Research and Learning Director USAID/Guatemala Smart and Secure Cities (SSC) Activity

About LINC

LINC is a mission-driven US-based small business organized around a commitment to local organizations leading their own development. We implement programs and deliver consulting and training in systems thinking, monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL), capacity-strengthening, and collective action. The recipient of USAID’s Small Business of the Year award in 2017, we are a team of reflective and passionate development professionals. Our country experience spans Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. For more information on LINC, please visit www.linclocal.org.

Position Description

LINC seeks a Research and Learning Director (RLD) for the upcoming USAID/Guatemala Smart and Secure Cities (SSC) Activity. The purpose of the activity is to provide services to USAID, partner Guatemalan organizations, and the Government of Guatemala to strengthen Guatemala’s ability to address crime and violence through multisectoral collaboration; to strengthen the municipal response to crime and violence through efficient planning, designing, and financing capacity for urban development and grown; and to enhance research and analysis to improve data-driven violence prevention strategies. This will be a full-time position contingent upon USAID award.

**Citizens of Guatemala are strongly encouraged to apply**

The RLD will lead efforts to enhance research and analysis that improves data-driven prevention strategies. The RLD will work with the Guatemalan government and non-government institutions and organizations, other donors, and the private sector to ensure effective and relevant activities implemented through SSC and use IT, data science tools, methods, and techniques to research and analyze prevention interventions and treatment models. They will also provide capacity strengthening to government and civil society organizations’ monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems for crime and violence prevention and support the piloting of a Crime Analysis Unit for Guatemala City Municipality. Finally, the RLD will oversee SSC MEL, measuring the progress of the Activity toward targets and ensuring that data is collected, analyzed, and used to improve activities.

Responsibilities

·        Serve on the senior management team, working collaboratively with other senior technical staff and key stakeholders.

·        Oversee design, development, and implementation of research and learning activities, including rigorous evaluations and assessments of SCC activities to generate evidence on what works in crime and violence provision.

·        Oversee design, development, and implementation of SSC CLA and MEL activities, including developing and implementing the activity MEL plan.

·        Identify and train key government and civil society stakeholders on data science and its application to social change and crime and violence prevention.

·        Provide technical assistance to stakeholders to strengthen their MEL systems for crime and violence prevention.

·        Manage, train, and mentor research and learning staff ensuring seamless coordination with other SSC activities. 

·        Oversee technical assistance to the Guatemala City municipality to pilot a Crime Analysis Unit.

·        Establish and maintain productive relationships, coordinate, and consult with key stakeholders, government officials, implementing partners, civil society, and the private sector. 

Skills and Qualifications

·        A master’s degree (or equivalent) in data and information science, statistics, monitoring and evaluation, and/ or a related field.  A Ph.D. degree in related fields is preferred.

·        Minimum 10 years of demonstrated experience leading research and analytical activities in an international development context, preferably in crime and violence prevention.

·        Experience serving as a team lead for evaluations and assessments.

·        Experience managing and analyzing large data sets, preferably focused on crime and violence prevention.

·        Technical expertise in crime and violence prevention, governance, institution strengthening, and/or rule of law.

·        Experience providing technical assistance to local government and/or CSOs in strengthening the capacity to monitor and evaluate social service provision, including developing standardized tools to collect, store, clean, process, and analyze data.

·        Experience with USAID activity monitoring and the collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) framework.

·        Familiarity with data security and accessibility of project standards.

·        Prior experience working in Guatemala.

·        Exceptional written and oral communication skills.

·        Fluency in written and spoken Spanish and English.