Job Responsibilities: Associate Research Manager, Impacts
Fixed term contract (10 months - full time)
Location | London, UK or Bangalore India (with travel required to London)
Role summary
This is an exciting, short-term research-focussed role that will provide critical project management and research support to a number of research-based projects along with day-to-day implementation support for our 2018 research and evidence-work plan.
ISEAL represents the global movement of sustainability standards, and includes many of the leading standards and certification schemes worldwide such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, Marine Stewardship Council, Forest Stewardship Council, Better Cotton and many others. Our vision is a world in which social, environmental and economic sustainability is the normal condition of business. Please find out more about us on our website www.iseal.org.
One of ISEAL’s strategic priorities in the 2017-20 period is to ‘Measure and Share Impacts’ and aim that ‘by 2020, ISEAL will be the go-to source for trustworthy, compelling information about standards’ impacts and business value.’ In 2018, our priorities will be to consolidate the work around our research and evidence works streams to deliver a range of research-based outputs on priority thematic issues that respond to user information needs around sustainability standards. We will continue efforts to create more accessible and user-friendly evidence products such as infographics and audience-specific briefing papers and leverage our networks and channels to get through key messages to target groups.
ISEAL is looking for an experienced, proactive and diligent candidate, preferably with prior research experience, to support the implementation of our 2018 research and evidence work plan. This is an important role that will provide critical project management support ongoing research-based projects at ISEAL , seeing two projects through from start to finish, along with day-to-day implementation support for other activities in the work plan. The role will provide opportunities to build on a candidate´s existing knowledge in the field of research and evidence-building on sustainability standards and increase skills through a range of strategic project management and coordination activities that the post holder will be responsible for. It will also require a fair level of independent working and delivery of specific research activities such as delivery of a webinar series, production of some research outputs and event conceptualisation and management.
To be considered for this role, you will get satisfaction from seeing projects through from start to finish and have strong project management experience with a proven track record of administrative, logistics, event organising, financial and content support. In addition, you will have strong analytical and comprehension skills, and have the ability to conduct background research and creativity to transform research into effective communication outputs. You will be confident to step in and take over the delivery of ongoing projects and deliver results in a highly professional demeanour. Ideally, you will be familiar with project/task management related platforms such as Salesforce, Mendeley, Slack, Trello and knowledge of research-based tools will be a real bonus. You are excited about the prospect of supporting ISEAL´s research and evidence work at this critical time, have a friendly and professional demeanour, and a keen interest in research on sustainability. You will be familiar with and demonstrate work experience in sustainability-related fields such as conservation, livelihoods, small holder agriculture, labour and working rights and/or specifically on sustainability standards.
Responsibilities
Project Management
- Coordinate and project manage research-linked activities and deliverables associated with the DIPI (Demonstrating and Improving Poverty Impacts) project – especially management of three impact evaluation studies and work on collective reporting.
- Lead in the coordination of the Global Impacts Platform project providing support to the Impacts Manager, Director or Senior Advisor (based on project activity) in delivery of all project activities. This includes supporting project governance, contract management, financial and donor reporting, stakeholder communications, development of briefing sheets and short reports and coordination internally with other teams as needed.
