The core responsibility of the Programs Department is to achieve impact. The department designs, supports and manages our program, projects and global campaigns that help achieve our 10-year vision of an inclusive (Equal), secure (Safe), equitable (Fair) and sustainable (Green) world in an efficient and effective manner, ensuring high quality. The department is also responsible for engaging with institutional donors and leads on program quality and learning frameworks.
Purpose of Unit
The LINK unit supports, connects, and collaborates with colleagues and partners to ensure impactful multi-country programs based on sound methodologies, evidence of progress towards objectives, and lessons learnt on what works for our Equal, Green, Fair and Safe goals. This is achieved within and beyond the Oxfam confederation through the team’s expertise and by influencing and challenging the culture and practice around monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL), Research, Innovation and Knowledge & Learning.
Job Summary
As Impact, Measurement and Knowledge (IMK) Specialist, you contribute to Oxfam Novib’s evidence on impact and enable continuous learning and adaptive management. You are part of a team of dedicated researchers who support programmes in knowledge co-creation and learning based on solid evidence. You are responsible for the design and implementation of knowledge and learning in complex Oxfam Novib programs, including those with a significant influencing component. You link different sources of (experiential) evidence, coordinate qualitative and quantitative research and sense making. You support the design and implementation of (applied) research, including data analysis. You do this in close collaboration with all stakeholders and support them where needed to be engaged. You enable social accountability to the people that we work with by ensuring that they can take be part in the learning and evidence generation. You support the programmes in closing the learning loop through a participatory action research approach.
Key tasks
- You coordinate learning and related research in programmes.
- You bring together evidence from experience, existing research, monitoring and evaluation data, gathered through different methodologies (such as stories of change, outcome harvesting, in-depth interviewing, research led by people that we work with (e.g., young people), focus group discussions, surveys, social listening etc.).
- You maintain a strong collaboration with Oxfam’s country offices, partner organizations, GOAL units, and other stakeholders on research and knowledge services is of utmost importance.
- You are actively involved in acquisition for new research assignments.
- You draft high quality internal and external publications to share the results of studies and events and prepare material for external profiling and communication to a variety of audiences, including materials that can serve the purpose of social accountability.
Key deliverables
- Leading on the design of tailor made, theory-based learning strategies and related research, that are guided by a Theory of Change.
- Coordinating the formulation of clear learning plans and ensuring that intermediate lessons learned are taken into account driven by different types of knowledge and evidence.
- Culturally sensitive facilitation of learning in sessions – to co-create the learning strategy and outcomes with relevant actors.
- Coordination, design and/or implementation of (applied) research projects.
- Leading on writing in co-creation clear deliverables (reports, blogs, mailings, etc) for specified audiences that link the findings of learning and research to the context of project implementation.
- Contributing to external thought leadership of our lessons learning in Oxfam Novib programmes.
Knowledge and Experience
- An advanced university degree (e.g. Masters) in a relevant field is required. Strong knowledge of qualitative and participatory methodologies is essential.
- At minimum five (5) years of experience in a similar role.
- Proven experience in facilitation of learning in a participatory manner and international context.
- Proven experience with coordinating (applied) research projects in which multiples people, partners and/or customers participate.
- Sets clear objectives, complies to agreements, and shows initiative to find solutions to bottlenecks with regard to the results intended.
- Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of French and Arabic is considered an asset.
What we Offer
For initial appointments, Oxfam Novib offers a contract of maximum one year with possibility of extension.
The position is based in The Hague, The Netherlands. The researcher is part of a multicultural team of nine Impact Measurement Specialists that invests in peer learning and other forms of professional development.
Oxfam is committed to providing a fair and competitive pay and benefits package that is justifiable to our donors. This position is classified in scale 9. The gross salary range is between € 2.978 to € 4.582 on the basis of 36 hours per week. The applicable salary depends on relevant work experience.
Benefits typically include annual pay increases, performance-related salary increases, holiday allowance, contributions to commuting costs, vacation days, parental, care and special leave, a private bicycle scheme, pension scheme, etc.
- Applicants must be nationals of a European Union member State or have a valid work permit for the European Union. Please note that such is a requirement.
- This position is open to internal and external candidates, however with equal suitability, the internal candidate will be preferred.
- Applications from qualified candidates from a diverse cultural background is encouraged, in addition to applications from all gender identities, sexes, sexual orientations, races, colours, religions, abilities, etc.
- Only applications submitted before the closing date and through our recruitment portal will be considered. Only applicants under serious consideration for this post will be contacted.
- Oxfam aims to attract a diverse mix of talented people that share our standards, values, principles, and are committed to prevent and eradicate any type of misconduct including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, any other type of misuse of power or lack of integrity and financial misconduct. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. High priority is placed on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.
- Oxfam Novib retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description.
- If you have any questions about the job description, please contact Saskia van Veen, manager of the LINK unit, at Saskia.van.Veen@oxfamnovib.nl
