Senior Research Manager

About the role

Farsight Africa Group is looking for a Senior Research Manager to lead its research portfolio, covering design, delivery and quality of research projects across Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, including fragile and conflict-affected settings. The role reports to senior management, supervises Research Executives, Research Assistants, field teams and subcontractors, and works with senior management to grow the research business.

Key responsibilities

• Lead research projects from scoping and design through fieldwork, analysis and reporting, adapting methods to each country's cultural, linguistic and security context
• Design and deliver qualitative and quantitative work, including interviews, focus groups, surveys, literature reviews and data analysis, while upholding ethics, safeguarding and data protection
• Manage multi-country project resources, workplans, timelines and budgets, and recruit and coordinate field teams and subcontractors
• Supervise and mentor junior staff, anticipate operational risks such as access, security and logistics, and travel regularly to project countries
• Win new work with senior managers, write proposals and bids, and develop relationships with clients, donors, government counterparts and partners
• Raise the profile of the research business through presentations, publications and events, and set quality standards for tools, data and deliverables

Required profile

• Master's degree in Social Sciences or a related field, with a focus on research or project management
• 5-7 years of experience in research and project management in East Africa, including multi-country projects
• Experience designing qualitative and quantitative fieldwork and writing successful proposals and managing budgets
• Experience in fragile or conflict-affected contexts; previous work in Somalia and Uganda is an added advantage
• Willingness to travel frequently between Nairobi, Somalia and Uganda

Required skills

• Analysis software such as SPSS, Stata, R or NVivo
• Excellent client-facing and written communication skills; familiarity with Somali is an added advantage
• Analytical, reporting and organisational skills, with strong problem-solving abilities

To apply, send your CV, a cover letter about your East Africa research experience and at least two previously written research reports to the company's HR email by 13 November 2026; applications without two reports will not be considered.