JOB PURPOSE.

Lead World Vision's applied research, evidence generation and learning translation function, using child data across the partnership - Annual Impact Measurement (AIM/AIM+), programme monitoring, evaluations, operational research and commissioned studies - to produce decision-useful, externally credible evidence. The role commissions and leads applied research, evidence synthesis and university partnerships; translates findings into actionable learning and strategic insight; and ensures evidence informs programme quality, fundraising, policy influence and senior leadership decisions. Child Data Analytics & Insights retains ownership of analytics, dashboards, data products and analytical services.

KEY RESPONSIBILITES

Applied Research, Evidence Synthesis & Child Data Insights

• Lead applied research and evidence synthesis using child data from AIM/AIM+, programme monitoring, evaluations, operational research, commissioned studies and other evidence sources.
• Deliver the annual AIM/AIM+ insight narrative as a research/learning product, translating WVI’s Global Strategy - Our Promise, Phase 3 (OP3) and senior-leadership questions into answerable research questions, data stories and decision-use products.
• Commission and/or lead secondary analyses of the 400,000+ household AIM data set and other datasets to generate cross-country insights across child wellbeing, resilience, vulnerability, equity and integrated sector outcomes.
• Set interpretation standards for child-data research, including methods, uncertainty, claim boundaries, reproducibility and responsible use of sensitive data.
• Coordinate with Design Monitoring Evidence Accountability and Learning (DMEAL) and data governance on data availability, quality, extracts and analytical constraints.

OP3 Applied Research Portfolio & Commissioned Studies

• Translate the OP3 research agenda into a sequenced portfolio of studies across Integrated Child Wellbeing Pathways, Christian Faith/Spiritual Nurture/Child Flourishing, Climate Stress and Child Resilience, Long-Term Community Transformation, and Local-to-Global Systems Transformation.
• Commission, scope, lead and quality assure research studies, evidence syntheses, secondary analyses, mixed-methods, ex-post/longitudinal and quasi-experimental or comparative designs.
• Ensure research designs address cross-sector programming questions across health, nutrition, WASH, livelihoods, child protection, resilience, climate, faith and development, systems transformation, and humanitarian/nexus contexts.
• Develop or approve research questions, theories of change, protocols, TORs/RFPs, analysis plans, sampling approaches, ethics/IRB pathways, data-use agreements, publication plans, technical review processes and acceptance criteria.
• Coordinate with Field Office and Regional Office (FO/RO) teams, Support Offices, sector leads, Grants Acquisition and Management (GAM), Advocacy and External Engagement (A&EE), Disaster Management (DM), universities and external researchers so commissioned studies are rigorous, feasible, field-grounded and operationally usable.

External Research Partnerships, Publications & Funding

• Develop university and research-institution partnerships that strengthen methodology, credibility, peer review, publication potential and access to specialists.
• Shape joint research through co-PI models, advisory groups, fellowship/student pipelines, data access protocols, authorship plans, dissemination and workplans.
• Build publication and dissemination pathways, including peer-reviewed outputs, working papers, evidence briefs, donor-facing research products and public learning products.
• Agree partnership scope, deliverables, data-use arrangements, ethical requirements, acceptance criteria and dissemination expectations with legal, data governance, safeguarding and line management as needed.
• Mobilise technical and funding leverage by matching WV data assets, field presence and OP3 priorities with external expertise in child wellbeing, faith and development, health/nutrition, climate, systems and longitudinal research.
• Represent WV research and evidence agenda with academic partners, donors, Support Offices, foundations and external evidence networks.

Learning Translation, Influence & Research Uptake

• Translate research findings and child-data findings into leadership-ready insight products, Research Board materials, executive briefs, donor-facing narratives, programme design implications, influence products and practical learning tools.
• Define an evidence-to-decision pathway for each major research product, identifying the decision owner, intended use, audience, timing, format and measure of uptake before products are commissioned or produced.
• Facilitate interpretation and uptake with programme, sector, FO/RO, Support Offices (SO), GAM, advocacy, communications and senior leadership teams so findings inform design, adaptation, fundraising, policy influence and external positioning.
• Track whether research improves decisions, is used by external actors, or contributes to resource mobilisation, aligned with the OP3 success metrics of impact, influence and income.

