Position: Senior Researcher-(ANA) Sudan
Duty Station: Nairobi
Starting Date: September/October 2026
Type of Contract: Fixed Term

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT

Created in 2010, IMPACT is a Geneva-based NGO and the largest independent data provider in contexts of crisis. IMPACT aims to support a range of stakeholders in making better, more informed decisions in humanitarian, stabilization, and development settings. Through our team of assessment, data, geospatial, and thematic specialists, IMPACT promotes the design of people-centred research and set standards for collecting and analysing rigorous, high-quality data in complex environments. Over the past 15 years, IMPACT has been growing in size and geographic reach to become one of the largest humanitarian research agencies in the humanitarian sector.

IMPACT's teams implement assessment, monitoring, evaluation, and organisational capacity-building programmes in direct partnership with aid actors. IMPACT's team is composed of over 200 full-time international experts as well as a roster of consultants, who are currently implementing over 50 programmes in over 30 countries across Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Central and South-east Asia, and Eastern Europe.

We are currently looking for a Senior Researcher – Acute Needs Analysis (ANA) to support our Sudan team.

SUDAN COUNTRY PROFILE

Clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in Khartoum on 15 April 2023 and spread quickly across the country. Civilians have fled areas affected by fighting in large numbers, including to Chad, Egypt and South Sudan. Prices of food, fuel and other basic goods have skyrocketed skyrocketing, making critical goods unaffordable for many people. Half of Sudan’s population are in need of humanitarian assistance, and the country is on the verge of a catastrophic hunger crisis. Humanitarian organizations are racing to respond to the most pressing needs wherever and whenever feasible, with access issues complicating the ability of actors to respond. In this fast-evolving context, IMPACT Initiatives is working to inform the emergency response to enable effective prioritization with scarce resources.

POSITION PROFILE

Under the line management of the Research Manager, the Senior Researcher will lead the delivery of the Acute Needs Analysis at country level in Sudan.

The Senior Researcher will be responsible for reviewing and synthesizing available evidence, applying IMPACT's analytical frameworks, identifying critical gaps and producing clear, concise and actionable analysis to support humanitarian prioritization and decision-making.

The position will work closely with assessment, data, GIS and design colleagues to ensure that analytical findings are robust, clearly communicated and translated into high-quality external products. The Senior Researcher will also engage with relevant humanitarian stakeholders, including clusters, UN agencies, NGOs and donors to strengthen the relevance and uptake of the analysis.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYTICAL PRODUCT - ACUTE NEEDS ANALYSIS

• Lead the implementation and delivery of the analysis project at the country level, in coordination with the HQ programme team.

• Align the rollout with global schedules and ensure adherence to REACH analytical standards.

• Develop and maintain a strong stakeholder mapping and a network of collaborators at country level to enhance contextual understanding / monitoring.

• Ensure development of user-centered products and, where relevant, support joint analysis with relevant stakeholders.

2. DATA REVIEW AND CONSOLIDATION

• Collect and synthesize relevant secondary data from REACH assessments, UN agencies, INGOs, and public datasets (e.g., OCHA, FEWS NET, IPC), including via building and maintaining necessary relationships.

• Evaluate data reliability and identify critical gaps.

• Support decisions on the need for targeted, light-touch primary data collection.

3. ANALYTICAL PROCESS AND INTERPRETATION

• Apply REACH global analytical guidance to produce structured, consistent, and context-relevant analysis of acute needs analysis.

• Use defined frameworks (e.g. Risk of Excess Mortality) to identify areas at risk of large-scale loss of life and estimate the number of people experiencing life-threatening conditions

• Clearly document assumptions, limitations, and analytical reasoning.

4. OUTPUT PRODUCTION AND DISSEMINATION

• Draft the Acute Needs Analysis brief using standardized global templates and language.

• Collaborate with GIS and design colleagues to include maps, caseload tables, and other visual aids.

• Ensure internal review and validation of the product before dissemination.

• Present findings to clusters, working groups, and donors as needed.

• As needed, support the development of Global Key Messages based on country level findings.

5. LEARNING, INNOVATION, AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

• Participate in lessons-learned reviews and propose improvements to global analysis processes and guidance.

• Contribute to organisational learning on running analysis workstreams and contribute to reflections and development of additional analytical workstreams, in collaboration with country and global counterparts.

• Support internal knowledge sharing and analytical training at the country level.

• Stay updated on sectoral best practices and innovations in humanitarian analysis.

• The (Senior) Researcher will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. They will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to REACH and its partners, or collected during his/her assignment with REACH.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• 3 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian setting, such as analysis, assessments, monitoring and evaluation and research design etc. with direct in-country experience;

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g. international development studies / international relations, humanitarian response, data science, political science, etc.);

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills with experience of interpreting complex data and producing clear, actionable insights.

• Strong writing skills and experience producing clear, concise briefs for external audiences.

• Proficiency in Excel, with experience of an additional analytical tool (e.g. PowerBI, SPSS, R, STATA, or Python) and an understanding of basic GIS processes and outputs an asset.

• Familiarity with different qualitative and quantitative research methods, with the ability to evaluate the quality of different data sources.

• Understanding of humanitarian coordination systems, including HPC and inter-agency needs analysis and assessments.

• Contextual knowledge is an asset. Please highlight in your application if you have experience working in one or more of the potential contexts listed below

COMMUNICATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS

• Ability to manage complex workflows and deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines.

• Experience engaging with external stakeholders (e.g. clusters, donors, UN agencies).

• Fluency in English required; competency in Arabic is an asset

• Comfortable working in cross-cultural, fast-paced environments.

• Sound judgment and emotional intelligence in high-pressure or sensitive situations, strong interpersonal awareness and the ability to respond constructively to feedback and shifting priorities.

• Previous completion of HEAT (Hostile Environment Awareness Training) is an asset.

How to apply

Qualified Kenyan nationals with the required skills are invited to submit their applications accompanied by detailed curriculum vitae and cover letter as a single document i.e. with the cover letter being on the first page and the CV starting on the second page, detailing three work related referees and contacts to kenya.jobs@acted.org and received on or before 5.00PM on 10.09.2026 with the subject line 'Senior Researcher-Sudan'

Please do not attach any other documents while sending your applications, if required they will be requested at a later stage.

Please note;

• Screening will be conducted on a rolling basis.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

• ACTED reserves the right to fill this position before the advert deadline.

• ACTED will not request any payment at any stage of the recruitment process. Furthermore, ACTED has not engaged any agent or third party in connection with this recruitment.

ACTED is committed to protecting beneficiaries within our programmes from exploitation and abuse and any kind of misconduct. ACTED has specific policies, including PSEA and Child Protection, which outlines the expected behaviour and the responsibility of all staff, beneficiaries, consultants and other stakeholders and has zero tolerance towards misconducts. Any candidate offered a job with ACTED will be expected to sign ACTED’s organizational Policies and Code of Conduct as an annex to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.

ACTED is an Equal Opportunity Employer.