Research Manager – Laterite

Laterite is a data, research and technical advisory firm that helps clients understand and an alyze complex development challenges. We work with universities, global think tanks, international NGOs, multilateral donor organizations, and government ministries and agencies.

We are looking for an experienced professional to lead research teams, strategy, and operations in our office in Kigali, Rwanda.

Job description & key responsibilities

As a Research Manager based in Rwanda you will:

• Oversee the technical delivery and operations of a portfolio of research projects, from design to data collection, analysis and follow-through.
• Provide technical advice, coaching and steering for research design, project management, analysis, and reporting to ensure we deliver value for our clients and use rigorous and innovative research methods.
• Manage the country office, including structuring Laterite’s research agenda, contributing to corporate strategy, overseeing process improvements, and financial and personnel management.
• Design and lead training and professional development activities for the research team and the wider Laterite team.
• Build and manage the pipeline of research projects, turning internal research ideas into externally funded projects and designing evaluations for clients.

As a member of Laterite’s senior management team, you will consult on corporate strategy, business operations, and opportunities for growth. You will serve as role model for the team, actively promoting our corporate culture, mentoring colleagues, and helping us to achieve our mission as an organisation.

Profile

We are looking for an accomplished researcher who combines excellent technical skills with management experience. Our future colleague has:

• Demonstrated experience leading an organization, department, or program, including financial and operational management.
• Direct supervisory experience and demonstrated experience training and mentoring researchers.
• Demonstrated experience designing and overseeing complex research projects.
• Demonstrated experience building business pipelines and nurturing relationships with clients and stakeholders from the public and private sectors.
• Motivation to work in social and economic research in Sub-Saharan Africa
• 5+ years of research or project management experience and at least 2 years in a management role in education, youth, public health, agriculture and/or urbanization.
• A postgraduate degree (Masters or above) in Economics, Econometrics, Development Research, or in one of Laterite’s core sectors

Additionally, we are looking for:

• A self-motivated team leader with excellent interpersonal skills who thrives in a fast-paced environment where timelines can be unpredictable
• Technical expertise in quantitative or qualitative research methods.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills (in English)
• Proficiency in STATA, R, or Python.

Application Process

We invite you to complete our application form and submit your CV and a cover letter (maximum two-pages) describing your experience in leading teams of researchers in development research projects, as well as your experience in leading an organization, department, or program, including financial and operational management.

We will contact successful applicants to discuss next steps. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply ASAP.