Feminist Research Director

Includovate

Reports to: CEO

Last Submission Date: Sunday, September 15th 2024

Work Conditions:  Remote, anywhere, with Flexibility  

About us 

One growing network. One shared mission. Are you passionate about inclusion and equality and ready to make an impact in a startup organisation? Includovate (Include+Innovate) incubates inclusive and rigorous research talent. That talent will help to create an equal world free from biases where knowledge is co-created, and justice is clearly defined. Your attitude matters more than your experience.

We are looking for an ambitious, motivated, passionate individual who wants to make the world more equal. Our fast-paced organisation values collaboration, capacity building, and a growth mindset. We look for people who are lifelong learners, hard workers, empathetic, and supportive. This is not a conventional job. Includovators improve the world by removing data biases, power imbalances and discriminatory mental models through evidence and learning. We guarantee interesting work.

Job Summary 

The Research Director will provide strategic thought leadership, management, and technical direction to the Research vertical at Includovate. The ideal candidate should have strong experience in mixed methods approaches and evaluation approaches in an international development context, demonstrable through publications. They will believe in co-creation and the need to decolonise research and will have a deep network across research and development organisations. They will manage a team of principal researchers with PhDs and must be an inclusive leader. They will be comfortable building cross-cultural research capacity and communicating results with diverse audiences. The ideal candidate will have a strong theoretical and strategic vision as well as a keen eye for detail. They will understand systems approaches to research and evaluation and will have reviewed policies in the past. They will understand how to foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning and maintain high self-awareness and personal improvement skills. They will have successfully secured research funding in the past.

As a Includovate’s senior management team member, you must lead key organisational functions in research, monitoring and evaluation. You must work collaboratively across sectoral areas to build capacity and promote research excellence. You will also help with business development by reviewing proposals and methodologies. You will quality-check all deliverables to improve client satisfaction and research excellence.

Responsibilities and Duties 

Research Leadership:

 Support the CEO in delivering Includovate’s objectives, including the formulation and implementation of its research agenda and substantive work programme:

• Technically support all research activities within Includovate, determine priorities, and allocate resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Formulate strategies and plans for research, ensuring that Includovate’s research activities promote our competitive position and profitability.
• Develop research methodologies to strengthen research rigour by leveraging past experiences and academic knowledge.
• Oversee the management of the organisation’s activities, ensuring that programmed activities are carried out promptly and in accordance with organisational objectives and policies.
• Supervises the development of analytical and concept papers and policy options to address challenges; develops well-reasoned, innovative approaches to deal with rights-based and inclusive issues.
• Oversees the substantive review of research reports, policy briefs, blogs and other publications by Includovate.
• Ensures that the organisation’s outputs maintain high-quality standards, are evidence-based, and keep our clients satisfied.

Resource mobilisation and outreach:

• Supports the CEO and business development team in consolidating, diversifying and expanding the organisation’s resource base, including developing research and project proposals.
• Coordinates the implementation of resource mobilisation priorities, including proposal submissions and substantive reporting.
• Acts as spokesperson and represents Includovate to clients and the broader public in internal and public fora to address gender & diversity issues;
• Positions Includovate as a thought leader by delivering research papers and presentations; holding webinars and training and building and sustaining diverse multi-stakeholder networks on gender & diversity issues;
• Maintains close relations and strong partnerships with our clients (e.g. UN, donors, embassies, specialised agencies, funds and programmes, other international and regional intergovernmental organisations, and representatives of non-governmental/civil society organisations and research institutions) to encourage satisfaction and repeat business. 

Others:

• Supports the CEO where required in managing and administrating the organisation, including preparing budgets, reporting on budget and programme performance, communications, recruiting qualified personnel and managing staff performance.
• Fosters teamwork and communication across the Institute.
• Prepare guidelines and resources for the research team with a focus on the development of research excellence.
• Contribute to the professional development of researchers and assist with developing learning and development plans to ensure all researchers continue to upgrade their knowledge and expertise.
• Provide ongoing technical advice and mentoring to research staff to ensure projects are delivered to a high standard.
• Provide peer review and quality assurance oversight of project documentation to ensure high standards of quality and to build the capacity of researchers to submit professional, polished reports.

Qualifications & Skills:

• PhD (or equivalent qualifications) in relevant fields and extensive experience in developing, implementing and evaluating research, including an academic publication record.
• Relevant experience leading a team of researchers: can build team commitment by demonstrating personal conviction; translates organisational strategy into meaningful long-term plans and objectives for own area of responsibility; motivates others to deliver against goals.
• Multi-country experience through living abroad and through publications.
• A strategic planner who sees the big picture entertains wide-ranging possibilities, develops a vision for the future, and can translate the strategic direction into day-to-day activities.
• You have demonstrated knowledge and experience in gender equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Fluency in English. A second language would be an advantage.

Attitudes

• You listen well instead of reacting fast, so you can better understand.
• You’re concise and articulate in your communications
• You are good at planning and implementing even small tasks.
• You learn eagerly and rapidly
• You are a democratic and reject command-and-control structures.
• You take smart risks, creative and curious.
• You think of critical feedback as a growth opportunity
• You believe in gender equality and equal opportunity
• You are a feminist

Work Location: Remote working with excellent flexibility; successful candidates must have a computer/ laptop with a high-speed internet connection.

Employment Type: If you are Australian then this is a permanent role with 10% superannuation. Otherwise, this is a twelve-month contractual position with a high probability of getting extended based on performance and finances.

Work hours: Flexible working arrangements apply, with some work falling outside core business hours to accommodate time zone differences.

Remuneration: Competitive, based on the candidate’s location and role suitability.