NGO Jobs in Nairobi, Kenya - Busara Center

Busara Center for Behavioral Economics

Job Vacancy: Talent Acquisition Manager
Job Location: Nairobi County, Kenya
Job Description: The Talent Acquisition Manager is the primary member of our People team in charge of executing Busara’s plans to attract, recruit, and onboard top talent.
Based in Busara’s main operating hub in Nairobi, the Manager will oversee the full cycle of recruitment and employment branding, from initial job posting to full employee onboarding.
The Manager will be responsible for discovering top talent, building a strong employment brand, and ensuring great relationships with candidates and employees.
Busara is a behavioral science organization that uses rigorous data and cutting-edge research methods in all of its work, and our People team is no different. As a firm driven by human capital, our people drive everything we do, from our engagements to our culture.
Our value as a firm comes from our exceptional people. We aim to eliminate bias in the hiring process and expect our Talent Acquisition Manager to embrace a scientific and rigorous approach to hiring.
The ideal candidate will be a proactive, strong communicator both verbally and in writing and will be able to quickly understand Busara’s brand and human capital needs.
The Manager will be able to partner with senior management to determine current staffing needs, produce forecasts, and develop talent acquisition plans. Additionally, the Manager will be the primary person responsible for implementing employment branding initiatives.
To excel as Talent Acquisition Manager, we expect you to be experienced in full-cycle recruiting and employment branding. You should have a sharp eye for talented people and a steady commitment to help them find success in our company.
Core Responsibilities
The Talent Acquisition Manager will be responsible for the following:
·         In partnership with Busara’s senior management, determine staffing needs across the Africa region and produce forecasts.
·         Develop and implement talent acquisition strategies and hiring plans for Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and all other countries where Busara is hiring staff.
·         Help Busara build a strong employer brand and execute employment branding initiatives.
·         Maintain relationships with candidates for future opportunities.
·         Build and maintain relationships with organizations and individuals in Busara’s network who can help us find top talent.
·         Strategically source potential hires from different backgrounds, helping Busara build a diverse, competitive team across all its offices.
·         Propose, develop, and lead employment branding initiatives.
·         Source to fill open positions through social media and other online searches and anticipate Busara’s future needs.
·         Plan and conduct the recruitment and selection process (interviews, screening calls, etc.), including coordinating internally with selection committee members for key positions.
·         Actively take steps to ensure a positive, consistent experience for all candidates.
·         Engage with and manage any external recruiters Busara is working with for specific positions.
·         Host or participate in candidate recruitment initiatives or partnerships with universities.
·         Assist in employee retention and development.
·         Use metrics to create reports and identify areas of improvement.
Requirements
·         Excellent communicator who engages well externally and internally
·         Proven experience as talent acquisition manager
Experience in full-cycle recruiting, sourcing and employment branding
·         Understanding of all selection methods and techniques
·         Proficient in the use of social media and job boards
·         Willingness to understand the duties and competencies of different roles
·         Working knowledge of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and databases
·         Well-organized
·         A leader and strategic thinker
·         BSc/BA in business administration, human resources or relevant field.
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to apply online


Job Vacancy: Senior Operations Manager
Job Location: Nairobi County, Kenya
Job Description: The Senior Operations Manager plays a key role in managing Busara’s day to day operations globally.
Based in Busara’s main operating hub in Nairobi, the Senior Manager supports the Director of Operations in overseeing Busara’s global operations in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and other countries where Busara has or is building a presence.
The Senior Manager is specifically responsible for overseeing day to day facilities planning and management, logistics and procurement, fleet management, security, and operations risk management.
In five years, Busara has grown from four people in one office to over 130 staff across the region, with active projects across Africa. The Senior Operations Manager will play a leading role in supporting Busara’s growth while helping to ensure smooth, efficiently run operations in our existing offices.
The ideal candidate is extremely proactive, a good communicator verbally and in writing, and able to manage and prioritize multiple tasks. Additionally, the ideal candidate should have experience with managing operations in the region, should have working knowledge of best practices in procurement, and should demonstrate good judgment with respect to all operational issues, particularly security.
Core Responsibilities
The Senior Operations Manager will be responsible for the following:
·         Oversee the running and day to day management of all Busara offices through direct engagement with country managers and facilities staff.
·         Where necessary, work with office leads to harmonize Busara’s operational procedures across its Kenya and Uganda offices, and help develop and implement procedures to be rolled out to all new offices.
