Senior Research Innovation Specialist
Rwanda / Regional / Same time zone
YLabs is a leading global design and research organization designing technologies that amplify youth power, agency, and opportunity. Founded in 2014 at the Harvard Innovation Lab, YLabs partners with young people to co-create inclusive digital products and services that improve their lives. Our design process opens spaces where young people’s ideas can become a reality – where they are the architects of the solutions to their most pressing challenges.
YLabs multidisciplinary team delivers youth-driven innovation and impact at scale. Our team combines expertise in youth-driven design with adolescent health, climate, livelihoods, digital product design, behavioral science, and epidemiology. Based in Rwanda and the USA, we’ve worked in 18 countries to date on projects spanning three focus areas: optimum health and wellness, improved economic opportunity, and increased climate resilience
Find out more about our projects here: https://www.ylabsglobal.org/work
JOB TYPE
This is a 9-month contract position (extendable based on performance) The position is based in Kigali, Rwanda, but it could also be situated in East Africa or the surrounding region. If the candidate is not based in Kigali, they should be flexible and willing to travel 50% of the time.
PAY RATE
The pay range for this position is RWF 36,000,000 - RWF 46,380,000 per year, commensurate with experience. This range is regionally benchmarked for a Senior-level position in the Kigali area.
JOB OVERVIEW
The Senior Research Innovation and Impact Specialist will lead research initiatives for a YLabs project. This individual will drive high-impact research, innovation, and strategic decision-making, using cutting-edge research methodologies and frameworks. The ideal candidate must be able to operate independently, navigate ambiguity, and manage research and innovation projects with minimal supervision. They will be responsible for generating actionable insights that influence strategic initiatives and innovation across sectors like education, youth entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Research Strategy and Leadership
Lead the design, execution, and management of large-scale, high-impact research projects.
Develop innovative research methodologies and tools to address project challenges, ensuring adaptability across thematic areas such as economic development, health economics, and youth employment.
Foster collaboration with cross-functional teams, including stakeholders, funders, and regional partners, to ensure research initiatives align with the broader impact goals.
Innovation and Insight Development
Use innovative frameworks like Human-Centered Design, Participatory Action Research, and Disruptive Innovation Theory to inform user-centric, actionable solutions for complex development issues.
Identify emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges across sectors like education, youth entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion, and translate these findings into strategic insights that inform broader efforts.
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
Conduct both qualitative and quantitative research, including interviews, focus groups, stakeholder engagements, and data analysis (trend forecasting, predictive analysis, etc.).
Utilize quantitative methods to analyze large datasets and predict future trends in key areas, providing data-driven recommendations for program improvements.
Perform qualitative analysis to identify patterns in user behaviour and project outcomes that can inform future innovations.
Strategic Knowledge Management
Capture and synthesize research findings into comprehensive reports, policy briefs, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring insights are actionable and aligned with strategic goals.
Facilitate knowledge-sharing and capacity-building sessions to ensure insights are embedded across teams and projects.
Manage the collection, storage, and dissemination of research outputs, ensuring they contribute to an institutional knowledge base.
Stakeholder and Partnership Engagement
Engage with key stakeholders within YLabs and partner organizations to understand research needs and priorities.
Actively build and maintain relationships with research institutions, academic partners, and sector experts to ensure research outputs are innovative and aligned with best practices.
Provide high-quality data, insights, and narratives that demonstrate the impact of the research and innovation initiatives to support donor reporting.
Team management and Mentorship
Lead and mentor an agile team of research professionals, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
Provide leadership on best practices in research methodology and innovation frameworks.
Build the capacity of regional teams to conduct high-quality research and innovation activities by leading training and knowledge transfer sessions.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Integration
Collaborate with MEL teams to ensure research outputs are effectively integrated into the project’s monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
Contribute to the iterative improvement of research processes and MEL frameworks to continuously apply learnings from innovation.
Project Management
Manage project timelines and deliverables, ensuring research initiatives are completed on time and within scope.
Provide regular updates and reporting on project progress, challenges, and recommendations to senior leadership.
Required Qualifications:
Education: Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in a relevant field such as Development Studies, Development Economics, Health Economics, Social Sciences, or related disciplines.
Experience: Minimum of 7-10 years of experience leading research projects, with at least 5 years at a senior level in a similar role.
Proven experience in designing and implementing innovative research methodologies and frameworks.
Strong qualitative and quantitative research expertise, with a track record of translating complex data into actionable insights.
Experience managing or contributing to donor-funded research projects.
Experience working on youth entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, or education programs, particularly in Africa, is a strong asset.
Skills and Attributes:
Exceptional ability to work independently, manage ambiguity, and operate with minimal supervision.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to present research findings to diverse audiences, including policymakers, donors, and technical teams.
Exceptional collaborative skills, with a strong ability to work effectively within cross-functional teams.
Strong project management skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects concurrently.
Proficiency in research and data analysis tools (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R, NVivo).
A strong commitment to driving innovation and measurable impact in research initiatives.
How to Apply
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with an expected start date as soon as possible.