  Ensure public-facing and donor-facing evidence claims are accurate, proportionate and defensible.

Research Governance, Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead a leveraged research and learning platform that includes core researchers, Health/Nutrition and Faith/Development research capabilities, commissioned researchers, university partners, sector specialists and time-bound working groups.
• Set the annual workplan, quality standards, technical review cadence, escalation process and product standards for applied research, evidence synthesis, AIM/AIM+ insight narratives and OP3 research outputs.
• Line-manage and/or matrix-manage research staff and consultants as assigned, setting priorities, coaching technical quality, managing delivery and ensuring accountability for outputs.
• Build organisational capability in research commissioning, analysis interpretation, responsible data use, research ethics, evidence translation and use of child data insights for decision-making.
• Ensure responsible data practice, safeguarding, privacy, equity, inclusion and child-sensitive research standards are embedded in study design, analysis, dissemination and data use.

REQUIRED EDUCATION, TRAINING, LICENSE, REGISTRATION, AND/OR CERTIFICATION.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Statistics, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Public Health, Data Science, Economics, Social Sciences, International Development, Evaluation, Implementation Science, or a related research-intensive discipline.
• Formal training in quantitative methods, research design, evaluation, data analysis, or equivalent professional experience.

REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE.

• At least 12 years of progressive experience in applied research, evidence synthesis, impact evaluation, statistics/biostatistics, epidemiology, public health, economics, data science, or development/humanitarian evidence roles, including senior multi-country leadership responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a research and evidence agenda or portfolio across multiple countries, sectors, stakeholders and evidence products.
• Proven technical expertise in quantitative and/or mixed-methods research using large household survey or programme datasets, including sampling, weighting, variance estimation, subgroup/equity analysis, trend or change analysis, and clear articulation of what claims evidence can and cannot support.
• Experience synthesising evidence across multiple data sources, including AIM/AIM+, programme monitoring, evaluations, operational research, grant/sponsorship evidence, external datasets and commissioned studies.
• Experience commissioning and overseeing external research studies, including research questions, TORs/RFPs, protocols, analysis plans, quality assurance, ethical review, data-use agreements, publication plans and dissemination plans.
• Demonstrated experience translating evidence for senior leaders, programme teams, donors, boards and external audiences, including technical writing for non-technical decision-makers.
• Proven ability to work across sectors such as health, nutrition, WASH, livelihoods, child protection, climate/resilience, fragile contexts, humanitarian programming, and faith and development, drawing on sector specialists where required.
• Experience building or managing partnerships with universities, research institutes, donors, foundations or external technical partners.
• Strong applied skills in statistical software and/or data pipelines such as R, Python, Stata, SPSS or equivalent; familiarity with business intelligence tools such as Power BI or equivalent.
• Proven experience leading virtual, matrixed and cross-cultural teams and influencing senior stakeholders without relying solely on direct line authority.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be fluent in English.

TRAVEL AND/OR WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The position requires ability and willingness to travel up to 15% of the time.
• Ability to work effectively in a global, virtual, matrixed environment across time zones.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND/OR OTHER QUALIFICATIONS.

• PhD or doctoral-level research training, or equivalent record of senior applied research leadership, publication and commissioned research oversight.
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications, externally cited research, donor-facing evidence products, policy/influence products, public learning products or equivalent rigorous technical documentation.
• Experience with child wellbeing, public health, nutrition, WASH, livelihoods/resilience, child protection, faith and development, climate, or humanitarian research.
• Experience with longitudinal, ex-post, quasi-experimental, causal inference, econometric, psychometric, index-development, evidence synthesis, or implementation science methods.
• Experience with responsible data governance, data protection, research ethics, IRB processes, safeguarding, and use of personally identifiable or sensitive data.
• Experience securing or shaping research grants, foundation funding, university co-investment, Support Office co-investment, or publication partnerships.
• Working proficiency in a second WV operational language such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, or Arabic.