Senior Research Officer - MSNA

Job Description Roles & Responsibilities POSITION PROFILE This position is situated within the Research Systems Unit (RSU) of the Global Programmes Section. Under the overall guidance of the Research Manager, the RSU supports the delivery of core, multi-sectoral research across IMPACT’s countries of operation. Reporting directly to the MSNA Research & Development (R&D) Specialist (based in Geneva), the Senior Research Officer (SRO) will lead and support various initiatives within the R&D workstream of the Global MSNA Team including, among others, MSNA toolkits and methods, the Multi-Sector Needs Index (MSNI), cross-crisis analysis, mortality & nutrition data modules, and digitalization of workflows.The position is based in Amman in order to keep methodological development close to the responses where MSNAs are implemented at the largest scale, to strengthen day-to-day technical support to country teams in the region and beyond, and to work closely with the Global Data Team (GDT) also based in Amman. FUCNTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES The SRO will support the below core areas of work: MSNA toolkit and methods Lead the update of the MSNA sectoral indicator guidance, in coordination with sectoral specialists, and including making guidance notes fit for a public audience. Lead the development of the clean dataset template and the analysis tables template, taking account of the capacity of lower-resourced country teams. Contribute to the update of the MSNA Global Indicator Bank, the Data Analysis Plan (DAP) template, the KoBo template and checker, and the MSNA sampling guidance, including making relevant resources public. Support the coherence and interoperability of the toolkit across the research cycle, and its adaptation for external audiences and partner organisations. Fill in the gaps of the toolkit by developing additional resources, as needed. MSNA and cross-crisis analysis Develop a revamped Multi-Sector Needs Index (MSNI) guidance note, fit for external audiences, sharing it with other MSNA producers and supporting its uptake. Contribute to MSNI lessons learned from the 2026 cycle, any revisions to the framework, and support its presentation to external stakeholders. Support the production of cross-crisis analysis, including the consolidation and standardization of large country datasets and the processing of related documentation on data collection and sampling methods across countries. Contribute to global MSNA analysis products – quantitative analysis to identify key global trends and findings, and the production of short briefs, dashboards or other similar products for global audiences. Support external engagement with global stakeholders, donors and other REACH partners on MSNI and cross-crisis findings, including website articles, webinars and similar activities. Digitalization, automation and country support Work with the Data Specialist and the Global Data Team on reusable analysis pipelines, the consolidated R package environment (including “Humind”), and the specification of the MSNA Explorer. Contribute to the automation of repetitive MSNA workflows, including review support and KoBo checks. Provide technical support and guidance to REACH MSNA country teams at various stages of the research cycle, including research design and sampling methodologies; data collection planning; data processing, cleaning and management; quantitative data analysis; and the reporting and dissemination of inter-sectoral findings. Provide ad hoc surge support including country deployment up to 20% – remotely and/or through a field deployment, depending on the extent of support required and the specific needs of the country team. Contribute technical content to the Training and Certification Programme, in particular on indicator selection and analysis. Country support and quality assurance (approx. 30%) Act as primary focal point for several MSNA countries according to the MSNA team split per MSNA Cycle. This will involve: monthly check-ins, ad-hoc support throughout the full research cycle ensuring country teams have the resources needed to produce high-quality data and analysis, document reviews, reporting progress and challenges through the MSNA Info Tracker & HQ MSNA meetings, and proactively flagging issues to the wider MSNA team. Support in facilitation of the MSNA CoP and maintaining of the MSNA FAQ and intranet hub Review country outputs against the MSNA minimum requirements at each phase of the cycle – ToRs, DAPs, KoBo tools, clean datasets, analysis, MSNI frameworks and bulletins – in coordination with the research quality assurance and sectoral units. Key deliverables in the first 12 months Lead the revision and publication of key MSNA toolkit components, including sectoral guidance notes, technical templates and resources, ensuring coherence, usability, and accessibility for both REACH and external MSNA producers. Under the guidance of the R&D Specialist, prioritise and implement any methodological revisions to the MSNI Analytical framework, develop internal and external guidance & training materials to support the establishment and implementation of a standardized analytical framework and delivery of key metrics by country teams for the 2027 cycle. Support the R&D Specialist with the development, documentation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of a data pipeline that consolidates, harmonizes, validates, and processes MSNA datasets from multiple countries, enabling efficient comparative analysis, global reporting, including year-on-year trends analysis, and integration with the web-based MSNA Explorer. Advance the automation of key MSNA workflows, in particular the MSNI, and provide technical support to country teams throughout the research cycle, including research design, sampling, data management, analysis, and reporting, while contributing technical content to the MSNA Training and Certification Programme. Desired Candidate Profile REQUIREMENTS Excellent academic qualifications, including Master's degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. development, humanitarian studies, international relations, research methods, social sciences, statistics). At least 2 years of experience in the humanitarian sector and/or field-based roles in fragile or development contexts. Experience with designing and implementing primary research, in particular large-scale quantitative surveys and/or humanitarian needs assessments. Solid understanding of statistical concepts and methods, including sampling. Advanced proficiency in R and/or Python for data processing, analysis and reproducible workflows is required for this position; familiarity with version control (Git) and with R package development is a strong asset. Experience developing, testing or otherwise working with multidimensional indices based on quantitative data to summarize multiple data points into easily digestible information an asset. Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting, including the ability to explain methodological choices to non-technical audiences. Strong interpersonal skills, including good external engagement and coordination skills. Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility. Ability and willingness to engage in short term field deployments, including to complex and challenging security environments. Fluency in English required; proficiency in Arabic, French, or Spanish an asset. Familiarity with the humanitarian system and global humanitarian policy frameworks, in particular the Grand Bargain, the HPC and the JIAF. Experience with mortality and/or nutrition survey methods (e.g. SMART) an asset. Prior experience leading the design or implementation of MSNAs an asset. Familiarity with GIS principles and experience using GIS software an asset (e.g., ArcGIS, R, and/or QGIS). Ability to operate InDesign, a strong plus. Company Industry NGOSocial ServicesCommunity ServicesNon-Profit Department / Functional Area R&DResearch & Development Keywords Senior Research Officer - MSNA Get real-time job updates only on our App