We are currently looking for a Research Manager to lead our resilience and spatial planning portfolio.
Department: IMPACT
Position: Research Manager
Contract duration: 6 months
Starting Date: October 2025
Location: Dnipro, Ukraine
COUNTRY PROFILE
IMPACT has been active in Ukraine since 2015. Working across all of Ukraine, including hard-to-reach areas, IMPACT’s research supports and facilitates both emergency response efforts, as well as more long-term oriented resilience and recovery activities. IMPACT Ukraine has three research portfolios that focus on programming in each of these areas: the first covers the assessment and monitoring of humanitarian need that feeds into countrywide humanitarian prioritization, the second provides operational support to emergency aid in areas close to the frontline, and the third works closely with local authorities and civil society to address challenges associated with protracted crisis and recovery.
While critical humanitarian needs associated with the war persist, particularly in eastern/southern Ukraine, simultaneous efforts are ongoing to address questions of resilience in protracted crisis nationwide. A critical part of IMPACT’s research portfolio in this area focuses on resilience and spatial planning. This provides GIS, research, information management and convening support to actors working in Ukraine’s early recovery sphere, in order to inform the development of evidence-based, conflict-sensitive disaster risk reduction and socioeconomic recovery activities. These efforts also involve a strong emphasis on area-based planning processes in collaboration with local authorities, civil society, and the private sector. REACH Ukraine is looking for a Research Manager to lead its resilience and spatial planning work, managing existing research cycles, driving its new strategic direction, and building stronger relationships with key national and subnational stakeholders.
POSITION PROFILE
The Research Manager will be responsible for overseeing the strategic development of IMPACT’s resilience and spatial planning work in Ukraine, managing a research unit and under the supervision of the IMPACT Deputy Country Representative, the IMPACT Country Representative, and IMPACT HQ in Geneva. The candidate should be comfortable representing IMPACT with donors and key stakeholders, and be able to coordinate and liaise with a range of senior external partners.
The role of the Research Manager is to drive the strategy and workstreams of their unit. This position requires a profile that can be strategic as well as someone who enjoys the complexity of team management, as the Research Manager’s job will include management of staff, analytical oversight of research products, strategic development of the Unit, and ensuring that the unit strategy is operationalized. A particular emphasis for this role will be on strengthening existing relationships and developing new ones with external actors in Ukraine’s increasingly diverse and fragmented early recovery landscape. This will aim to inform IMPACT’s approach to positioning and fundraising in this space, as well as strengthen the relevance and impact of its work. Additionally a key element of this work is envisioned to be joint activities with our sister organization Acted, and thus strengthening and maintaining this programmatic relationship will be a priority.
This is a senior position within IMPACT Ukraine, and the RM will sit on the Ukraine Senior Management Team (SMT).
The Research Manager’s responsibilities will include:
Staff Management
Direct management of a team of approximately 10 of national team members, including recruitment and staff career management;Development and implementation of capacity training plans for team members;Day-to-day management of team members, including the development of work plans and performance indicators.Project/Research Cycle Management
Ensure all unit assessments and analysis are planned and implemented in a structured and coherent manner, in line with relevant project and strategic objectives, and with global IMPACT guidelines;Oversee all unit research cycles, including reviewing ToRs, methodology notes, tools, products and dissemination strategies.Ensure the writing and production of timely, accurate and analytically rigorous reports, assessments, and factsheets;Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in assessment design and planning;Monitor output achievement, project expenditure and ensure timely completion of the project.Actively advocate for the improving of analysis within IMPACT products, and using common methodologies, tools and analysis frameworks across units where relevantGrants Management
Under the guidance of the Deputy Country Representative, develop and manage research programming, including initial discussions with donors, conceptualisation of new projects, drafting proposals, regular reporting, and M&E;Under the guidance of the Deputy Country Representative, oversee the financial management of programme and staffing budgets of unit projects, including forecasting and monitoring expenditure;Ensure that contractual obligations are met in terms of programme deliverables.External Engagement and Fundraising
In coordination with the Country Representative and SMT, represent IMPACT with donors, partners, coordination bodies, and wider communities of practice in Ukraine.Proactively identify and build relationships in the early recovery space at both national and subnational levels.Identify new opportunities for relevant funding proposals in line with partners’ information needs and IMPACT’s specific value-add.Strategy Development and Implementation
Under the guidance of the Deputy Country Representative, develop the unit strategy, engagement and involvement with various technical and coordination forums;Work with key stakeholders and coordination bodies to understand the various relevant information gaps within Ukraine and identify how the work of the unit should fill these gaps;As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), contribute to the development and implementation of the IMPACT Ukraine country strategy and mission structure;Develop and implement dissemination strategies to strengthen the impact of unit research;Engagement with HQ on unit research and/or coordination and provide support to relevant IMPACT Global Community of Practices (CoPs).The Research Manager will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.
REQUIREMENTS
Excellent academic qualifications, including a master’s degree in a relevant discipline;At least 4 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian or early recovery setting, such as program management, evaluation and assessments;Excellent quantitative and qualitative research design, data collection, and data analysis experience required;Demonstrated team management skills, including remote management;Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting and reviewing;Prior experience with humanitarian coordination forums preferred;Prior experience with research in conflict-related protracted crisis and recovery settings, with a specific focus on disaster risk reduction, area-based recovery, settlements approaches and/or livelihoods and resilience;Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility and work independently;Ability to operate Microsoft Word, Excel required;Ability to operate Adobe Suite preferred;Skills in relevant research software including MaxQDA or NVivo are considered an asset;Fluency in English required; fluency in Ukrainian and/or Russian preferred.COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
For this position, salary between 3’240 CHF and 3’480 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.Accommodation is provided, though staff are encouraged to get their own accommodation (housing allowance available).Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance.Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered).Contribution to the transportation of luggage: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiative’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-day in situ security training.IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff, and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.