Research and Evaluation Analyst

Role Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Research and Evaluation Analyst to join our team. This role is central to generating evidence that informs program design, implementation, and learning. The Analyst will lead the design and execution of rigorous research studies, support evaluation activities, and collaborate with internal teams to ensure that insights from research are effectively integrated into program strategies and decision-making.

• Lead the design and implementation of rigorous qualitative and quantitative research to assess program relevance, effectiveness, and impact.
• Support evaluation activities including baseline, midline, and endline studies, and contribute to outcome and impact assessments.
• Collaborate with M&E and program teams to align research with monitoring frameworks and promote evidence-based learning and decision-making.
• Coordinate field research, stakeholder engagement, and strategic support to ensure research insights inform program design, implementation, and reporting.

Key Responsibilities

1. Research Design and Implementation

• Develop research frameworks and methodologies tailored to program needs.
• Lead the design and execution of qualitative and quantitative research studies to assess program relevance, effectiveness, and impact.
• Collaborate with the Head of Research and Evaluation and program teams to develop research tools, protocols, and ethical guidelines.
• Analyze data using appropriate statistical and qualitative analysis tools.
• Prepare high-quality reports, briefs, and presentations for internal and external audiences, highlighting key findings and recommendations.

2. Evaluation Support

• Lead the design and implementation of baseline, midline, and endline evaluations, with guidance from the Head of Research.
• Develop and refine evaluation tools and indicators aligned with program goals.
• Support the development of theories of change and logic models.
• Contribute to outcome and impact assessments using mixed-method approaches.
• Organize and facilitate field research trips to program sites, ensuring quality and consistency in data collection.
• Assist in coordinating and supervising field assistants and enumerators, providing training and oversight to ensure ethical and accurate data collection.

3. Collaboration and Learning

• Work closely with the M&E Officer to align research activities with monitoring frameworks and ensure complementarity between routine data and in-depth studies.
• Use monitoring data to identify areas for further investigation and support evidence-based decision-making.
• Participate in learning agenda development and adaptive management processes.
• Identify and document case studies and best practices that demonstrate program impact and innovation.
• Contribute to learning products and knowledge-sharing initiatives across the organization through reports, presentations, and learning events.

4. Investment Analysis & Market Research

• Support market research and industry analysis in target sectors and geographies, to assess demand, competitive landscape, and scalability of ventures.
• Share relevant research findings that inform investment decisions and market understanding.
• Provide inputs on impact measurement frameworks, ensuring alignment with organizational learning goals.
• Monitor performance of existing portfolio investments against financial and impact metrics.
• Develop and implement impact measurement frameworks to track and evaluate social outcomes.
• Conduct field visits and stakeholder interviews to gather market intelligence and validate impact claims.
• Analyse program data to assess the effectiveness of Foundation investments in driving social change.
• Prepare reports and dashboards for stakeholders, highlighting key financial and impact insights.

5. Strategic and Operational Support

• Provide evidence-based input for proposal development and reporting.
• Engage with stakeholders to present findings and gather feedback.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to support joint research initiatives and share findings.
• Provide technical support to program teams to integrate research insights into planning and implementation.
• Contribute to the development of internal guidelines and toolkits for research and evaluation.

Behavioral Competencies

• Ability to work with results-orientations and efficiency in a multi-tasking environment.
• Ability to be creative and innovative in generating new ideas and undertaking research.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• High level of professionalism, work ethics, integrity and data collection analysis and reporting
• Good writing and reporting skills.
• Fluent in Amharic and English.
• Commitment, ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Willingness to travel to designated program locations.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social sciences, Development Studies, Public Health, Statistics, or related field .
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in research, evaluation, or MEAL roles.
• Strong skills in research design, data analysis, and report writing and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in statistical and qualitative analysis software (e.g., SPSS, STATA, NVivo).
• Knowledge of development sector trends and evidence-based programming.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and provide strategic insights.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.