Research Coordinator, Kenya

About the Role : We are looking for a Research Coordinator to join our growing Research Operations team, and manage remote data collection with a global network of Research Assistants and partners to collect high-quality data, with a focus on projects in East Africa.

Research Coordinators play a crucial role as the champions of the 60 Decibels data collection machine. They oversee remote, part-time Research Assistants (enumerators) to ensure the timely collection of high-quality data, both qualitative and quantitative. This includes tasks such as onboarding and coaching Research Assistants, supervising data collection throughout projects, establishing a consistent and rigorous data quality assurance process, and acting as a liaison between Research Assistants and the project and operations teams at 60 Decibels. In some cases, they are managing third-party enumerators through the same processes to yield timely and high quality data.

The Research Coordinator will:

• Lead day-to-day management of remote Research Assistant teams across different regions
• Ensure that data collection systems are properly set up prior to launch and are running smoothly and continuously updated throughout the project (call tracker, survey platform)
• Train and supervise Research Assistants on data collection protocols, data quality control procedures, project- or survey-specific instructions, how to best extract and capture detailed, verbatim qualitative responses
• Conduct weekly detailed reviews of data submitted by Research Assistants  to ensure data quality, give feedback to Research Assistants, and ensure all errors are corrected before data collection ends
• Ensure complete, accurate, clean and consistent data is collected and shared with project teams for analysis and reporting
• Communicate project updates both in various project channels on Slack, and with Research Assistants reliably and consistently
• Ensure data collection timelines are met through proactive planning and problem-solving as well as management of Research Assistants and third-party partners

About You: First and foremost, you bring compassion and dedication to this work because it matters to you. You take pride in delivering high quality data, no matter the complexity or challenges along the way. You have a bias towards action: you don’t shy away from roadblocks but actively tackle problems in a way that leads to the best outcomes and brings teams together. You are a skilled people manager, have a growth mindset, and know the value of being a part of an effective team. More specifically, you bring:

• 3+ years of relevant professional experience; candidates with experience managing data collection, field operations or agent networks strongly preferred
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks; proven self-starter, proactive problem-solver with strong communication and project management skills
• Demonstrated comfort using Microsoft Excel is a mandatory requirement for this role, as you will be working extensively with large and complex datasets 
• Strong attention to detail and basic data analysis skills; able to track sample representativeness, identify patterns or inconsistencies in the data, evaluate for completeness and logical flow
• Demonstrated comfort navigating and learning new tools is a must: we use a combination of Qualtrics, Airtable, Slack and other standard Microsoft and G-Suite tools
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully with diverse teams across different regions. Proven success managing field teams is a key ingredient for success in this role. 
• Demonstrated interest in or commitment to tackling global development and social issues.
• Authorized to work in Kenya on a permanent basis