- Manage consultants / research teams implementing the above project components with guidance from the Impacts Manager, Senior Advisor or Director (based on activity) ensuring timely delivery of agreed outputs and effective contract management in each case
- Organise, plan and manage all events, meetings and workshops associated with two main projects
- Convene and facilitate virtual meetings with project staff and member representatives on occasion and under guidance of senior team staff
- Liaise with select external stakeholders involved in both projects as delegated by senior team members for project delivery or event related activities
- Support the Manager, Director and Finance team with financial and donor reporting for both projects during this period
Research, research synthesis, communication and dissemination
- Support development, finalisation, publication and dissemination of research outputs. Specific activities include supporting content production as needed (through background research), copy editing (with some occasional writing), document designing, developing slides and materials for infographics, synthesising key messages for various audiences and working with the Communications team in active dissemination of outputs and messages
- Deliver research webinar series in 2018 - deliver first curated series and curate and deliver second series (through building and maintaining relationships with key researchers) improve marketing and uptake of webinars and crosslink with evidence strategy and other ISEAL webinars
- Be first point of contact for queries from researchers and students and guide them to resources and other staff as necessary
- Provide active support to Assistant, Impacts in research tracking and the maintenance of all research related resources and platforms such as the factsheet, hub, ISEAL´s Sustainability Impacts Learning Platform SILP, ISEAL Standards Impacts microsite, Smartsheet, Mendeley
- Provide support to other staff at ISEAL on research and evidence work plan or minor research tasks as agreed with Manager
- Participate in external research workshops and events as identified and delegated
- Continue developing the evidence slide banks and associated assets for the organisation and keep them updated and shared regularly with staff
- Develop and maintain key researcher relationships emerging during this period
Other
- Support delivery of team projects outside main areas of responsibility, as needs arise and under direction of other staff
- Serve as an active member of the Impacts and Innovations team by participating in team meetings, supporting the team and contributing to team activities as additional needs arise.
- Contribute to staff meetings, and other internal meetings with appropriate content, views and suggestions
- Fulfil requirements of internal staff management processes including performance reviews, supervisory meetings etc.
Experience, Knowledge and Attributes
Essential
- Postgraduate degree in a relevant subject (e.g. sustainability, international development/ relations/policy, geography, environmental or social policy, etc.)
- Prior research experience including as part of graduate or postgraduate degree, research projects in previous jobs or at University. Research project management would be plus.
- Excellent project management skills including efficient project delivery, contract and consultant management, basic financial management and budgeting, time management and activity monitoring and reporting.
- Experience working in a dynamic international NGO/professional organisation/ academic or research institution
- Strong analytical, writing and comprehension skills demonstrated through any research work or other written assignments in previous jobs
- Confidence to work independently with basic guidance and supervision, self-driven and the ability to judge when to bring in more senior staff to support
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strategic stakeholder communications displaying professionalism, right level of tact and awareness of others
- Ability to manage people (such as consultants or seek support from other staff) tactfully and efficiently to move project work forward
- Event organisation and management
- Good IT skills, familiarity with virtual meeting tools (e.g. Skype, GoToMeeting, etc.), use of contact management databases (e.g. Salesforce) and proficiency in MS Office suite particularly Outlook, Word, Powerpoint and Excel.
- Specific knowledge of sustainability standards or broad knowledge of sustainability issues such as conservation, livelihoods, labour and working rights and so on.
Desirable:
- Experience of using and knowledge of research methods and basic qualitative and quantitative data analysis
- Experience in using or knowledge of research software such as EXCEL and SPSS (for quantitative data) and NVIVO (for qualitative data)
- Knowledge of and understanding of ISEAL and ISEAL’s work
- Experience in designing fact sheets and briefing papers creatively (creative design)
- Direct experience in managing consultants and researchers
- Meeting facilitation – both in person and virtual meetings
- Support in donor reporting
Other relevant information
Term: This is a fixed term position for ten months on a full-time basis
Salary: For London appointment GBP 35000 – 42,000 p.a. (pro rata) depending on experience
For Bangalore IR 2,250k p.a. to IR 2,750k p.a. (pro rata) depending on experience
Working Hours: Based on a full time equivalent of 37.5 hours per week
Location: Based either in ISEAL’s London head office with evidence for UK work permit and travel to India required, or in Bangalore, India with travel to London required
International Travel: The post holder will be required to undertake some international travel
Annual Leave: 25 days / year (pro rata) (including office closure between Christmas and New Year)
Ideal Start Date: As soon as possible but no later than 1 February 2018
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit a current CV and a statement explaining how they meet the selection criteria for the position to recruitment@isealalliance.org, quoting the job title “Associate Manager, Impacts”. Specific enquiries about this role and the application process can be sent to the same email.
