[Hiring] Director, Strategic Research & Evidence @World Vision

Role Description

Lead World Vision's applied research, evidence generation and learning translation function, using child data across the partnership to produce decision-useful, externally credible evidence. The role commissions and leads applied research, evidence synthesis and university partnerships; translates findings into actionable learning and strategic insight; and ensures evidence informs programme quality, fundraising, policy influence and senior leadership decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead applied research and evidence synthesis using child data from AIM/AIM+, programme monitoring, evaluations, operational research, commissioned studies and other evidence sources.
• Deliver the annual AIM/AIM+ insight narrative as a research/learning product.
• Commission and/or lead secondary analyses of the 400,000+ household AIM data set.
• Set interpretation standards for child-data research.
• Coordinate with Design Monitoring Evidence Accountability and Learning (DMEAL) and data governance on data availability, quality, extracts and analytical constraints.
• Translate the OP3 research agenda into a sequenced portfolio of studies.
• Commission, scope, lead and quality assure research studies and evidence syntheses.
• Ensure research designs address cross-sector programming questions.
• Develop or approve research questions, theories of change, protocols, TORs/RFPs, analysis plans, sampling approaches, ethics/IRB pathways, data-use agreements, publication plans, technical review processes and acceptance criteria.
• Coordinate with Field Office and Regional Office (FO/RO) teams, Support Offices, sector leads, Grants Acquisition and Management (GAM), Advocacy and External Engagement (A&EE), Disaster Management (DM), universities and external researchers.
• Develop university and research-institution partnerships.
• Shape joint research through co-PI models, advisory groups, fellowship/student pipelines, data access protocols, authorship plans, dissemination and workplans.
• Build publication and dissemination pathways.
• Agree partnership scope, deliverables, data-use arrangements, ethical requirements, acceptance criteria and dissemination expectations.
• Mobilise technical and funding leverage by matching WV data assets with external expertise.
• Represent WV research and evidence agenda with academic partners, donors, Support Offices, foundations and external evidence networks.
• Translate research findings into leadership-ready insight products.
• Define an evidence-to-decision pathway for each major research product.
• Facilitate interpretation and uptake with various teams.
• Track whether research improves decisions and contributes to resource mobilisation.
• Ensure public-facing and donor-facing evidence claims are accurate.
• Lead a leveraged research and learning platform.
• Set the annual workplan, quality standards, technical review cadence, escalation process and product standards.
• Line-manage and/or matrix-manage research staff and consultants.
• Build organisational capability in research commissioning and evidence translation.
• Ensure responsible data practice, safeguarding, privacy, equity, inclusion and child-sensitive research standards.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as Statistics, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Public Health, Data Science, Economics, Social Sciences, International Development, Evaluation, Implementation Science.
• Formal training in quantitative methods, research design, evaluation, data analysis, or equivalent professional experience.

Requirements

• At least 12 years of progressive experience in applied research, evidence synthesis, impact evaluation, statistics/biostatistics, epidemiology, public health, economics, data science, or development/humanitarian evidence roles.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a research and evidence agenda or portfolio across multiple countries.
• Proven technical expertise in quantitative and/or mixed-methods research.
• Experience synthesising evidence across multiple data sources.
• Experience commissioning and overseeing external research studies.
• Demonstrated experience translating evidence for senior leaders and external audiences.
• Proven ability to work across sectors such as health, nutrition, WASH, livelihoods, child protection, climate/resilience.
• Experience building or managing partnerships with universities, research institutes, donors, foundations or external technical partners.
• Strong applied skills in statistical software and/or data pipelines.
• Proven experience leading virtual, matrixed and cross-cultural teams.

Language Requirements

• Must be fluent in English.

Travel and/or Work Environment

• The position requires ability and willingness to travel up to 15% of the time.
• Ability to work effectively in a global, virtual, matrixed environment across time zones.

Preferred Experience, Knowledge and/or Other Qualifications

• PhD or doctoral-level research training.
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications and externally cited research.
• Experience with child wellbeing, public health, nutrition, WASH, livelihoods/resilience, child protection, faith and development, climate, or humanitarian research.
• Experience with various research methods.
• Experience with responsible data governance and research ethics.
• Experience securing or shaping research grants and funding.
• Working proficiency in a second WV operational language such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, or Arabic.

Compensation

For positions filled in the United States, the typical salary range for this role is $102,700 to $136,930 USD. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, job level, internal equity and budget.

Applicant Types Accepted

Local Applicants Only. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation with a mission centred on following Jesus Christ in service to the world´s most vulnerable children.