Research Officer (RRM Project) of the "Rapid Response Mechanism" project in Chemonics Group UK Ltd./ PFRU 2

General information

The Partnership for a Strong Ukraine Phase-2 (PFRU-2) program is a multi-year a donor program implemented under the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth of Nations and Development (MFA) of Great Britain in cooperation with the Ukrainian government. The goal of PFRU-2 is to provide the Ukrainian state with better conditions for managing the inclusive recovery and revival of Ukraine in partnership with civil society and the private sector in the conditions of Russian aggression.

Main tasks and responsibilities (main functions):

The Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) Project Research Specialist within PFRU-2 will be responsible for the leadership, development and implementation of research projects, including data collection, development of research tools to adapt project activities and RRM rationales. The RRM Project Research Specialist will ensure awareness of project activities RRM with data and evidence, as well as their adaptation to the changing, dynamic context in the frontline and border areas of Ukraine.This position requires strong research development skills, strong analytical skills, an understanding of the Ukrainian regional and local context, and the ability to translate complex data into actionable conclusions for various audiences, including PFRU senior management, the RRM project team, financial partners and other stakeholders. The Research Specialist will also play an important role in coordinating activities with the cross-cutting experiential learning, adaptation and policy (LAP) component to ensure the integration of gender equality, people with disabilities, social inclusion (GEDSI) and data quality standards. budget forecasting, work with PMO365 and other coordination and administrative tasks.

Specific duties of this position:

• Lead (individually or in a team) the development and implementation of public opinion surveys, community needs assessments, rapid situational analysis to identify urgent needs in frontline communities and adapt RRM activities and interventions.
• Develop data collection tools and analytical frameworks adapted to RRM operational needs, ensuring comparability of areas and target communities, as well as ethical compliance standards.
• Cooperation with the regional division of the PFRU (regional advisers) in the collection of regional and local data in order to ensure consideration inanalysis of local context and knowledge.
• Maintenance and regular updating of research databases and visualization tools (PowerBI Dashboard, ArcGIS) with an emphasis on RRM target communities and in close coordination with the research unit, including a GIS specialist, and the regional PFRU unit.
• Supporting the process of identification and prioritization of vulnerable frontline communities, the process of reassessment based on the database target areas of RRM depending on the dynamics of the front line and the security situation.
• In cooperation with RRM, integration of research data and key findings into the planning of emergency assistance measures, ensuring their consistency with the needs of local communities.
• In close cooperation with GEDSI contact persons, ensuring inclusive data collection and analysis with special emphasis on vulnerable categories (women, IDPs, elderly, children, people with disability, etc.).
• Participation in inter-project experiential learning by sharing the results of RRM research in order to take them into account in strategic projects as a whole and the geographical strategy of PFRU.
• Participation in the development of monitoring systems and experiential learning in order to evaluate the effectiveness of RRM interventions.
• Support of the general administrative processes of the PFRU research unit as a whole, including the main research tracker and management data.
• Performance of other analytical or coordination tasks on the instructions of the manager in order to ensure timely and effective implementation of project activities of PFRU-2, RRM and other projects of the program.

Key competencies:

For the successful performance of duties, the specialist (rank) will actively use each of the following key competencies. To effectively support his/her team, he/she will use:

• analytical and critical thinking
• research and evaluation expertise
• attention to detail and data accuracy
• project and time management
• cross-team coordination and adaptive communication skills
• analysis and visualization data
• technical writing and reporting skills
• ethical, inclusive, culturally sensitive research practices

Qualifications:

• Master's degree or higher in in social, political science, humanities or related field.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in applied research, monitoring, or analytical functions, preferably in stabilization, humanitarian aid, or development programs.
• Proven experience working with research that uses mixed methods, conducting rapid evaluations, public opinion polls.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills; project and data management skills, knowledge of various data visualization tools (PowerBI, ArcGIS, Figma or similar); knowledge of SPSS or R preferred.
• Proven experience in project management (including PMO365) and team leadership.
• Experience working in conflict or high-risk environments and understanding of the local social and political context in Ukraine.
• Knowledge of GEDSI integration principles and ethical data collection in humanitarian or stabilization contexts.
• Strong skills in effectively presenting complex research findings as technical and non-technical audiences, as well as strong cross-cultural communication and sensitivity skills.
• Experience in the stabilization or humanitarian aid sectors is highly desirable.
• Experience of managing projects funded by the UK Foreign Office (or other donors) would be an advantage.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, coordinate with other teams, meet tight deadlines and maintain quality work under pressure.
• Must be fluent in English and Ukrainian (written and spoken).

Place of work:

Kyiv (Ukraine)

Subordination:

The research specialist of the "Rapid Response Mechanism" project will report to the Senior Research Manager(s) (of the "Governance and Service Restoration" project).

Term of employment / LOE:

This position is full-time employment.