·         Manage all aspects of security, from office security to the safety and security of each of our staff members who is traveling. This will involve developing and implementing a system for tracking individual staff who are traveling, assessing the security situation in various countries where Busara works, serving as the first point of contact on security matters, and advising the Director of Operations on key developments and issues.
·         Support the Director of Operations by preparing, reviewing, and editing documents including standard operating procedures, policies, and staff communications.
·         Provide administrative support to the Director of Operations as needed, including gathering documentation for new country registration and liaising with key service providers.
·         Work with each country operations manager to compile and analyze budgets and build purchasing and procurement plans.
·         Build and implement a plan to make sure that all visitors to every Busara office have a positive, on brand experience from the moment they enter the door.
·         Support the Director of Operations by compiling operations performance metrics, regularly assessing the operational health of all Busara offices.
·         Working with each office manager, develop a system to ensure that all local operational risks are addressed and mitigated, including all local requirements and regulations affecting Busara’s operations.
·         Assess the value provided by all service providers serving Busara’s operations and make recommendations for new providers where appropriate.
Requirements
·         Experience working managing operations in a fast paced environment in Africa.
·         Experience with overseeing security or working with an organization in high risk areas ideal.
·         Proven ability to work well in a fast paced environment.
·         Ability to identify and address areas for process or policy improvement.
·         Strong written and verbal communication.
·         Solid knowledge of organizational effectiveness and operations management.
·         Experience managing geographically dispersed teams.
·         Strong IT skills, including the ability to clearly, simply, and effectively represent information in spreadsheets, slides, etc.
·         Working knowledge of budgets, forecasting, and metrics.
·         Fast paced and extremely organized.
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to apply online

Job Vacancy: Research Engagement Director (Labs)
Job Location: Nairobi County, Kenya
About Busara: The Busara Center for Behavioral Economics is an advisory and research organization focused on advancing and applying behavioral science in emerging markets.
Busara applies rigorous research methods and evaluation tools to enable partners to improve program design, assess existing interventions, and optimize internal processes.
Busara operates from its permanent offices in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania, and has worked on projects with partners across the continent. We currently have 69 active projects, 112 completed projects, 36 academic affiliations, 3 operational decision labs, and 145 full time staff.
Busara is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Professor Johannes Haushofer (Princeton University) and operating under the leadership of Dr. Jeremy Shapiro.
We have worked on projects related to agriculture, financial inclusion, savings, inequality, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and other questions central to development economics.
Position Summary: The Research Engagement Director is the primary leader in the Labs division at Busara, responsible for leading the planning, strategy, and trajectory of Busara research projects.
This division supports pure academic work as well as designing and implementing rigorous research for other projects at Busara.
The Engagement Director has two primary responsibilities at Busara — structuring and supervising an active portfolio of projects (primarily composed of designing and implementing lab and field experiments in collaboration with academics), and developing partnerships to design and develop new research projects for their portfolio.
The Research Engagement Director will primarily supervise a team of talented Labs Managers, Research Specialists, and Labs Coordinators to design and implement lab and field experiments in collaboration with external partners such as academics at universities, researchers at policy units and think tanks, or clients.
The Research Engagement Director is expected to quickly gain an expert understanding of a particular problem or research question and use all tools at their disposal, both within and outside Busara, to design, structure, and supervise a research project to the highest standards.
The Research Engagement Director is expected to have strong management skills and be comfortable driving all aspects of potential Busara research projects.
Additionally, the Research Engagement Director takes a larger role in supporting the growth and sustainability of Busara’s global operations. As they grow their expertise in implementing and conducting research at Busara, they will build relationships that generate scientific opportunities.
The Research Engagement Director has a great deal of autonomy in the partnerships they build, and as such plays a crucial role in shaping the strategy for the organization as a whole.
Lastly, the Research Engagement Director plays a crucial role in the organization as a member of the senior management team. They will be both critical to developing and overseeing implementation of organizational strategy, defining expansion and growth priorities, and playing a key role in internal processes such as hiring, recruiting, and coaching.
Delivery Responsibilities:
The Research Engagement Director will assemble a team of Busara advisors and researchers to structure successful projects that deliver data, value and knowledge to the client / PI.
Core delivery responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
·         Manage and coordinate a portfolio of projects across multiple client bases (primarily academic researchers, but also private sector, government etc.).
·         Structure, design, and deliver external and internal engagements to client’s / PI’s satisfaction
·         Manage, motivate, and coach staff in the Labs Division (Research Specialists, Labs Managers, Labs Coordinators, Lab Officers, and Labs Assistants) to execute projects in their portfolio.
