Senior Research Associate

Spark Microgrants

. Own assigned research projects or workstreams from initiation through delivery.

Posted 10/9/2026full-timeKigali • RwandaSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in managing and executing quantitative research projects, including proficiency in statistical analysis, data management, and effective communication of findings. Strong ability to collaborate across teams and maintain high standards of research quality and ethics.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Quantitative Research ManagementStatistical Analysis Software (Stata, R)Data Collection Platforms (CommCare, SurveyCTO)Version Control Systems (Git)Research Design and Evaluation

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Quantitative ResearchRegression AnalysisHypothesis TestingSamplingStatistical InferenceData ManagementData AnalysisAnalytical WorkflowsSurvey Instrument DevelopmentGeospatial Data Analysis

Soft Skills

Excellent Written CommunicationExcellent Verbal CommunicationTeam CollaborationInterdisciplinary TeamworkAdaptability

Industry Keywords

Social SciencesApplied EvaluationLow- and Middle-Income CountriesResearch EthicsMonitoring Systems

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Spark

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own assigned research projects or workstreams from initiation through delivery.
Develop work plans and budgets, manage timelines, coordinate inputs and research activities, and ensure timely completion of deliverables.
Lead quantitative research activities from research design and measurement approaches through analysis and dissemination.
Ensure research activities and outputs meet standards for rigor, quality, and research ethics.
Develop and maintain reproducible analytical workflows with organized code, version control, and research documentation.
Develop, program, test, and deploy survey instruments and other research tools.
Prepare and maintain research datasets using reproducible data management practices.
Analyze and synthesize quantitative, qualitative, and relevant geospatial data.
Translate analytical findings into data visualizations, briefs, reports, presentations, and technical documentation.
Develop understanding of Spark’s monitoring systems and use monitoring data for process evaluations and organizational learning.
Strengthen team-wide research systems, tools, templates, and quality standards.
Collaborate across research and program teams to generate useful evidence for decision-making.
Report to the Senior Research Director.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Master’s degree in social sciences (economic, political science, sociology, social psychology), data science, evaluation, international development or related fields.
5-10 years’ relevant experience in conducting applied quantitative research, evaluation, or policy research in low- and middle-income country contexts.
Demonstrated ability to independently manage substantial components of a research project.
Experience with randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental methods, or other applied evaluation approaches.
Strong quantitative skills, including regression analysis, hypothesis testing, sampling, and statistical inference.
Experience cleaning, managing, analyzing, and documenting complex research datasets.
Strong working knowledge of statistical analysis software such as Stata or R.
Experience with digital data collection platforms such as CommCare or SurveyCTO.
Experience with version control systems such as Git and reproducible, well-documented analytical workflows.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
Strong writing skills for donor reports, proposals, blog posts, op-eds, and other audiences.
Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and with colleagues or partners with different levels of technical expertise.
Candidates outside Uganda, Rwanda, or Malawi must already possess valid, legal work authorization for the requested East African location.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Three months probation period with learning and performance objectives
Equal employment and advancement opportunities
Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities