Program Manager, Research

About the role

GiveDirectly is seeking a Program Manager, Research to lead the implementation of its research agenda for the Canva project and other Malawi initiatives. Reporting to the Senior Manager, you will translate strategic research plans into concrete field operations, ensuring high‑quality data collection and timely delivery of insights.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain field protocols aligned with the senior manager’s research agenda.
• Oversee day‑to‑day data collection, M&E activities, and internal surveys, guaranteeing adherence to timelines, quality standards, and ethical guidelines.
• Coordinate scheduling and data sharing between the academic research team and program teams.
• Design, program, and manage surveys on platforms such as SurveyCTO and CommCare, working with the tech team to scope and test requirements before fieldwork.
• Implement data‑quality checks across all streams, create validation protocols, and conduct desk and literature reviews to ground methods in best practice.
• Generate sampling protocols, support sampling strategy design, and analyse key data streams to produce high‑level findings.
• Prepare draft research reports, presentations, and summary decks for senior review and assist in synthesising findings for internal and donor communications.

Required profile

• Proven experience managing field‑based research or monitoring & evaluation projects.
• Ability to build and maintain operational protocols and oversee multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Strong analytical mindset with experience translating data into actionable insights.
• Excellent written communication for report drafting and stakeholder briefings.

Required skills

• SurveyCTO
• CommCare
• Data quality assurance methods
• Sampling design and protocol development