Position Information

Job Title

Research Technical Advisor Global Ctr DWC

Do you want to use your research skills to address pressing education and development issues facing children and adolescents? Are you motivated by working with practitioners to ensure that they can use data and evidence to improve their programs for children and adolescents? If yes, come join us at the University of Notre Dame's (UND) Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child (GC-DWC). Our team collaborates with researchers and practitioners to ensure the well-beingphysical, emotional, social, and cognitiveof children and adolescents in low-resource and fragile settings. The GC-DWCworks with practitioners and policymakers to create environments that foster resilience and encourage children and adolescents in low-resource and adverse contexts globally to thrive. Using an innovative whole child development approach tailored to context-specific realities, GC-DWCtranslates research into action, creates research tools to improve program learning and policy action, and activates systems (families, schools, communities) to help children and adolescents thrive.

We are looking for a Research Technical Advisor to join our team and support the research activities that are part of the Supporting Holistic and Actionable Research in Education (SHARE) activity.SHAREis a cooperative agreement by USAID's Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation/Center for Education (DDI/EDU) toUNDthat aims to advance USAID's global education learning priorities focused on foundational skills development, education in crisis and conflict, youth workforce development, and higher education. WithinUND, this Activity is being led by the Pulte Institute for Global Development (Pulte) alongside the Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child (GC-DWC).

SHAREconducts primary research in low-resource and fragile contexts in the majority world in partnership with research institutions based in the country where the research is being conducted.SHAREleverages the demonstrated strengths of local partners while offering partners the opportunity to strengthen research capacities through mentorship and accompaniment. It fortifies linkages between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to ensure research is designed to meet the knowledge needs of decision-makers and promote the movement of evidence to action, creating transformational change in educational and research landscapes.

During the next phase ofSHARE, the research will pivot to a focus on implementation research through multi-country, small-grant, and buy-in studies; beyond simply understanding what works,SHAREwill work with current education programs to understand how and why programs are effective, for whom, at what cost, and how programs can be equitably scaled. The Research Technical Advisor will be pivotal in these efforts, expanding theSHAREteam's technical expertise on applied implementation research, supporting partners to determine the mechanisms of implementation research studies, and collaborating with diverse stakeholders to align timelines and expectations to conduct this research. The Research Technical Advisor will also lead technical discussions across theSHAREmanagement and technical teams and withUSAIDMissions and local partners, providing design and quality control for research opportunities. The Research Technical Advisor will report directly to the GC-DWCDirector for Research and work closely with wider staff and faculty at GC-DWCand Pulte.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Technical leadership for research activities (60%)

• Lead and support implementation research studies through multi-country, small-grant, and/or buy-in mechanisms as part ofSHARE
• Develop and oversee the use of practical, contextualized, evidence-based assessments and research protocols
• Develop and lead the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, in collaboration with r search partners
• Supervise assessor training, data collection, analysis, and report writing with research partners
• Ensure clear, timely, and respectful communication of roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders involved in a study
• Incorporate the feedback of partners and colleagues into all stages of the research
• Build and maintain collaborative and respectful research partnerships through the work being conducted

Knowledge management and dissemination (25%)

• Lead the preparation of research reports and briefers for technical and non-technical audiences
• Manage the preparation of study-specific presentations
• Help organize and participate in learning events, workshops, and conferences
• Co-design strategic workshops withSHAREstaff for stakeholders includingUSAIDMissions
• Coordinate the preparation of study-specific journal manuscripts
• Incorporate the feedback of partners and colleagues into products for dissemination
• Ensure collaborative inclusion of partners and colleagues in knowledge management and dissemination activities

Capacity exchange and strategic planning (15%)

• As needed, provide training, support, and mentorship to ensure partners can play an integral part in study design, data analysis, and report writing
• Identify and recognize research partners' relative research/technical strengths and facilitate opportunities for these partners to strengthen theSHAREresearch process as well as strengthen the capacity of theUNDteam and/or other partner teams
• Support theSHAREMonitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Director in the implementation of the project's overall monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems
• Collaborate withUNDcolleagues and in-country research partners to discuss and design new research and funding opportunities

Advanced degree in education, international development, or a related field;

5+ years experience designing education research studies in the majority world; focus on implementation research preferred;

Experience in conducting and supervising research in low-resource and/or fragile settings;

Strong preparation in quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed methods approaches;

Experience working with statistical software (e.g.; Stata, R), qualitative data analysis software (e.g.; Dedoose, NVivo), and digital data collection platforms (e.g.;ODK, Kobo Toolbox);

Demonstrated ability to be self-organized, take initiative, provide creative solutions, navigate complex research situations, and keep track of multiple deadlines/priorities;

Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to