Head Of Research, Reflection

Overview ENVIRONMENT: LEAD research programmes & projects in a relatively new and exciting Innovation & Learning portfolio as the next Head of Research, Reflection & Evaluating sought by a Community Upliftment Programme based in Johannesburg. You will explore and seek new knowledge and introducing what's valuable to the programme appropriately, manage research & evaluation assets while designing appropriate (often mixed methods) approaches and adapting these over time. Applicants will require a Masters Degree or equivalent with relevant experience, preferably PhD with practical experience with at least 8 years' relevant and diverse experience in complex organisational-systemic contexts incl. 4 years in senior role(s) successfully leading functions and managing teams. You must also have experience of social impact initiatives, programmes and / or organisations, thoughtful familiarity with M&E / MEL / MERL approaches and practices & a track record of, and strong appetite for, seeing patterns and building coherence amid complexity. Duties Leading and developing approach(es) to identifying, creating, nurturing and sharing knowledge (know-how & know-that) for use across the network and ecosystem – Explore and seek new knowledge and introducing what's valuable to the programme appropriately. Collaboratively question key assumptions. Collaboratively identify, create, and package knowledge for use & sharing – Lead an asset-based orientation to knowledge. Create, distil and / or package knowledge from people's experience and expertise, with an orientation towards people's agency & diversity, and "positive deviance". Co-create the network-wide conditions for more deeply reflective practice and evaluative thinking (with the rest of the Innovation & Learning portfolio) - Reflective practice: asking questions & questioning assumptions about one's own work and ways of working (standing on the balcony outside the dance, double loop learning, reflexivity, etc.). Evaluative thinking: "an attitude of inquisitiveness and a belief in the value of evidence"... Leading and developing approach(es) to researching and evaluating - Lead and manage an iterative, multi-question, multi-year agenda focused on use / utilisation. Build wider understanding across the programme of the nature and value of questioning, researching & evaluating — incl. evaluating as integral to practice; and research as informed by & informing practice. Lead the programme using research in evaluating and using both in learning. Build and sustain research-practice partnerships to realise the programme's approach. Manage research & evaluation assets. Researching: Curiously and creatively formulate, prioritise, and inquire into questions with appropriate discipline(s) and diligence — yielding conclusions and new questions. Evaluating: "Any systematic process to judge merit, worth or significance by combining evidence and values". More specifically : "Evaluation science is systematic inquiry into how, and how well, interventions aimed at changing the world work." Leading scoping, designing and managing research and evaluation programmes and projects – Design appropriate (often mixed methods) approaches and adapting these over time. Develop appropriate terms of reference and requests for proposal for independent evaluations. Lead and manage research and / or evaluation programmes and / or projects. Conduct research and / or evaluations. Requirements Qualifications Minimum Masters Degree or equivalent with relevant experience; preferably PhD with practical experience. Experience / Skills Min. 8 years' relevant and diverse experience in complex organisational-systemic contexts incl. Min. 4 years in senior role(s) successfully leading functions and managing teams. Experience of social impact initiatives, programmes and / or organisations. Comfort and confidence leading sophisticated research and evaluations. People-and-user-centered approaches to research and evaluating. Thoughtful familiarity with M&E / MEL / MERL approaches and practices. A track record of, and strong appetite for, seeing patterns and building coherence amid complexity. Advantageous – Fluency in one or more African languages. Proficiency in / with – Tools suited to relevant research methods. Developmental evaluation. #J-18808-Ljbffr