[Hiring] Incubation Research Specialist II @Compassion International

Role Description

As an Incubation Research Specialist II, you'll join a newly established research and incubation capability within Global Program, helping transform emerging ideas into evidence-based solutions that improve outcomes for children, youth, families, and churches around the world. This is not a traditional research role. You'll work at the intersection of innovation, strategy, and practical ministry application, partnering with diverse stakeholders across the globe to explore complex questions, facilitate meaningful conversations, and evaluate new approaches that could shape the future of child development programming.

If you are curious, collaborative, energized by ambiguity, and passionate about using research to drive meaningful change, this role offers a unique opportunity to influence Compassion's future while advancing its mission to release children from poverty in Jesus' name.

This position may be filled at either the Level II or Level III based on the selected candidate's experience, skills, and demonstrated competencies.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and act as a consistent witness for Jesus Christ.
• Act as an advocate to raise awareness of the needs of children and commit to child protection considerations in all decision-making.
• Support the design, development, and implementation of incubation and research initiatives.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to identify unmet needs and evaluate potential effectiveness.
• Explore and apply appropriate research methods to answer key learning questions.
• Facilitate workshops, discussions, and stakeholder engagement sessions.
• Analyze and synthesize research findings into clear, actionable insights.
• Support projects from concept development through testing and evaluation.
• Contribute to learning agendas that strengthen Compassion's ability to innovate responsibly.
• Balance and integrate feedback from multiple stakeholders.
• Stay informed on emerging research, development trends, and innovative practices.
• Travel globally (up to 30%) to support project implementation and learning activities.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred or Bachelor's degree with approximately five years of relevant experience.
• Familiarity with research processes and methodologies.
• Demonstrated curiosity and a passion for exploring complex questions.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity and adapt to evolving priorities.
• Strong collaboration skills and experience working across teams and cultures.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
• Experience engaging diverse stakeholders.
• Strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and facilitation capabilities.
• Experience conducting or supporting research, monitoring, evaluation, or related activities is preferred.
• Exposure to human-centered design, innovation, design thinking, or incubation approaches is desirable.
• Experience working in cross-cultural settings is highly valued.
• Familiarity with data analysis tools such as R, Stata, or similar platforms is beneficial.
• Spanish or Kiswahili language skills are a plus.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off.
• 10% contribution to a 403(b) retirement fund on top of your salary.
• Excellent healthcare coverage.
• Free short-term professional counseling.
• Participation in regular chapel services, prayer groups, and department devotionals.