Data Collection and Management Officer
This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to impactful development projects in Ethiopia while gaining valuable experience in data collection and field research within a UN organization. The position offers exposure to diverse sectors, cross-cultural collaboration, and professional development opportunities in data management and project support.
Location: Addis Ababa (with travel to project locations)
Organization: UNOPS
Deadline: 16-Dec-2025
Job Description
General Information
- Position Title : Data Collection and Management Officer
- Job Category : Monitoring and Evaluation
- Duty Station(s) : Addis Ababa
- Seniority Level : Associate
- ICS Level : ICS 08
- Contract Type : ICA – LICA – Specialist – Retainer
- Contract Level : LICA 8
- Posting End Date : 16-Dec-2025
- Duration : One year, initially and renewable based on satisfactory performance and budget availability
About the Region
The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.
About the Country/Multi-Country Office
Based in Addis Ababa, the Horn of Africa Multi-Country Office (HAMCO) delivers project management, procurement, and infrastructure services across Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan, with a primary focus on health, agriculture, and economic development. Established in 2009, HAMCO partners with governments and development stakeholders to implement impactful, results-driven initiatives that contribute to sustainable development. Since 2024, new projects have been aimed at expanding access to healthcare, education, energy, and livelihoods, particularly in underserved and conflict-affected regions.
HAMCO also provides human resource management services, supporting the effective implementation of development initiatives. Key efforts include equipping research facilities, strengthening education and health systems, building vaccine research capacity, and enhancing resilience in communities affected by crisis. Through these interventions, HAMCO contributes to inclusive growth, regional stability, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Horn of Africa.
Job Specific Context
This position operates within a dynamic project environment, supporting data collection activities across various sectors in Ethiopia. The position requires travel to designated locations for fieldwork. The role is essential to ensuring accurate and timely data collection for project monitoring and evaluation, contributing to the effective implementation of UNOPS projects and initiatives.
Role Purpose
Reporting to the M&E Specialist, the Data Collection and Management Officer will gather, clean, and aggregate data for reports and analysis in support of specialists and managers. The role involves applying fundamental concepts to support project design and making initial recommendations based on straightforward analysis. The duty station will be Addis Ababa (with travel to project locations).
Functions / Key Results Expected
1. Data Collection, Recording and Reporting
- Participate in mandatory training sessions on assessment methodology, data collection tools, ethical guidelines, and data quality assurance protocols.
- Assist in the pretesting of the data collection instruments
- Participate in data collection tool development, refinement and finalisation
- Understand and strictly adhere to the UNOPS ethical standards in data collection, including protocols, confidentiality, informed consent, and respondent safety.
- Travel to designated locations, including health facilities, schools, project sites, households, patients, students, officials and communities, as per the established work plan.
- Conduct individual in-depth interviews, focus group discussions,key informant interviews and/or observations of procedures, activities, behavior with various respondents using pre-designed and standardized data collection tools.
- Accurately record all responses and observations in the designated format, whether paper-based or digital.
- As required documents observations with pictures, video or voice recordings.
- Transcribe qualitative data accurately and in a timely manner
- Document meticulously the data collection process and report experiences ( challenges, shortcomings, opportunities, …) which may affect the data analysis process and final result.
- Summarise, analyse and write concise reports of collected data as required.
- Conduct site-level observations, checking the availability and status of infrastructure, equipment supplied, supplies installed, and services relevant to the sector being assessed.
2. Data Quality Assurance and Reporting
- Identify and report any challenges encountered during data collection, including inconsistencies, non-responses, or technical issues, to the Assessment Coordinator/Team Leader in a timely manner.
- As required ( assigned) supervise other data collectors diligence
- Participate in daily debriefing sessions with the assessment team to review progress and address any issues.
- Maintain strict confidentiality of all collected data and information related to the project.
- Adhere to all security and safety protocols established for fieldwork.
- Perform data cleaning on site and after collection
- Perform sample data verification
3. Deliverables
- Submit completed and quality-assured data collection forms/records for all assigned locations/respondents.
- Submit completed and quality-assured data collection forms/records for all assigned locations/respondents.
- Ensure timely submission of all collected data, as per the agreed schedule.
- Maintain regular communication with the Assessment Coordinator/Team Leader on progress and challenges.
- A comprehensive field level report detailing the data collection process followed, challenges encountered, lessons learned, and recommendations for future assessments.
Skills
- Communication, Data Analysis, Data Collection, Report Writing, Time Management.
Education Requirements
Required
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Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field such as Public Health, Statistics, Education, Agriculture, Engineering, or a related discipline.
Experience Requirements
Required
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A minimum of 2 years relevant work experience in general data collection, field research, or similar activities
Desired
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Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
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Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.
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Experience using mobile data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox, ODK).
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Experience in collecting data for one or more of the following sectors: Health, Education, Agriculture, Infrastructure, WASH, Energy, Humanitarian, and Social Development/Disaster Reduction.
Languages
- Fluency in other local languages (e.g., Somali, Afaan Oromo, Tigrigna) relevant to the duty station is an asset.
- Language Requirements
