We are currently looking for a Senior Assessment Officer to support our team in SOM.

Department: REACH

Position: Senior Assessment Officer

Contract duration: 12 months

Location: Mogadishu

Starting Date: 19 January 2025

Country profile

Somalia remains within a complex and protracted crisis due to active conflict, the presence of non-state armed actors, the persistent presence of communicable diseases and climate-driven onset shocks – including droughts and flooding. Conflict and natural disasters continue to drive displacement and constrain the availability of resources, while the presence of armed groups severely impedes the level of access and support provided by humanitarian actors. The combination of restricted access to resources, drought, and flooding further exacerbates the possibility for outbreaks of communicable diseases like measles, cholera, and acute watery diarrhea (AWD),

Against this backdrop, IMPACT Initiatives has developed a wide range of research cycles to provide an evidence-base for the humanitarian community. This includes support to the Somali Cash Consortium, the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative, Detailed Site Assessments (DSAs), the Durable Solutions Readiness Assessment (DSRA); and leadership of the Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA), Humanitarian Situation Monitoring (HSM), Rapid Needs Assessments (RNA).

FUNCTIONS

Under the line management of the IMPACT Inter-Sectoral Unit (ISU) Research Manager, the Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the implementation of IMPACT’s MSNA research cycle in Somalia, including the preparation, data collection, analysis, drafting, dissemination, and evaluation stages. Throughout the MSNA, the Senior Assessment Officer engages with partners and stakeholders to promote their participation and maximize their impact. They also ensure an efficient and transparent use of resources required for project implementation.

This position requires strong research skills (particularly in quantitative and mixed methodology sampling), willingness to work in hardship location, an analytical mind, creativity, independence, and an interest in the national and regional context. Candidates should have strong writing and presentation skills and be able to clearly think through and articulate implications of research findings, as well as engage with external stakeholders in the design and dissemination of the research cycle. The position will regularly require interpreting data, highlighting relevant findings, writing engaging briefs and factsheets, presenting findings to external audiences with varying amounts of data literacy, and guiding colleagues in how to think more analytically about their own research.

REQUIREMENTS

• Years of work experience 3 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian setting, such as assessments, monitoring and evaluation, research design and analysis, etc.
• Research skills Excellent quantitative and qualitative research data analysis experience required. Ability to adapt, implement and interpret methodology, sampling and analysis to a high standard
• Familiarity with the humanitarian and aid system Good understanding of the aid system and the research community. Prior experience with humanitarian coordination forums preferred
• Thematic experience Prior experience with MSNA type of research ac humanitarian assessments is an asset. Prior experience working with components of FSL/public health is highly desirable
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent verbal and written communication and drafting skills for effective and accurate reporting required
• Academic qualifications Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a Master’s degree in relevant discipline (e.g. international studies, development, humanitarian response, data science, political science, statistics, etc)
• Software skills Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Advanced skills in R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software are an advantage; Experience with InDesign an asset.
• Level of independence Proven ability to work independently.
• Experience in geographical region Past experience in the HoA region is desirable; or any other emergency context where access is challenging.
• Language skills Fluency in English required, competency in Somali an asset.
• Security environment Openness to working in a high-risk security zone required. Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment. Ability to prioritize self-care and well-being

CONDITIONS

• For this position, salary between 3’000 CHF and 3’120 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD
• NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
• Accommodation and food provided in a guesthouse. Depending on the country situation, a contribution to a housing allowance of up to 75% of country-specific benchmark can be considered instead. NB – IMPACT is hosted by ACTED in this country [to be adjusted depending on the country]
• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered)
• R&R after 2-3 months (flight ticket up to 500$ + 200$ of living allowance)
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)
• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.
• Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;
• Enrolment in IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Programme within the first 3 months from the start of contract.
• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees