Human Centered Design Innovations Specialist (Fixed-Term)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Responsibilities

Project Design and Coordination:

• Manage coordination and prioritization of HCD project pipeline
• Collaborate with the Global HCD Lead to design research tools
• These will draw from HCD, participatory design and approaches, and using a range of methodologies including interviews, focus groups and design workshops.
• Ensure tools are adapted to local language and cultural sensitivities
• Lead research pilots and team training them and train team on their use.
• Implement HCD projects, including:
• Directly lead research engagements with farmers yourself (e.g. conducting interviews or FGDs)
• Train your team to use research tools to
• Elicit insights on farmer priorities, barriers, needs and aspirations
• Prototype, co-design and validate new products and communications e.g. digital or paper-based decision-support tools, marketing messages, training content
• Provide guidance and data quality assurance support and controls as research projects are implemented.
• Manage all logistical aspects of HCD projects e.g. participant recruitment (and incentives), transport, venues, fieldwork calendaring, coordination with colleagues in operational teams
• Implement research and quality control checks following agreed-upon data collection protocols
• Ensure transcription and translation of field data

Field Follow up and Supervision:

• Supervise data collection in the field; check results and make modifications to data collection
• Collaboration with FOPs and other partners for implementing research on the ground
• Track measurements with support of manager, to monitor project progress and staff performance
• Identifying any bottlenecks during project implementation and work with the project leads to troubleshooting. Put in place solutions.

Data Management:

• Elicit and apply insights from HCD research inform program strategy and product and service design
• You will analyze insights emerging from the research.
• You will translate these insights into actionable recommendations for program design, product / service design, marketing, training and SBCC
• As those recommendations are implemented, you will
• Collaborate with colleagues to ensure that emerging product/service designs are genuinely responsive to the insights generated through HCD research
• Lead further research to ensure farmer and field team needs are met by new designs e.g. through co-design processes and user testing
• Based on the existing internal and external evidence and data, you will make recommendations on additional learning and studies needed across the organization
• Ensure reports are written which generate useful recommendations of learning

Direct Management and Team Development:

• Manage HCD team and their professional development: Potential to manage 1 or 2 office staff of JL3-6 - indirect liaison with field teams and other departments on project execution, especially Field Operations Agricultural Trainer team in the field
• Complete Performance Reviews 2x per year for direct reports and ensure they have goals

Qualifications

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field. You are likely to have a degree in anthropology, ethnography, psychology, social sciences.
• Minimum of 1+ years of experience using qualitative research approaches, including focus group facilitation, interview-based approaches, and design workshop approaches.
• Experience living or working in rural areas
• Fluency in Kirundi, French, English required.