PSI Research & Metrics (R&M) seeks a Deputy Director for New Initiatives and Capacity Building to be based in Washington, DC. The Deputy Director will develop and manage the launch of new marketing research strategies and will oversee capacity building in PSI’s research competencies. The goal and purpose of the position is to respond to field-based research needs, improve stakeholder satisfaction with researchers’ work, and ensure that training objectives for the R&M Department are met. The position will require travel (about 20-25% of time) and reports to the Director of Research & Metrics. PSI Research & Metrics aims to improve the performance of PSI interventions through multi-disciplinary research, monitoring and evaluation on populations and markets. For more information, please visit:
http://psi.org/resources/research-metrics.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Deputy Director will:
- Supervise research staff, including those based in Washington DC, located in the field and at universities, and independent consultants
- Develop and oversee the launch of new marketing research strategies that assist field offices with program design, monitoring, and implementation. Such initiatives include measuring a total market approach (TMA), monitoring sales and distribution systems, profiling product/service users and their source of supply, pretesting interventions and measuring persuasion, and more routinely evaluating the impact of PSI’s interventions
- Participate in interdisciplinary working groups to develop measurement tools that are responsive to stakeholder needs. Existing working groups’ initiatives include the use of new media for message dissemination and data collection, improved communication strategies and measures of impact, performance-based financing, and social franchising
- Work with New Business Development (NBD) and other proposal writers to ensure that monitoring and evaluation plans and the research methods written into proposals are appropriate, needed, and responsive to country platforms’ needs
- Serve as working paper series and publications editor
- Develop a global annual capacity building plan for research staff, country office staff, and staff based at PSI/Washington
- Develop innovative approaches for training research staff, country office staff, and staff based at PSI/Washington in PSI’s research methods and competencies. Approaches may include distance learning, mentorship programs, peer-led strategies, or other methods amenable to international settings. Adaptation of existing tools and development of new tools is required as well as collaboration with other capacity building departments, technical departments, and projects;
- Deliver trainings in PSI’s research methods and competencies, and identify other qualified facilitators to provide similar trainings
- Create and update R&M training Tool Kits as necessary
- Design a monitoring system to track the completion of and effectiveness of capacity building strategies; provide feedback to stakeholders on participants’ performance
- Serve as R&M Department champion for adult learning theory and build capacity of the team to deliver trainings and technical assistance in a learner-centered approach
- Identify opportunities external to PSI to build capacity of Research & Metrics team
- Document lessons learned and deliver presentations to internal and external stakeholders
- Provide technical assistance to PSI stakeholders as requested
QUALIFICATIONS:
- PhD or DrPH in public health, sociology, population studies, communications or a related field; a Masters degree with significant professional experience is also acceptable
- Seven to 10 years of professional experience, including experience in management and capacity building
- Supervisory experience in a research setting (preference given to applied/action-oriented research)
- Experience managing simultaneous projects and developing capacity of country-level research staff
- Experience developing state-of-the-art research training tools and materials for a variety of contexts, learning curves and needs
- Skills in qualitative and quantitative research; experience in marketing research a plus
- Experience designing online/e-learning training materials a plus
- Ability to travel up to 25% of the time internationally
- Excellent organizational, interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
Preference will be given to candidates with work experience in low and middle income countries, knowledge of public health issues and social marketing product, ability to speak French, Spanish, or Portuguese, and/or familiarity with the international donor development community.
