Nutrition Researcher

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 50 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, and scales life-changing, cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and precision, flexibility and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience and reputation of a large-scale implementing organization. Since 2017, IRC has conducted nutrition research in several contexts including Mali, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Central African Republic. These projects are focused on the development and testing of solutions to expand the coverage of acute malnutrition screening and treatment. The research portfolio includes both rigorous clinical trials as well as operational research projects.

We are seeking an experienced researcher to support the design, implementation, analysis and write up of research studies across our Nutrition portfolio and play a meaningful role in helping us drive forward our research agenda. The Nutrition Researcher will be technically responsible for the production of evidence – including crafting analysis plans, performing analyses, and writing up peer-review manuscripts – as well as contributing to the development and set up of new studies.

Major Responsibilities

New Project Development

● Lead the conceptualization, design, and development of new research projects, including writing study protocols, drafting analysis plans, developing, and validating tools for implementation, monitoring, and collecting data.

● Lead the identification and engagement of international and local scientific partners to enhance scientific rigor, credibility, and local uptake.

● Participate in funding acquisition via contributing to proposal writing and preparing study budgets in close collaboration with country teams.

● Lead the engagement with country teams to ensure alignment of study idea and proper planning and contribution during the design, funding acquisition and field preparation phase

● Lead ethical approval processes for new studies, including writing, submitting, and managing ethics approval requests at national and international levels.

● Advise on the set up of data collection, monitoring, and study implementation.

● Provide hands-on support to the set up and roll out of studies and surveys via visits to the field and collaborating with local partners and field teams.

Study Implementation and Field Team Support

● Supervise the Research Coordinators/Managers in country via Management in Partnership arrangements with country office counterparts.

● Oversee the planning of studies including the set-up of spending, HR, procurement and implementation plans and the monitoring of the timely execution.

● Provide on-going training on implementation, data collection and monitoring to field teams.

● Partner with data management and analysis teams to ensure regular data monitoring and provide concrete action steps for field teams to improve implementation and data quality.

● Participate in on-site supervision of ongoing studies and provide training via regular field visits.

● Work with our communications team on documentation and materials for external communication and be the focal point between field and HQ in communication activities.

● Ensure thorough documentation of learning from research projects.

Evidence Production

● Draft analysis plans for answering priority research questions with the existing data in collaboration with scientific advisors and the IRC nutrition research team.

● Perform data analysis using Stata or R according to validated analysis plans and including step-by-step explanations and interpretation of output.

● Lead and contribute to the write up manuscripts for peer-reviewed and practitioner journals, including the submission and revision of manuscripts in collaboration with co-authors.

● Identify and connect with internal and external experts for guidance and collaboration on different evidence pieces.

● Oversee consultants and students working on specific evidence production pieces.

● Present findings from studies to internal and external audiences including in conferences and webinars and other appropriate platforms

Job Requirements

Education and Experience

● Masters/PhD in Public Health, Nutrition, or related field.

● A minimum 6 years (if master’s level) or 4 years (if PhD level) of experience in research project design, implementation, and production of evidence in the field of health/nutrition.

● Experience in nutrition programming and/or research.

● Experience leading research projects in the field in fragile and development settings.

● Experience in community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) strongly preferred.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies

● Strong data analysis skills including data manipulation in statistical software (STATA or R), analysis, sampling, and epidemiology.

● Demonstrated competency in writing quantitative research articles (please add references to CV).

● Competency in qualitative research is a plus.

● Good coordination and communication skills to collaborate with scientific advisors in the development of protocols and write up of peer-review manuscripts.

● Ability to take decisions and advance in situations with potentially diverging opinions.

● Good IT skills required (Windows environment, Microsoft Office package

● Working knowledge of mobile data collection software (CommCare, ODK preferred).

● Ability to work independently while being an active member of the research team.

● Committed to upholding diversity, equality and inclusion principles.

Language skills: Fluency in English and working proficiency in French is required.

**Working environment:**Standard office work environment or fully remote. This position can be fully remote in many IRC locations (preference for GMT+ timezones). Ability to travel up to 30% is required. Must be willing to travel to IRC country offices and field sites, sometimes in very difficult conditions.

Compensation:

Posted pay ranges apply to UK-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.