Application Details:

Apply via the following link by December 4th. For roles requiring knowledge of the English language, English-language resumes are preferred (but not required). We encourage applications from people with disabilities. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Please do not call. Chemonics will contact the finalists. 

PFRU-2 Recruitment - Candidate Application

Background 

The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine – Phase 2 (PFRU-2) is a multi-year, multi-donor funded program managed by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and governed in collaboration with the Government of Ukraine. PFRU-2's aim is toset improved conditions for the Ukrainian state, in partnership with civil society and the private sector, to lead on inclusive national recovery and revitalization in the context of Russia’s aggression.

Principal Services and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

The Research Officer to the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) Strategic Project at PFRU-2 will be responsible for leading, designing and executing research projects, including data collection, research tools development, and to inform the RRM project activities and interventions. The Research Officer for the RRM will ensure that the RRM project interventions are grounded in data and evidence and responsive to the evolving and dynamically changing context across the frontline and border areas of Ukraine. This role requires strong research design skills, advanced analytical skills, understanding of Ukraine’s regional and local contexts, and the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights for various audiences, including PFRU’s senior leadership, RRM project team, financing partners and other stakeholders. The Research Officer will also play an important role in coordination with cross-cutting teams (LAP), ensuring GEDSI mainstreaming, maintaining data quality standards. Additionally, the Research Officer will be supporting the Research Team’s internal planning and administrative processes, including maintaining of the Research project master tracker, budgetary forecasts, operating with PMO365 and other coordination and administrative assignments.

Specific responsibilities for the role:

• Lead or co-lead the design and implementation of perception surveys, community needs assessments, and rapid situational analyses to identify urgent needs in the frontline communities and inform RRM’s activity and interventions.
• Develop data collection tools and analytical frameworks tailored to RRM’s operational needs, ensuring comparability across oblasts and target hromadas, and adherence to ethical standards
• Collaborate with PFRU’s Regional team (Regional advisors) in the regional and local data collection to ensure that local contexts and insights are reflected in analysis
• Maintain and regularly update the research databases and visualisation tools (PowerBI Dashboard, ArcGIS) with a focus to RRM’s target hromadas and in close coordination with the Research team, including GIS Specialist, and PFRU Regional team.
• Support the identification and prioritisation of vulnerable frontline hromadas, supporting the data-driven re-assessment of the focus areas for the RRM based on the shifting frontline or security conditions.
• Collaborate with the RRM team to integrate evidence from the research and key findings into deployment planning, ensuring that emergency support aligns with local community needs
• Work closely with the GEDSI focal points to ensure inclusive data collection and analysis,with a particular focus on vulnerable populations (women, IDPs, elderly, children, PwD etc)
• Contribute to cross-project learning, sharing insights from RRM research to inform PFRU’s broader strategic projects and geographic strategy.
• Contribute to the design of monitoring and learning frameworks for assessing the effectiveness of RRM’s interventions.
• Support the overall administration of the core PFRU Research Team, including Research master-tracker maintenance and data management.
• Perform other analytical or coordination tasks as assigned by the manager to ensure the timely and effective implementation of PFRU-2, RRM and other programme projects. 

Core Competencies:

A successful Research Officer will be actively engaged across each of the core competencies listed below. They will effectively support their team by:

• Analytical and critical thinking
• Research and evaluation expertise
• Attention to detail and data accuracy
• Project and time management
• Cross-team coordination and adaptive communication skills
• Data analysis and visualisation
• Technical writing and reporting
• Ethical, inclusive and culturally sensitive research practice

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in social, political sciences, humanitarian studies or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in applied research, monitoring, or analytical functions, preferably within stabilisation, humanitarian, or development programmes.
• Proven experience with mixed-methods research, rapid assessments, and perception surveys.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills; proficiency in project and data management, familiarity with various data visualisation tools (PowerBI, ArcGIS, Figma, or similar); familiarity with SPSS or R is desirable.
• Proven past experience in project management (including PMO365) and team leadership.
• Experience working in conflict-affected or high-risk environments and understanding of local social and political contexts in Ukraine.
• Knowledge of GEDSI integration and ethical data collection principles in humanitarian or stabilisation contexts.
• Strong ability to communicate complex research findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences, with strong cross-cultural communication skills and sensitivity.
• Experience working in stabilisation or humanitarian sectors is highly desirable.
• Experience managing FCDO-funded (or other donor-funded) projects will be an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, coordinate activities with other teams, meet tight deadlines, and maintain quality under pressure.
• Fluency in English and Ukrainian (written and spoken) is required.

Location:

Kyiv, Ukraine

Reporting:

Research Officer (RRM Project) will report to Senior Research Manager (Governance and Service Recovery Project).

Duration of Assignment / LOE:

This is a full-time position.

Application Details: 

Apply using the following link by December 4th. For roles requiring English language skills, English language CVs are preferred (but not required). We encourage to apply people with disabilities. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. No telephone inquiries, please. Chemonics will contact finalists. 

PFRU-2 Recruitment - Candidate Application