·         Strategically assemble teams on projects that maximize the probability of success, but also develop new skills and competencies among Busara’s talent pool and supporting divisions.
·         Stay current on the latest research in qualitative and quantitative methods, behavioral science, psychology, economics, development and any other relevant field to provide creative direction for engagements.
·         Ensure the overall operational quality of the Labs division, including that research and data systems are maintained and processes adhered to with the strictest standards. Also ensure adherence to our ethical and open science standards.
·         Ensure quality on all work products produced and drafted for research projects by giving regular feedback to Labs teams, but also occasionally contributing to content.
·         Regularly coordinate across divisions to ensure research and data systems are up-to-date and state of the art.
·         Serve as the primary relationship manager for clients, partners, and PIs. Understand and preempt needs of stakeholders through proactive communication and troubleshooting.
·         Structure successful project onboarding and offboarding exercises to support knowledge management between projects.
·         Design proposals, concept notes, and pitch decks for new partnership opportunities and knowledge sharing. Present at conferences, networking events, or client meetings.
·         Contribute to the design, execution, and dissemination of Busara internal research projects.
Portfolio Growth Responsibilities:
In addition to project responsibilities, the Engagement Director also has the following growth responsibilities to ensure the growth and sustainability of the organization:
·         Develop a portfolio of projects that contributes to quarterly and annual business development targets for the organization
·         Proactively design internal research, thought pieces, and demos to help facilitate new research offerings and service lines
·         Support Busara’s strategic planning by identifying markets of interest, future service lines, high priority partnerships and priority investments.
·         Develop lasting relationship with researchers and others to build long-term partnerships and promote behavioral science as an embedded tool within their organizations.
·         Serve as primary points of contact on large, multi-year projects and support VPs to develop effective engagement strategies for those projects.
Organizational Responsibilities:
Lastly, Engagement Directors have the following organizational responsibilities to ensure a healthy and functioning workplace:
·         Drive the strategy of the Labs Division by setting annual targets, managing any team building events, and ensuring cross-division harmony on priorities for the organization.
·         Serve as a core member of the senior management team, responsible for setting organizational strategy, holding other team members accountable, and making senior hiring decisions.
·         Manage communications to ensure clear internal knowledge management and harmonization across the Labs Division
·         Serve as Direct Managers to a team of Research Specialists and Labs Managers
·         Serve on internal committees when necessary.
Requirements
Required Qualifications:
·         A Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or related fields.
·         Expertise in experimental approaches, particularly social science experiments.
·         Previous experience designing and running randomized controlled trials or lab experiments
·         Experience managing or mentoring senior staff and young professionals (3+ years)
·         Strong previous experience in a client-delivery role, particularly in the research implementation space (e.g. IPA, JPAL, IFMR, Experimental Lab Manager)
·         Proven interest in behavioral science
·         5-7 years previous work experience
·         Demonstrated ability to develop relationships with partner organizations
·         Excellent management and organizational skills
·         Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player

·         Interest and experience working in a fast-paced working environment
·         Fluency and excellent communication and writing skills with a mastery of English
·         Ability to execute projects while sustaining a global focus and vision for institutional planning and decision-making
Desired Qualifications:
·         A Master’s degree or PhD in Economics, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or related fields.
·         Strong previous experience managing teams of researchers or consultants in East Africa
·         Experience sitting on senior management teams and developing organizational strategy
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to apply online

Job Vacancy: Engagement Director
Job Location: Nairobi County, Kenya
Job Description: Engagement Directors are the primary leaders in the projects division at Busara, responsible for leading the planning, strategy, and trajectory of Busara engagements.
Engagement Directors have two primary responsibilities at Busara — structuring and supervising an active portfolio of projects, and developing partnerships to design and develop new engagements for their portfolio.
Engagement Directors are the primary portfolio managers for all external Busara projects, supervising a set of engagements each staffed with different project management teams.
Engagement Directors are expected to be able to quickly gain an expert understanding of a particular problem or research question and use all tools at their disposal, both within and outside Busara, to design, structure, and supervise an engagement to the highest possible degree.
Engagement Directors are expected to have strong management skills and be comfortable driving all aspects of potential Busara engagements. Engagement Directors will manage projects that apply rigorous research methods to identify novel, evidence-based solutions to challenging client needs. Engagement Directors will primarily supervise a team of talented associates to deliver research insights in a compelling way that lead to action.
Additionally, Engagement Directors take a larger role in supporting the growth and sustainability of the global operations. As you start to hone your industry and technical expertise, you will help build valuable relationships that generate business opportunities for Busara. Engagement Directors have a great deal of autonomy in the partnerships they build, and as such play a crucial role in shaping the strategy for the organization going forward.
Lastly, Engagement Directors play a crucial role in the organization as members of the senior management team. They will be both critical to developing and overseeing implementation of organizational strategy, defining expansion and growth priorities and playing a key role in internal processes such as hiring, recruiting, and coaching.
Delivery Responsibilities:
Engagement Directors will work to assemble a team of Busara advisors and researchers to structure successful projects that deliver value and knowledge to the client.
Core delivery responsibilities include, but are limited to:
·         Manage and coordinate a portfolio of projects across multiple client bases (researchers, private sector, government etc. ).
·         Structure, design, and deliver external and internal engagements to client’s satisfaction
·         Manage, motivate, and coach a team of associates and analysts to execute projects in your portfolio.
·         Strategically assemble teams on projects that maximize the probability of success, but also develop new skills and competencies among Busara’s talent pool and supporting divisions.
·         Stay current on the latest research in qualitative and quantitative methods, behavioral science, psychology, economics, and development to provide creative direction for engagements.
·         Responsible for final quality backstop on all work products produced and drafted for engagements by giving regular feedback to project teams, but also occasionally contributing to content.
·         Serve as the primary relationship manager for clients and partners. Understand and preempt needs of stakeholders through proactive communication and troubleshooting.
·         Structure successful project onboarding and offboarding exercises to support knowledge management between projects.
·         Design proposals, concept notes and pitch decks for new business opportunities and knowledge sharing. Present at conferences, networking events, or client meetings.
·         Contribute to the design, execution, and dissemination of Busara internal research projects.
Portfolio Growth Responsibilities:
In addition to project responsibilities, Engagement Directors also have the following growth responsibilities to ensure the growth and sustainability of the organization:
·         Develop a portfolio of projects that contribute to quarterly and annual business development targets for the organization
·         Proactively design internal research, thought pieces, and demos to help facilitate new market offerings, service lines, and potential revenue sources
·         Support Busara’s strategic planning by identifying markets of interest, future service lines, and priority investments.
·         Develop lasting relationship with clients to build long-term partnerships and promote behavioral science as an embedded tool within their organizations.
·         Serve as primary points of contact on large, multi-year projects and support VPs to develop effective engagement strategies for those projects.
Organizational Responsibilities:
Lastly, Engagement Directors have the following organizational responsibilities to ensure a healthy and functioning workplace:
·         Drive the strategy of the Projects Division by setting annual targets, managing any team building events, and ensuring clear, division harmony on priorities for the organization.
·         Serve as a core member of the senior management team, responsible for setting organizational strategy, holding other team members accountable, and making senior hiring decisions.
·         Manage communications to ensure clear internal knowledge management and harmonization across the Projects Division
·         Serve as Direct Managers to a team of associates and/or research specialists
·         Serve on internal committees when necessary.
Requirements
Required Qualifications:
·         A Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or related fields.
·         Strong understanding and application of rigorous research methods to industry.
·         Experience managing or mentoring senior staff and young professionals (3+ years)
·         Strong previous experience in a client-delivery role (e.g. management consulting, internal innovation team etc.)
·         Proven interest in behavioral science.
·         5-7 years previous work experience.
·         Demonstrated ability to develop relationships with partner organizations.
·         Excellent management and organizational skills.
·         Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently and a team player.
·         Interest and experience working in a fast-paced working environment.
·         Fluency and excellent communication and writing skills with a mastery of English.
·         Ability to execute projects while sustaining a global focus and vision for institutional planning and decision making.
Desired Qualifications:
·         A Master’s degree or PhD in Economics, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or related fields.
·         Previous experience running randomized controlled trials or lab experiments
·         Strong previous experience managing teams of researchers or consultants in East Africa
·         Experience sitting on senior management teams and developing organizational strategy
·         Extensive industry experience in a sector of focus for Busara (health, financial services, energy, governance, agriculture)
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to apply online

Job Vacancy: Busara Associate (2018 Recruitment Cycle)
Job Location: Nairobi County, Kenya
Job Description: The Busara Center is growing once again. We are taking applications for new associates. This year we’ve signed new projects in Egypt and Pakistan, started a Policy Innovation Unit in Nigeria and grown our Ugandan office.
We’ve examined poverty through the prism of aspirations, stress levels and cash transfers. We are now operating in Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria, as well as Kenya. That’s all in pursuit of our twin missions of advancing behavioral science and alleviating poverty.
Does this sound interesting?
If so, are you looking to:
·         Design and develop research and advisory projects focused on using behavioral science to alleviate global poverty
·         Recruit partners from academic institutions, development banks, large NGOs, private companies and social enterprises and manage the relationships
·         Implement qualitative and quantitative behavioral research
·         Develop and pilot instruments
·         Manage large scale field and lab projects with leading academics and institutions
·         Organise, clean and analyse data
·         Disseminate results, prepare project reports and present results
·         Design future scope of works
·         Live, travel and work in Africa from a base in Nairobi
Good.
So you’re interested in the organisation and what the role entails.
But do you have what we’re looking for?
·         A bachelor’s degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, or related fields. Other fields will be considered.
·         1-3 years previous work experience in a related field
·         Excellent management and organizational skills
·         Fluency and excellent communication skills in English
·         Interest and experience working in a fast-paced working environment
·         Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, a team player
·         Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations
·         Strong quantitative skills including knowledge of and experience working with data analysis software
And preferably:
·         A Master’s degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, or related fields
·         Experience managing and mentoring staff
·         Familiarity with and interest in behavioral economics or science
·         Familiarity in the contexts which we work in
How to Apply
Interested and qualified?
CLICK HERE to apply online

Job Vacancies: Busara Research Specialist (2018 Recruitment Cycle)
Job Location: Nairobi County, Kenya
Job Description: The Busara Center is growing once again. We are taking applications for new associates. This year we’ve signed new projects in Egypt and Pakistan, started a Policy Innovation Unit in Nigeria and grown our Ugandan office.
We’ve examined poverty through the prism of aspirations, stress levels and cash transfers. We are now operating in Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria, as well as Kenya. That’s all in pursuit of our twin missions of advancing behavioral science and alleviating poverty.
Does this sound interesting?
If so, are you looking to:
·         Work with world class academics to design and develop research projects focused on using behavioral science to alleviate global poverty
·         Design state-of-the-art research systems to support field and lab research
·         Implement qualitative and quantitative behavioral research
·         Develop and pilot instruments
·         Provide technical support to large scale field lab and consulting projects with leading academics and institutions
·         Write academic white papers based on internal research studies and our advisory work
·         Write pre-analysis plans, analyze data
·         Disseminate results, prepare project reports and present results
·         Live, travel and work in Africa from a base in Nairobi
Good.
So you’re interested in the organisation and what the role entails.
But do you have what we’re looking for?
·         A bachelor’s degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, or related fields. Other fields will be considered.
·         1-3 years previous work experience in a related field
·         Strong knowledge of experimental social science literature (economics, political science, psychology)
·         Experience designing lab and field experiments
·         Strong quantitative skills, particularly econometrics and statistics
·         Excellent data analysis skills using Stata and/or R
·         Excellent management and organizational skills
·         Fluency and excellent communication skills in English
·         Interest and experience working in a fast-paced working environment
·         Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, a team player
And preferably:
·         A Master’s degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, or related fields
·         Experience managing and mentoring staff
·         Familiarity with and interest in behavioral economics or science
·         Familiarity in the contexts which we work in
How to Apply
Interested and qualified?
CLICK HERE to apply online.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis
What’s the difference between an “Associate” and a “Research Specialist”?
If you’re looking for jobs, you might notice that the Associate and Research Specialist look quite similar. That’s because they are, but have a few subtle differences. Research Specialists sit in our Labs division and focus on designing and implementing cutting edge experimental research. They write papers and focus on the technical (science) aspect of the work that we do.
Primarily Research Specialists support internal research and academics, with technical assistance to other Associates on their projects.
Associates on the other hand are more focused on applied behavioral science with our partners. They manage and execute the bulk of our projects with partners (typically applied behavioral science), and will bring in Research Specialists when extra technical work is needed.
If you’re more interested in working with organizational clients, the Associate position is probably a better fit, and if you are more interested in pure research, the Research Specialist position is likely better for you.
Note that you can apply for both positions, for which you will be independently evaluated, so if you’re not sure, or like both, do apply!
Important Information on Applying
At Busara we embed behavioral science into everything we do, including the hiring process. In an effort to de-bias ourselves from what we know can cause systematic hiring discrimination, we do as many things as possible blindly and objectively.
For you, that means you have to fill out the questions on the application as well as upload your CV. I know, this is infuriating, but it’s not because we’re lazy — it’s because we are going to blindly review candidates based on the answers to your questions as well as their education and experience, and consider full CVs in future stages of the process. Thus, it’s very important for you to fill out the questions completely, without mention of your name or any other potentially biasing information about yourself.