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Nonprofit Remote Digest - Issue #621
Our mission is to accelerate social changeThe Engine Room helps activists, organisations, and other social change agents make the most of data and technology to increase their impact.
Accelerating social change — www.theengineroom.org We are an international organisation that helps activists, organisations, and other social change agents make the most of data and technology to increase their impact.
Research Lead (Contract)
We’re looking for a Research Lead to lead The Engine Room’s research portfolio to ensure our research is high quality, impactful, and aligned with our mission and values. The Research Lead will manage our Research Team, build and maintain relationships with allies and peers in the broader research community, and identify fundraising opportunities to support our research work.
Location: Remote
Hours worked: full-time
Pay: 5,600 - 7,000 USD gross per month (note: where a candidate falls within this range will depend significantly on 1) their years of experience in a similar role, and 2) the cost of living where they are based)
Perks: up to 300 USD per month in approved expenses
Application deadline (with a possibility for extension): July 10
Check out our Jobs page to learn about what it’s like to work at The Engine Room.
Our organisation prioritises empathy, respect, openness, flexibility, fun and a healthy work-life balance. We highly encourage individuals from all areas of the world, backgrounds, experiences, abilities and identities to apply.
ABOUT THE ENGINE ROOM
The Engine Room’s mission is to strengthen the fight for social justice by supporting civil society to use technology and data strategically, effectively and responsibly. Over the past decade we have worked with more than 700 organisations on five continents, addressing issues ranging from transparency and accountability, to human rights and humanitarian support, to environmental justice, migrant workers’ rights, women’s rights, and more.
As a remote, international organisation, we have a diverse range of expertise and experience. Our core team is made up of 19 people spread across 11 countries in Africa, Europe, North America and South America – including technologists, researchers, community managers, activists, designers, campaign strategists, and facilitators with diverse sectoral and functional specialisations. Our diversity allows us to critically assess the work we do, ensuring that multiple perspectives are incorporated into project design and implementation and helping us question our own biases.
RESEARCH AT THE ENGINE ROOM
Research is a core part of The Engine Room’s work to support our partners and broader communities to make informed, strategic and responsible decisions around how they use technology and data. Research is also a key component of almost all our projects as it ensures that our work is founded on existing evidence and lessons learned (be they ours, or those learned by others). Our research takes into account a wide range of existing forms of knowledge, valuing lived experience just as much as academic journals. We don’t parachute into contexts we don’t know; instead, we use participatory research methods that are led by people who understand both the research site and qualitative research methods. Our methods balance rigour and speed to ensure that research findings from the fast-evolving sectors we work in are published in time to be helpful to informing practical actions. We consider our research to be impactful if it is used to inform and strengthen the work of civil society.
Some examples of research at The Engine Room (and for more, see https://www.theengineroom.org/research/) :
Supporting Oxfam in deciding whether or not to use biometrics in their programming
Exploring the future of messaging apps to support effective implementation in conflict zones, together with ICRC
Examining resilience and equity within the tech and human rights funding ecosystem, together with Open Society Foundations
WHAT WILL YOU DO?
Engage in thought leadership that ensures that our research findings have a broad reach and are accessible across our communities
Design and implement our research strategy in a way that 1) ensures that research conducted throughout The Engine Room is in line with our organisational values and 2) consistently uses high quality research methods and processes to produce excellent outputs for our partners in a timely way
Identify opportunities for learning and implementation of robust and innovative research methods
Stay up-to-date on emerging research topics at the intersections of technology, data and social justice activism and relevant trends and seminal work of other organisations and actors
Lead in the design and identification of future areas of research that are in line with The Engine Room’s mission and hold space for innovative and creative approaches
Work closely with our Executive Director and Deputy Director to develop fundraising strategies and processes and identify trends to inform funding for our research
Identify grant opportunities and consultancies that align with our research and organisational strategy, and engage in coaching and cross-team collaboration to develop compelling proposals.
Identify and cultivate relationships with potential research partners in such a way that supports, collaborates with and builds upon the work of our allies
Manage the Research Team in a way that fosters individual growth, accountability, healthy workloads and smooth cross-team collaboration
Support and coach direct reports in skills related to project management, diverse research methodologies, presentations, and strengthen their capacity to actively contribute to fundraising and business development
WHO ARE YOU?
You are a highly experienced researcher with significant knowledge, passion and critical thinking when it comes to the role of data and technology in social justice. You believe strongly that robust research and evidence can play an important role in strengthening the responsible use of tech and data among civil society. You are a curious collaborator. You believe in service-oriented leadership in which you support and coach your team to be open, learn, innovate and grow in their technical research skills as well as in broader professional areas. You bring both humility and a critical eye to the table. You want to be responsible for producing cutting edge research that informs the practical work of other organisations, and you’re comfortable balancing rigour and speed. You are comfortable sitting between the worlds of academia, civil society and social justice. You are open, adaptable and inclusive. You learn quickly. You hold people accountable to high standards, especially yourself. You are able to keep an eye on the big picture and broader goals while also ensuring that the day-to-day work you and your team delivers is excellent and timely. People trust you and enjoy working with you. You believe strong relationships with people are critical to creating impact. You communicate clearly, proactively and frequently. You are a problem solver and are comfortable with ambiguity. Our organisational values resonate with you.
REQUIREMENTS
Skills and experience:
Direct experience working on issues of tech/society, tech/social justice, or tech/social change
Advanced qualitative or technical research skills
Demonstrated strategy development and implementation experience
Fundraising and business development experience
Experience managing teams
Public speaking experience
Abilities:
Self-awareness and accountability
Strong collaboration skills
Critical thinking and a demonstrable appreciation for both the risks that technology can bring to civil society’s work, as well as the opportunities that arise with the responsible use of tech and data.
Experience working in international organisations, or with people from different cultures and contexts
Detail-oriented and diligent
Clear and proactive communicator
Logistics:
You’re based in a location between the following time zones: UTC-5 and UTC+5
You have access to internet that is generally fast and reliable, although we understand that this is not always possible and have resources to support staff as needed
Remote work experience or willingness
Salary
$67,000 - $84,000
5,600 - 7,000 USD gross per month (note: where a candidate falls within this range will depend significantly on 1) their years of experience in a similar role, and 2) the cost of living where they are based)
Benefits
Perks: up to 300 USD per month in approved expenses
How to Apply
Applications must be received via the Breezy platform: https://the-engine-room.breezy.hr/p/e8ad05484fa801