SRHR in Emergencies) a transformative approach to local partnerships that aims to overcome partnership inequalities, challenge the status quo and shift power back to local institutions, change agents and women and girls to sustainability advance SRH in fragile settings. SHIFT is being implemented in collaboration with the Agency for Cooperation in Research & Development (ACORD Uganda) and Women and Rural Development Network (WORUDET), two dynamic civil society organizations working in Uganda refugee settlements, as well as Lamwo and Yumbe health districts. Please note project funding for the SHIFT partnership has recently ended but for this project, the IRC Uganda proposes to build on our existing partnerships with WORUDET, ACORD Uganda and district health authorities to: 1) Design, implement and generate evidence on innovative SRHR self-care interventions in refugee settings, with specific attention to integrated adolescent contraceptive packages. 2) Contribute to a locally led movement for self-care that serves the unique needs of displaced populations in the country.

Job Overview: This position will be based in either the Yumbe or Lamwo offices and directly reports to the Health manager but will receive technical support from the Project Coordinator. The Senior Research and Innovation Officer will be responsible for ensuring that all phases of the project (formative, design, implementation, and evaluation) are implemented in accordance with program guidelines and workplans. Specifically, the Senior Research and Innovation Officer will play a central research, innovation, and program management role for this project.

Duties and Responsibilities: Program design and implementation: • The Senior Research and Innovation (R&I) Officer will work closely with the IRC HQ design and behavioral insights teams to support the execution of behavioral mapping and user-centered design processes to contribute to the development of a client-centered integrated adolescent self-managed contraception package. • The Senior R&I Officer will oversee research and innovation officers who will be responsible for implementing the designed solutions and monitoring progress against set objectives. • They will take leadership in establishing a MEAL strategy that links with the program objectives. • They will support the development of key self-care program tools and resources – including but not limited to training materials, information, education and communication tools, job aids, and community mobilization messages

Partner engagement: • They will coordinate multi-directional capacity sharing across IRC and partner organizations/institutions including but not limited to self-care program implementation, monitoring, evaluation, research, and advocacy • They will work with partners to assess current SRHR social accountability mechanisms, facilitate capacity-sharing on these frameworks and test the integration of key self-care components into these mechanisms • They will coordinate routine partner meetings to discuss program implementation, learning and course correction

Evaluation: • They will support the research and evaluation component of the project as a core member of the research and innovation team • They will contribute to any research protocol development, IRB application submissions, and research tool development • They will be responsible for executing and overseeing the process documentation component of the study • They will lead any research/program learning dissemination events in collaboration with partners

Qualifications

The successful candidate will possess demonstrated experience in overseeing health research or innovation programming, with strong preference to those who have experience working in sexual and reproductive health. •Experience with sexual and reproductive health data collection; experience with collecting data on contraception and abortion care preferred. •Degree in public health, social sciences or related field. •Public or community health background preferred. •Experience managing, implementing, or working on research projects. •Experience with qualitative research methods, including collecting data through interviews and facilitating meetings or focus group discussions. •Experience supervising other staff. •Experience with stakeholder engagement and mobilization. •Attention to detail. •Willingness to work on the sometimes sensitive and stigmatized topic of abortion •Excellent communication skills. •Experience working in humanitarian setting with INGO/NGO. •Significant exposure and experience of successfully working and managing local partners. •Proven ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines and work with limited supervision. •Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations at all levels •Experience in successfully managing various forms of partnerships with stakeholders, including national and local authorities, UN agencies, local NGOs, etc. •Fluent in written and spoken English. •A dynamic and flexible individual with ability to multitask and who can work under pressure •Team player. •Good communication and interpersonal skills. •Excellent Microsoft word and Microsoft excel, power-point presentation skills. •Willingness to travel to 'insecure areas within the constraints of IRC Uganda's security policy. •Strong commitment to and knowledge of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, including stigmatized service areas such as abortion and for under-served populations such as people living in crises, adolescents, and people with disabilities.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.