Social Research Specialist – SEA Region & Global – Cambodia

About Levante

Levante International Development is a consulting and research firm specialized in supporting humanitarian interventions and development projects worldwide.

Our multi-sectoral expertise includes child protection, mental health and health, gender and social inclusion, education, livelihoods, WASH, peacebuilding, human trafficking and more. We excel at conducting collaborative research with hard-to-reach groups – including young people, displaced and marginalized groups. Levante’s clients include leading international NGOs and government agencies in Southeast Asia, MENA, CIS and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Levante provides services in research (needs assessments, feasibility and scoping studies), monitoring and evaluation, project design and proposal development, strategy development and capacity building.

Levant in the Southeast Asian region

Levante has a proven track record of working with leading organizations and government stakeholders in countries including Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines on education, livelihoods, MHPSS, human trafficking, GESI, child protection and disability inclusion projects. We regularly conduct primary research in English, Thai, Burmese and Karen languages.

www.levante-international-development.org

https://www.linkedin.com/company/levante-international-development

Description of the work

About the role:

The Social Research Specialist will play a leading role in the delivery and growth of our research and consultancy projects in the South East Asia region, with the opportunity to contribute to our other projects globally.

We are looking for candidates with strong experience in social research – including experience in primary data collection, analysis and report writing. Experience working with government stakeholders and in Levante’s thematic areas listed above is also desirable. Successful applicants will be fluent in English and at least one other language spoken predominantly in ASEAN countries.

Role Overview

Summary:

Reports to: Director and Chief Consultant

Leads: SEA-based field coordinators and enumeration teams

location: Remote work role. Preference is given to applicants based in one of the SEA countries.

travel: Within the SEA study region. Global travel opportunities. All expenses paid.

Term of the contract: Full-time work on current contract

Remuneration package: Competitive remuneration will be offered depending on qualifications and experience.

As a Social Research Specialist, you will be responsible for the technical delivery of Levante’s research and consultancy work across a range of thematic areas – including humanitarian aid, education, human trafficking, livelihoods, MHPSS, child protection and other thematic areas.

This will include document research, development of research instruments, coordination and execution of field data collection, data analysis and production of high quality written reports. You will be supported and mentored in your role by Levante’s experienced team, with ongoing training opportunities.

The Social Research Specialist will demonstrate a full commitment to amplifying the voices of the vulnerable through research and to Levante’s values ​​of responsibility and integrity. You will also build and shape Levante’s portfolio of work by identifying opportunities and building relationships through your work. This includes the opportunity to pursue projects that interest you as Levante grows.

You must be highly self-motivated and able to organize your work. To do research in challenging contexts, you need to be results-oriented and enjoy overcoming obstacles to get the information that will make the difference.

Main responsibilities

Research (remote and field):

– Development of data collection tools (i.e. questionnaires, topic guides for focus group discussions/key informant interviews, observation tools)

– Training local teams/contractors on data collection tools, social research principles and Levante policies (i.e. child protection, privacy)

– Coordination with the government, representatives of (I)NGOs and other interested parties

– When necessary, travel to monitoring and data collection sites:

– Conducting focus group discussions, interviews with key stakeholders or making observations, etc.

– Monitors the work of the enumeration teams

– Monitoring data collection and performing quality assurance

Data analysis:

– Cleaning and encoding datasets

– Analyzing quantitative data through the use of statistical packages (ie Excel, STATA)

– Analyzing qualitative data through thematic analysis

Writing a report:

– Contribute to the production of high-quality reports and other outputs (presentations, training materials, studies, etc.) under the authorship of Levante

– Providing technical expertise to clients and making meaningful, robust conclusions and recommendations

Business Development:

– Contribution to the design of research studies and business development:

– Technical contribution to project proposals/bids

– Designing research methodologies

– Representing Levante when necessary at the interview and shortlisting stages of tender processes

– Help create business development materials including blog/social media posts, articles, newsletters, resources, etc.

– Attending events/networking with other actors in the humanitarian aid and international development sectors

Face Specification:

Note: This is an exciting and highly demanding role in a growing organization that prides itself on excellent standards of work. You must demonstrate the following:

Main:

· Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences/Humanities or other relevant disciplines

· 2-5 years of professional social research experience and demonstrated understanding of social research methods

· Proficiency in English and at least one of the ASEAN languages

· Exceptional writing skills. Ability to write clearly, concisely and synthesize complex ideas at a fast pace

· Experience in data collection (interviews, focus group discussions, surveys)

· Experience working with vulnerable or marginalized groups

· Proficiency in data analysis, including use of statistical software packages

· Experience working with multicultural teams

· Self-motivated and results-oriented

· Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines

Preferred:

· Master’s degree in the relevant discipline

· Experience working with government stakeholders

· Experience working on child protection, human trafficking and educational projects

· Experience in remote management of multilingual data collection teams

Works at Levante

Levante is based in the UK but with teams working globally, meaning this role is open to anyone via remote working. Because we work in different time zones, our employees are given the freedom and confidence to manage their own schedules. This is balanced by an expectation of high standards and results.

An inclusive, diverse team is fundamental to what we want to achieve as an organization. We actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Above all, we value integrity, honesty and respect for colleagues, clients and the vulnerable communities we work with.