Research Officer III, Global Leadership

Job Description:

Project Summary:	Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance II (FANTA-2) improves nutrition and food security policy, strategy and programming, and provides technical support to USAID and its partners, including host country governments, international organizations and NGO implementing partners. Focus areas for technical assistance include maternal and child health and nutrition, HIV and other infectious diseases, community-based nutrition programs and interventions, food security and livelihood strengthening, and emergency and reconstruction. FANTA-2 develops and adapts approaches to support the design and quality implementation of field programs, while building on field experience to improve and expand the evidence base, methods, and global standards for nutrition and food security programming. The project, funded by USAID, is a five-year cooperative agreement.
Position Summary:	The Global Leadership Research Officer provides program management support to FANTA-2’s “Global Leadership” Intermediate Result (IR2), focused on improving the body of knowledge, policies, strategies, methods and tools available for food security and nutrition programs. The Program Officer will also provide data cleaning, analysis, and management services for the Title II implementing partner survey meta-dataset; respond to requests for analysis of the Demographic Health Surveys; and contribute to the development of tools to assist Title II implementing partners in the design of population-based surveys and analysis of data. The Research Officer also helps execute miscellaneous IR2 tasks as needed.
Essential Job Functions:	Manage the meta-dataset of Title II implementing partner surveys (45%) • Using a large number of baseline and final evaluation datasets received from FFP programs that were carried out over the last ten years, the Program Officer will examine each dataset, assess its quality, select datasets to be retained and compile the retained information into a meta-database that will contain variables common to all datasets that are of key relevance for future analysis. The Program Officer will carry out the following responsibilities in relation to the meta-dataset: • Build a highly organized and accessible system to maintain data and results so they can be easily shared and so the data are safeguarded • Prepare the data for query and processing by organizing information, checking for invalid and missing data, and adjusting and weighting the raw data • Prepare, clean, and update codebooks for the meta-dataset to facilitate its use by outsiders; and maintain timely, accurate and complete documentation of all syntax used in transforming the data to support project reports and facilitate repetition • Upon request and with instructions from other FANTA-2 staff, create new variables as needed for modeling exercises, and other analyses, Modify and run existing syntax; design, develop and test syntax and tracking systems needed to conduct analytical activities to produce clean data sets, and present results it in compelling visuals • Participate in the preparation and presentation of updates, special reports, visualizations and analysis of the data as per staff requests Support FANTA-2 Research and Development (40%) • Carry out data analysis on multiple country Demographic and Health Surveys or occasional quantitative surveys that FANTA-2 helps partners to conduct for specific research purposes, under the direction of technical managers. • Contribute to the development of tools to assist Title II Implementing Partners in sample size calculation, indicator tabulation, and LQAS analysis. • Under the direction of technical managers, conduct literature searches, create bibliographies, compile information from the internet or from partners, tabulate and manage data in the main areas of activities of the Global Leadership team. Topics include, for instance: early warning and response systems, lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) and other specialized food products, USAID’s Commodity Reference Guide (CRG), food security and nutrition indicators, use of lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS), preventive approach to malnutrition, exit strategies for development interventions, etc. General Support to FANTA-2 (15%) • Assist with the administrative management (work planning, budgeting, tracking) of IR2 activities; • Perform other job-related activities as assigned The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with a job.
Education:	Bachelors in one of the following or related fields: Agricultural Economics or Computer Science or International Development or Nutrition or Social Science or Statistics required or equivalent combination of education and work experience. Masters preferred.
Experience:	10 year(s) of relevant experience required Specific Knowledge Requirements: • Data analysis experience using SAS, SPSS, STATA EpiInfo, or another statistical computing package is required; • Research experience and experience managing large amounts of information is required; • Experience in at least one of the FANTA-2 technical areas is highly desirable (food security, maternal and child health and nutrition, smallholder agriculture, natural resource management, income generation, disaster early warning and response); • A basic level of statistics required; • Familiarity with USAID’s Food for Peace programs is desirable; • Familiarity with data collecting using personal digital assistants (PDA) is desirable; • Familiarity with basic sampling concepts, including LQAS, is desirable.
Special Requirements:	This job will require a criminal background check.
Skills:	• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; • Ability to establish priorities and to meet deadlines; • Ability to coordinate a variety of activities simultaneously and interact effectively with a diverse group of people; • High level of comfort with information technology; • Strong interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, and team-work skills; • Ability to initiate and implement activities with minimal oversight and supervision.
Additional Information:	Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A Equipment To Be Used: Typical office equipment. Typical Physical Demands: Typical office environment. Working Conditions including Travel and Overtime: May include some travel (10%)
FHI Development 360 has a competitive compensation package. Interested applicants should apply online at http://www.fhi360.org/en/workingwithus/index.htm or 1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20009 by submitting CV/resume and cover letter including salary requirements, specify source referencing position #BB11196 in your application. We thank all individuals for their interest in FHI Development 360; however only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Individuals responding to job postings are considered applicants for a particular position only after they have been invited to complete the company's official printed employment application form.