Enumerators and Field Coordinators: South Africa

Consultancy · Project-based · Based in South Africa · Immediate deployment · Apply by Thursday 18 June 2026

About Bodhi

Bodhi Global Analysis is a woman-led international development research consultancy established in London in 2017, with subsidiaries in Nairobi (2018), Singapore (2023), Dar es Salaam (2025), and The Hague (2026). We specialise in formative and evaluative research through participatory approaches, serving UN agencies, bilateral donors, INGOs, and regional organisations. As an ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001 certified organisation, Bodhi maintains rigorous quality control across all operations.

About the Roles

Bodhi is recruiting Enumerators and Field Coordinators in South Africa for immediate deployment on an upcoming multi-country baseline survey examining enterprise, livelihoods, and cross-border trade among young women and youth. The assignment combines a quantitative survey with focus group discussions and key informant interviews, with fieldwork concentrated in selected border districts and cross-border trade corridors.

This is a time-critical recruitment with a very short timeline. We need to mobilise field teams immediately, and we anticipate deployment at short notice. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis as they arrive, and strong candidates may be contracted before the deadline, so please apply as early as possible.

These are two different roles. Some applicants will fit one; some will fit both. In your cover letter, please state clearly whether you are applying as an Enumerator, a Field Coordinator, or both, and address the requirements relevant to your chosen track(s).

Track A. Enumerator

Enumerators are primary data collectors who conduct survey interviews directly with respondents. This is a hands-on field role.

Key responsibilities

  • Conduct quantitative survey interviews with respondents using digital data collection tools (for example KoboToolbox, SurveyCTO, or ODK) on handheld devices
  • Administer the survey instrument accurately, following sampling, routing, respondent-selection, and replacement protocols
  • Obtain informed consent and conduct interviews in the appropriate local languages
  • Act as note-taker or support moderator for focus group discussions where required
  • Adhere to research ethics, informed consent, confidentiality, and safeguarding requirements at all times
  • Submit clean, accurate data daily, and respond to quality feedback from spot-checks and back-checks
  • Travel to assigned data collection sites, including border districts and trade corridors

Essential

  • Completed secondary education (a diploma or degree is an advantage), or equivalent field experience
  • Prior experience as an enumerator on quantitative surveys, including digital or CAPI data collection
  • Fluency in English and in the relevant local language(s) of the assigned survey areas
  • Familiarity with mobile data collection applications (KoboToolbox, ODK, SurveyCTO, or similar)
  • Reliability, attention to detail, and willingness to work to tight deadlines
  • Current residence in South Africa and availability for immediate deployment

Desirable

  • Experience surveying enterprises, traders, market vendors, or MSMEs, or working in cross-border and market settings
  • Experience interviewing women respondents (female enumerators are particularly encouraged to apply)
  • Experience collecting data in border, rural, or remote areas

Track B. Field Coordinator

Field Coordinators mobilise, train, and manage enumerator teams, oversee quality, and deliver clean data from challenging environments. This is a hands-on operational role.

Key responsibilities

  • Recruit, train, and manage teams of enumerators and note-takers, drawing on your existing network in South Africa
  • Maintain gender balance within field teams, ensuring female enumerators are available to interview female respondents where the context requires
  • Plan and oversee quantitative survey data collection using digital platforms, including sampling implementation, routing, and device management
  • Facilitate and moderate focus group discussions, applying gender-sensitive and conflict-sensitive approaches
  • Conduct or support key informant interviews at community and local-authority level
  • Manage field logistics, including scheduling, venue identification, respondent mobilisation, and movement planning
  • Implement daily quality assurance, including spot-checks, back-checks, debriefs, and review of submitted data
  • Ensure all data collection adheres to ethical standards, informed consent protocols, and safeguarding requirements
  • Provide the project team with real-time contextual and security updates, flagging risks and advising on mitigation

Essential

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, or equivalent professional experience in field research and data collection
  • A minimum of five years' experience coordinating primary data collection in South Africa, including both quantitative surveys and qualitative methods
  • An established, mobilisable network of enumerators and field researchers across South Africa, including in regions beyond the capital
  • Demonstrated experience training and managing enumerator teams
  • Proven experience facilitating focus group discussions and conducting key informant interviews
  • Hands-on experience with digital data collection platforms
  • Strong organisational and logistical skills, with the ability to deliver under tight timelines
  • Current residence in South Africa, with the ability to travel to the survey areas

Desirable

  • Experience managing data collection in fragile, insecure, or remote areas, including border zones
  • Knowledge of sampling methodologies and field-level quality control protocols
  • Experience working with UN agencies, bilateral donors, or INGOs
  • First aid, safety, or security training relevant to fieldwork

Common Requirements (both tracks)

  • Fluency in English; fluency in one or more of the official languages spoken in the survey areas (for example isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Setswana, Afrikaans, Tshivenda, or Xitsonga) is essential for community-level interviewing
  • Commitment to research ethics, informed consent, confidentiality, and safeguarding
  • Reliability, attention to detail, and a commitment to high-quality, objective work
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a remote, multidisciplinary international team
  • Availability for immediate deployment given the short project timeline

What We Offer

  • A consultancy engagement for an immediate assignment, with inclusion on Bodhi's consultant roster for consideration for future opportunities
  • The opportunity to contribute to technically rigorous research for international development partners
  • Collaboration with an experienced, multidisciplinary international research team
  • Professional development through exposure to Bodhi's established research methodologies and quality assurance frameworks

How to Apply

The application deadline is Thursday 18 June 2026. Given the urgency, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and we may close recruitment early once suitable candidates are identified, so please apply immediately.

To apply, please go to www.bodhiglobalanalysis.com/jobs, select this role, click Apply, and follow the instructions. You will be invited to submit:

  • A CV demonstrating relevant data collection experience, including surveys you have worked on, the languages you speak, and the areas of South Africa where you have worked
  • A short cover letter stating (1) whether you are applying as an Enumerator, a Field Coordinator, or both, and (2) your availability for immediate deployment
  • Proof of right to work in South Africa

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Bodhi is a women-owned enterprise committed to gender parity at all levels of the organisation. We particularly welcome applications from women researchers and candidates who bring lived experience from the regions where we work. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religious belief, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic background, or disability.

For more information about our organisation, please visit www.bodhiglobalanalysis.com.

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