Senior Research Associate

JOB TITLE: Senior Research Associate

PROGRAM: Thematic Area II

REPORTING TO: Executive Director

LOCATION: Nairobi, Kenya

JOBS SUPERVISED: Program Manager/ Strategic Operations Lead; Technical Specialist lead

ASSIGNMENT LENGTH: One year renewable for up to 3 years based on performance and funding

availability.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Consortium Coordinator (CC) at Population Council - Kenya (PC-Kenya) will lead a multi-partner consortium supporting Mastercard Foundation’s impact strategy across 35 African countries. This role involves providing strategic leadership, technical oversight, and overall management to ensure the effective delivery of monitoring, evaluation, and program support services across the Foundation’s key platforms. The CC will manage relationships with the Foundation, partners, and oversight bodies; lead the Senior Management Team; oversee workplan development and reporting; and ensure quality, timely outputs. The role also includes supervising senior staff, managing budgets, representing PC-Kenya in external forums, and supporting organizational development and evidence-to-action efforts.

Population Council - Kenya (PC-Kenya), a non-profit organization registered in Kenya, is leading an inter-regional consortium of Function-Oriented Impact Partner Organizations (IPOs). The IPO supports Mastercard Foundation’s Impact Strategy by conducting impact measurement and evaluation activities, in addition to supporting program design and learnings across the Foundation’s three program platforms, namely, the Pan-Africa Program (PANA), Education and Transitions (E&T), and Special Programs (SP). The IPO specifically works across 35 countries in Africa to support the Foundation and its partners through:

1. Impact Technical Delivery, which includes robust monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) processes that entail assessing the progress of programs in advancing the Foundation's charitable goals of financial inclusion and youth education, as well as achieving set targets across the various programmatic platforms.
2. Program Support, that entails developing strategies tailored to the unique needs of the Foundation’s partners and program participants through extensive evidence reviews, needs assessments, and participatory design methods to ensure interventions are designed to achieve impact in line with specific platform strategies and the Foundation’s charitable purpose.

The Consortium Coordinator (CC) will serve as the lead of the IPO Consortium, providing strategic leadership, technical direction, and overall management to ensure the successful delivery of consortium objectives. With the support of the Program Manager/ Strategic Operations and Technical Specialist leads, the CC will oversee the establishment and functioning of key governance and oversight structures, ensuring effective coordination and quality control across all consortium activities. The CC will act as the primary liaison between the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Oversight Committee, and Mastercard Foundation, managing senior-level relationships and communications.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provide overall leadership and technical guidance to ensure the successful execution and management of the consortium’s activities.
2. Provide overall strategic direction to align consortium activities with the Foundation’s objectives and charitable goals.
3. Lead the Senior Management Team and manage activities implemented by all the unit leads.
4. Lead the management and mitigation of risks and continuously assess and lead improvements of the consortium’s efficiency and effectiveness in implementation of activities.
5. Ensure that project activities are on track and on budget, and are being ethically implemented with due consideration for appropriate safeguarding principles.
6. Oversee monthly reporting from consortium partners, and quarterly and annual reporting to the Foundation.
7. Manage and supervise the consortium workplan development, coordination and execution.
8. Ensure quality and timely delivery of all outputs and review and approve all deliverables due to the Foundation.
9. Ensure that all activities are compliant with Mastercard Foundation’s and PC-Kenya's policies, procedures and best practices.
10. Ensure that the consortium meets programmatic and financial targets.
11. Manage IPO relationship with the Foundation, its implementing partners, program participants, and the consortium oversight committee.
12. Provide direct supervision to the Program Manager/ Strategic Operations lead and the Technical Specialist lead.
13. Represent PC-Kenya at external forums and meetings with the consortium partners, the Foundation, its implementing partners and program participants.
14. Perform related duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications & Experience:

• PhD Degree in demography, epidemiology, economics, public health, health policy, or other related field and minimum 10 years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated ability to design and manage multi-country projects and experience working across multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Proficiency in:
  • Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies; knowledge and experience in evolving evaluation approaches is desirable, including systems-level evaluations.
  • Data management, analysis and synthesis (using Commcare, STATA and/ or other data management and analysis software) and demonstrated capacity to synthesize information from large and multiple datasets and/or sources.
• Experience leading a consortium of three or more partners.
• Strong interpersonal skills including:
  • Experience interacting with external partners (e.g., policy makers, researchers, donors, practitioners, communities), and using data and evidence to effect change, and to spur resource mobilization
  • Ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with donors and other strategic partners.
  • High influencing and persuasive skills, and ability to quickly and effectively build relationships with team members and stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, including ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of audiences, and to translate technical information for non-technical audiences; ability to communicate in French is desirable.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision and as part of a team in a multi-cultural environment.
• Keen attention to detail, with a proven ability to handle multiple responsibilities at one time, successfully prioritize tasks, produce flawless deliverables, and meet deadlines.

Attitudes & Attributes:

• Flexible, self-motivated, collaborative, with a team player attitude.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines while maintaining a positive attitude and providing exemplary assistance to internal/external stakeholders.
• Results-oriented and committed to excellence.
• Optimistic and resourceful, with strong self-awareness, cultural competence, emotional intelligence, and humility.
• Willingness to travel internationally and participate in remote meetings across multiple time zones on a regular basis.

SALARY AND BENEFITS: Compensation aligned to internal scales and commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package includes medical and group life and personal accident insurance available immediately upon hire; provident plan with employer contribution equal to 15% of annual salary, after successful completion of the trial period. We strive to provide an environment of professional growth and development.

Population Council - Kenya (PC-Kenya) seeks to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable and marginalized populations in East Africa and other countries in the region. We support the design, testing, and scale-up of interventions on sexual reproductive health and rights, develop sustainable programme solutions that respond to girls’ educational needs and build their social, economic, and health assets; reduce HIV transmission; prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence; assess various service-integration models; and strengthen evidence for programmes related to unintended pregnancy.

Population Council - Kenya provides equal opportunity; it does not discriminate against any person with regard to age, color, national origin, disability, political belief, religion, marital status, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Decisions on employment are based on an individual’s qualifications as related to the position for which they are being considered. Population Council - Kenya encourages applications from members of underrepresented groups including but not limited to women, people with disabilities, youths, and those from communities with the most to gain from expanded access to sexual and reproductive health services and information. Population Council - Kenya is international in the composition of its board of trustees and its staff, as well as in the nature and deployment of its activities.

How to apply

Qualified candidates should send their resume and cover letter to: jobs-nairobi@popcouncil.org by 3rd October 2025. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and will be required to present a valid Police Clearance Certificate. This is a national position, and only Kenyan nationals will be considered. Population Council - Kenya is an equal opportunity employer.