Senior Research Operations Coordinator at Samuel Hall at Samuel Hall

Senior Research Operations Coordinator at Samuel Hall at Samuel Hall | Iko Kazi

About the job

Samuel Hall is looking for a Senior Research Operations Coordinator to support the delivery of our research operations across Africa.
This role sits at the heart of research implementation — coordinating operational planning across multiple projects, supporting consultants and field teams, strengthening quality assurance, managing operational risks, and helping ensure our research is delivered consistently and to high standards.
We're looking for someone with at least five years of experience in research operations, field coordination or project implementation, ideally within development, humanitarian or research organisations operating across Africa. Experience working across complex or fragile environments and coordinating consultants and field teams is particularly relevant.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Operational Planning & Implementation Oversight

Coordinate operational planning across assigned research projects to support efficient project implementation
Review field implementation plans, deployment schedules and operational readiness to ensure projects are adequately prepared for delivery
Monitor operational budgets and expenditure across assigned projects, identifying variances and
coordinating corrective actions with the Research Operations Manager and Finance.
Coordinate operational resources across projects, including consultants, field teams and operational support requirements
Monitor implementation progress, timelines and operational performance across multiple concurrent projects, identifying and addressing implementation challenges

Consultant & Field Team Coordination

Coordinate the mobilisation, onboarding and deployment of Research Operations Coordinators, consultants and field teams to ensure projects are appropriately resourced
Provide technical guidance and operational support to Research Operations Coordinators, consultants and field teams throughout project implementation
Monitor consultant and field team performance, providing coaching and feedback to strengthen operational effectiveness
Support the Research Operations Manager in maintaining a capable and responsive consultant network aligned with Samuel Hall's needs

Research Quality Assurance & Operational Standards

Coordinate quality assurance activities throughout the research lifecycle to ensure compliance with approved methodologies, ethical standards and procedures
Review field implementation processes, data collection activities and operational documentation to identify quality issues and recommend corrective actions
Monitor implementation of operational systems, standard operating procedures and quality standards across projects
Support continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen operational quality and consistency

Operational Risk Compliance & Field Support

Monitor operational risks across assigned projects and coordinate implementation of mitigation measures
Support safety and security planning for field activities in collaboration with project teams and management
Monitor compliance with organisational policies, donor requirements and research protocols
Escalate significant operational, quality or compliance issues requiring management intervention

Operational Coordination & Stakeholder Management

Coordinate day-to-day operational activities across multiple projects to ensure effective collaboration between programme, research, finance and support teams
Liaise with consultants, research partners, community representatives, government authorities and service providers to facilitate effective project implementation
Represent the Research Operations function in operational meetings, technical discussions, workshops and external engagements, as required, to support effective project implementation and stakeholder engagement
Support operational aspects of workshops, training programmes, validation meetings and dissemination activities
Promote effective communication and coordination across operational teams and stakeholders

Performance Monitoring, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

Monitor operational performance against agreed workplans, budgets and key performance indicators
Prepare operational reports, dashboards and implementation updates to support management decision making
Coordinate operational reviews and lessons learnt exercises to strengthen future project implementation
Identify opportunities to improve operational systems, consultant management and field coordination processes
Perform any other duties as may be assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Research Methods, International Relations or a related field
A postgraduate qualification in Project Management, Research Methods, Monitoring and Evaluation,
Development Studies or a related field will be an added advantage

EXPERIENCE

Minimum of 5 years experience in research operations, field coordination or project implementation,
preferably within development, humanitarian or research organisations operating across Africa
Experience coordinating multiple research projects and supporting field operations in complex or fragile environments
Experience supervising and coordinating consultants, field teams and enumerators
Experience implementing quality assurance processes for qualitative and quantitative research
Experience coordinating operational planning, field logistics and project implementation
Experience facilitating training sessions, workshops or field briefings for consultants, field teams or partners
Experience working with international clients, donors, research partners and government institutions is an advantage

Senior Research Operations Coordinator at Samuel Hall