Head of Research Projects

About the role

Millar Cameron, in partnership with Jacaranda Health, is looking for a Head of Research Projects to lead the organisation’s research portfolio. Based in Nairobi, the role provides strategic leadership to generate high‑quality evidence that shapes product development, programme design, organisational strategy and policy engagement.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and own Jacaranda’s research strategy, aligning it with organisational priorities and RD&E goals.
• Identify and prioritise research questions that strengthen programmes, support product innovation and position the organisation as a thought leader.
• Provide technical oversight for qualitative and quantitative studies, product and UX research, analysis and dissemination.
• Ensure research outputs meet the highest standards of scientific rigor, ethics and relevance.
• Translate complex findings into clear, actionable insights for internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team, fostering methodological rigour and operational feasibility.
• Partner with Product, Technology, Programme and Data teams to embed evidence‑driven decision‑making throughout the product lifecycle.

Required profile

• Proven senior leadership experience in research management, preferably within health or public‑health contexts.
• Strong track record of designing, executing and disseminating large‑scale research and evaluation projects.
• Ability to critically assess research relevance, identify emerging inquiry areas and communicate findings effectively.
• Experience supporting product lifecycles through user research, experimentation and A/B testing.

Required skills

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape evidence‑driven health solutions impacting millions of mothers and newborns across East Africa.
• Collaborative environment with multidisciplinary teams.
• Leadership role in a fast‑growing, technology‑enabled health organisation.