CONTEXT ON IMPACT AND REACH

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two international NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Programme for Operational Satellite Applications (UNOSAT). REACH's goal is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that improve the decision-making and planning capacity of the humanitarian community in emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) assessment of needs and the facilitated situation by REACH teams; b) analysis of the situation using satellite imaging; c) provision of databases and related mapping (web) and expertise facilities.

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization manages several initiatives, including the REACH initiative. The IMPACT team is composed of specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO based in Paris and present in about thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, allowing IMPACT to benefit from ACTED's operational support in its areas of intervention.

We are currently recruiting a Research Manager to join our team in Dakar, Senegal

Position: Research Manager

Location: Dakar, Senegal

Contract duration: 4 months (renewable subject to obtaining financing)

Start date: March 1, 2026

Application deadline: February 1, 2026

COUNTRY PROFILE

IMPACT Initiatives has established its presence in Senegal in 2024 in order to strengthen support for country missions in West and Central Africa (AOC) and to gradually position Dakar as a regional service hub. The mission in Senegal is currently in a phase of gradual expansion, with the gradual decentralization of certain functions from headquarters and an increased engagement with regional partners and donors in Dakar, in order to ensure alignment with the evolution of information needs.

From Dakar, the mission provides an increasing range of operational and technical support services, including project and partnership development, financial support, communication and advocacy, as well as research support. From the first quarter of 2026, the office will also provide methodological support and research validation functions for country missions in the region. Several members of the evaluation staff are already based in Dakar while supporting research cycles in several countries, which allows for greater flexibility and better cost efficiency.

The mission in Senegal also contributes to the Regional Intersectoral Analysis Group (GRANIT), producing harmonized intersectoral analyses to inform the strategic planning at the AOC level. In addition, the missions of Mali and Burkina Faso are managed directly from Dakar, and IMPACT is exploring the feasibility of expanding its support for humanitarian responses in Niger, Cameroon and Mauritania.

JOB PROFILE

Under the supervision of the MCR, the Research Manager leads the strategic development, implementation and consolidation of the GRANIT project, based on the bases established by the person who previously held the position. The Research Manager is responsible for translating the conceptual vision of the project into a fully operational and high-quality analytical framework, while ensuring its relevance, credibility and appropriation within the regional humanitarian architecture based in Dakar, Senegal.

Internally, the Research Manager leads the completion, refinement and operationalization of a new multi-country and multi-source analytical framework, designed to integrate a wide range of data sets covering African AOC countries as well as cross-border contexts. This includes the supervision of methodological development, the guarantee of analytical coherence and rigor, as well as the support of teams in the systematic use of secondary data, datasets produced by partners and contextual qualitative analyses, in order to produce comparative, stratified and prospective analyses.

The Research Manager plays a central role in external engagement and coordination, acting as a focal point for GRANIT's collaboration with key regional and international partners, including OCHA, IOM, and the entire GRANIT partner group. Through a sustained technical dialogue and structured engagement modalities, the Research Manager ensures the alignment of GRANIT's analytical productions with the evolution of humanitarian information needs, while positioning the project as a reference platform for regional analysis, strategic reflection and evidence-based decision-making.

A central element of the position is to strengthen intersectoral analysis practices. The Research Manager facilitates the establishment and coordination of an intersectoral analysis group with the partners, allowing GRANIT to go beyond parallel sectoral readings in favor of truly integrated analyses. Through this process, the Research Manager helps to strengthen the analytical depth, relevance and strategic value of GRANIT products, and to support more nuanced discussions on needs, risks and response prioritization within regional coordination bodies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Finalization and validation of the GRANIT analytical framework

• Finalize, refine and adjust the new GRANIT analytical framework, ensuring its consistency, robustness and ability to support truly cross-sectional analyses in AOC contexts.

• Coordinate the formal validation of the framework with the Research Department of IMPACT headquarters and supervise its iterative test through the various GRANIT analysis cycles.

• Identify and address methodological gaps, ensuring the adaptability of the framework to changing data availability and analytical needs.

Operationalization of cross-sectional analysis processes

• Manage the concrete application of the analytical framework during the new GRANIT analysis cycles, by organizing and facilitating structured cross-sectional analysis sessions with the GRANIT partner group.

• Provide technical leadership under IMPACT, in coordination with OCHA and IOM, to support collective analysis, consistency of results and consensus building on risks, needs and response implications.

Strategic redesign of GRANIT information products

• Oversee the revision of GRANIT's two main information products to reflect the transition from descriptive and sectoral productions to integrated, interpretative and cross-sectional analysis.

• Strengthen analytical narratives, clarity and product usability for regional humanitarian coordination and strategic planning.

Lessor commitment and programmatic liaison with AFD

• Ensure the role of the main programmatic focal point for the GRANIT project funded by AFD, by maintaining a regular technical and analytical dialogue with the lessor.

• Respond to specific analytical requests and prepare framing notes, presentations and analytical contributions adapted to the priorities and information needs of the AFD.

Mobilization of resources and diversification of financing

• Support efforts to mobilize resources and diversify funding for the GRANIT project, in coordination with the MCR.

• Identify opportunities for expansion or sustainability of GRANIT through complementary funding sources and partnerships.

Hierarchical management and technical support to the GRANIT analysis team

• Ensure the direct hierarchical management and technical supervision of a GRANIT analyst, including work planning, quality assurance and performance support.

PROFILE REQUIRED

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master's degree in a relevant discipline;

• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience in humanitarian, development or similar contexts;

• Experience in external engagement (landlords, partners and other key stakeholders) required;

• Good knowledge of the humanitarian coordination system required;

• Understanding of the processes related to the conduct of required assessments;

• Excellent communication and writing skills, necessary for the production of quality reports;

• Excellent analytical and research skills required;

• Ability to work independently required;

• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and manage concurrent deadlines required;

• Solution-oriented approach, flexibility and open-mindedness, including the ability to evolve in a multicultural environment;

• Good knowledge of the AOC context — previous experience in the region is desirable;

• Compulsory command of French; English proficiency is an asset;

• Excellent command of Microsoft Office tools required;

• Intellectual curiosity, motivation to contribute to the improvement of the humanitarian sector and ability to adopt an overview.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• For this position, the salary is between 3'06+0 CHF and 3'120 CHF per month (before income tax), plus a monthly subsistence allowance of 300 USD. NB – Salaries at IMPACT are strictly determined by the salary grid according to the rank of the position and the level of education of the staff. An adjustment related to safety and/or isolation, depending on the place of assignment, is then applied in recognition of the fact that some staff members work in contexts where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.

• Accommodation in a guest house.

• Affiliation with a Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife - approx. 9.975% of the gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance.

• Airline tickets every 6 months and visa fees covered (internal travel expenses and business expenses are fully covered).

• Contribution to the transport of luggage: between 20 and 100 kg depending on the duration of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance).

• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave if applicable.

• Pre-departure induction: 3 days at the IMPACT Initiatives headquarters in Geneva + one week of pre-departure training at the ACTED headquarters in Paris, including 4-day on-site safety training.

• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff. The proposed health insurance covers up to €1,000 per year in psychosocial support costs.

How to apply

Please apply directly on the website: Research Manager for Senegal, based in Dakar (Link For External Applicants) | Impact