Job Title: Research Operations Manager
Responsible for coordinating research timelines,
budgets, resources, vendors, fieldwork logistics, reporting, and
cross-functional activities across Product Research and Implementation and
Impact Research workstreams. The role also supports research processes, ethics,
data management, donor reporting, and dissemination of research findings.
Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Business,
Management, or a related field, with at least five years’ experience in
programme, project, research operations, or operations management. The position
is based in Nairobi and requires on-site work.
About the team
The Research Design & Evaluation (RD&E) team
is the heart of Jacaranda Health, providing evidence for product design,
implementation, scale and expansion of Jacaranda’s programming. We pride
ourselves on being data and technically adept, working with cutting edge
technology to drive high value solutions for maternal health.
Key
Responsibilities
Portfolio Timeline & Resourcing
Management
Maintain
a consolidated view of active studies/projects across Product Research and
Implementation and ImpactResearch, tracking timelines, dependencies, and team
capacity.
Coordinate
sprint-aligned planning for Product Research and fieldwork-driven scheduling
(data collection windows, enumerator/partner logistics) for Impact and
Implementation Research, with understanding of varying team cadences.
Flag
resourcing conflicts or at-risk timelines to the Head of Department early, with
proposed options.
Accountable
for portfolio-level delivery visibility.
Budget & Stakeholder Management
Manage
budget planning, tracking, and reporting for all research streams.
Own
vendor and partner-contract coordination (survey/usability tools, enumerator
rosters, external data-sharing agreements), in partnership with
Operations/Finance as needed.
Accountable
for budget accuracy and timely vendor management across the research portfolio.
Accountable
for donor reporting needs and timelines- owns the reporting processes and
outputs in collaboration with Comms and Finance.
Process, Tooling, Administration &
Compliance
Build and
maintain shared research operations infrastructure: intake processes, reporting
templates, documentation standards, and tooling that serve both streams.
Support
administrative coordination for fieldwork logistics (facility/partner
scheduling, ethics/IRB submission tracking) and for product-side research
administration (participant recruitment scheduling, tooling access)
Ensure
legal and ethical compliance – manage data sharing and storage, in full
compliance with all legal requirements.
Accountable
for research operations being repeatable and well-documented.
Cross-Functional Coordination &
Reporting
Serve as
the operational point of contact between Research and other departments
(Product, Tech, Data, Finance/Ops) on scheduling, budget, and process.
Prepare
routine portfolio-level status reporting for the Head of Department and
Technical Leadership, flagging risks and challenges early.
Accountable
for keeping both streams’ stakeholders informed and coordinated.
Accountable
for timely internal communication of research insights organization–wide,
improving the visibility of research learnings.
Support
the development of external research communications, championing external
visibility.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s
degree required in a relevant field (for example public health, social
sciences, business or management)
5+ years
in program/project management, research operations, or operations management;
direct research operations experience.
Skills and Competencies:
Functional
understanding of research methods and requirements, including study design,
data quality, and interpretation and reporting
Demonstrated
experience managing budgets, vendors, and timelines across multiple concurrent
workstreams
Comfort
operating across two different delivery cadences (fast-cycle/product-style and
longer fieldwork/donor-driven cycles)
Strong
organizational and cross-functional communication skills; experience building
or maintaining shared operational processes/tooling
Desirable
Experience
managing donor-funded projects and reporting, preferably within global health,
maternal and newborn health, or digital health.
Experience
with research ethics and regulatory processes in Kenya (for example IRB and
NACOSTI submissions) and with data protection requirements.
Project
Management certification.
