Research and Learning Specialist

This role was posted on January 17, 2024. Please note that we will review applications on a rolling basis.

The Role

At Last Mile Health (LMH), we are all teachers and learners. Do you have experience developing organizational strategies for improving programmatic data use, building capacity for data use, learning strategies and research skills among MERL and non-MERL staff?  If so then you may be our next Research and Learning Specialist.

As part of LMH’s Global Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (GMERL) team, the Research and Learning Specialist will be responsible for working with the team to support the design and implementation of a robust program of global monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning activities across all country programs.  The Research and Learning Specialist will support the GMERL team and country MERL teams to develop and implement an organizational Learning Agenda, strengthen organizational practices around data use and learning, strengthen our resources and build capacity for measurement and research in community health, and identify areas for broader dissemination of learnings.  This position will also help support using other MERL tools and practices across the organization but will focus on research and learning-related activities.

Working closely with the Managing Director of GMERL and other key stakeholders to focus on learning priorities and initiatives, the Specialist will help build a data-driven organizational culture, and help coordinate research-related resources and activities.  They will support and promote strategies for data use and adaptive management at an organisational level, fostering best practices and facilitating shared learning.  The Research and Learning Specialist will share findings with country team programs, executive leadership, and identified external stakeholders including but not limited to LMH funders and Ministries of Health. This role, rooted in the pursuit of better healthcare access for vulnerable communities, offers a unique opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of many.

This role is open to national and international candidates located in or willing to relocate to Accra, Ghana. This role is also open to candidates located in the Eastern Seaboard of the United States with US work authorization. This role is fully remote in the US and hybrid in Ghana. 

What you’ll do

Learning and Research Activities

• Work with the Managing Director, Chief Technical Officer, and Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) team to develop, contextualize by country, and implement an organization-wide Learning Agenda in keeping with LMH’s Theory of Change and the FY24-28 Closing the Distance Strategy
• As part of the Learning Agenda, help coordinate the documentation of existing (and/or known) evidence base and identify evidence gaps (Learning Questions) that can be addressed through targeted MERL activities and initiatives
• Continue to support the identification of MERL activities that can address key Learning Questions 
• Manage the prioritization, updating, and communication efforts around the Learning Agenda
• Help develop a broad measurement approach for health systems strengthening and advocacy initiatives at LMH
• Help develop and maintain research-related resources, and guidance, (including IRB protocol development & management, sampling guidance, data quality protocols, etc.) and structure resources within the LMH Wiki Portal
• Support teams in the execution of measurement approaches to maintain rigour and timeliness of learning outputs.
• Using centralized trackers, coordinate proposed journal publications conference presentation abstracts and IRB submissions across LMH and support prioritization of efforts in alignment with the Learning Agenda
• Work with the Director of MERL Technical Support and country MERL teams to ensure MERL plans are fit-for-purpose and inclusive of measurement at all levels

Organizational Learning Initiatives

• Collaborate with other global teams like HSS and Program Strategy and Performance (PSP) to identify key cross-program, cross-country learning opportunities for sharing and documentation
• Share findings with program teams and collaborate to refine strategies, strengthen programs, and improve activities.
• Develop organizational strategies for improving programmatic data use and learning and building a learning culture for LMH and its partners, working with and across countries and global teams
• Build capacity for data use, learning strategies and research skills among MERL and non-MERL staff
• Support other MERL activities as requested by the Managing Director

MERL Team Support

• Support the Managing Director in MERL team strategy and planning, including the development of standard tools, templates, and resources to ensure minimum quality of MERL at LMH 
• Support professional development in and building MERL capacity across the organization, and help shape the MERL Community of Practice
• Help support diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across GMERL and LMH

What You'll Bring

• Progressive experience with MERL in public health and/or international development sectors 
• Demonstrated experience in measurement of health system strengthening, policy, health financing, and/or advocacy initiatives
• Experience with program and organizational learning initiatives and strategies
• Experience with research and evaluation design and implementation, including quantitative and qualitative methods
• Demonstrated experience with stakeholder engagement and ability to collaborate with and provide technical support to internal teams and external partners, government counterparts
• Ability to visualize and present data in user-friendly and varied ways (e.g., dashboards, analytics, infographics)
• Ability to develop theories of change and/or logic models and select and apply conceptual frameworks.
• Experience coaching and mentoring colleagues on related areas of MERL technical expertise

You’ll Impress Us If

• You can facilitate inclusive and culturally appropriate conversations with a range of stakeholders across geographies and cultural contexts.
• You have prior experience in a remote setting and a willingness to travel to various program sites as needed
• You have demonstrated a commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• You have experience with a range of software tools and platforms, such as statistical analysis, databases, data visualization, GIS, mobile data collection tools, etc.

Compensation Information

At Last Mile Health, we strive to reward our employees equitably and transparently. This means that we pay our employees based on a clear and consistent methodology and without regard to their identity or personal relationships. We have made this model fully transparent so that everyone has access to all information related to compensation. We hope this helps you better understand Last Mile Health’s values and commitments to our employees. We look forward to answering any questions you may have during the hiring process.

Before applying to this role, please take a moment to learn more about our approach to compensation and how compensation works in each of the countries where we operate. Please find the link to our compensation model and benefits overview below:

OVERVIEW OF LAST MILE HEALTH’S COMPENSATION MODEL

Compensation for this position: 

The Band for this position: Band 3

For Ghana, the range is $22,260 - $42,046 dependent upon experience doing an equivalent role. Please note that this compensation is subject to statutory taxes.

For International staff, the salary range is an annual gross of $52,260 USD to $72,046 USD depending upon experience doing an equivalent role. Please note that compensation is subject to statutory taxes. For more information about benefits for International staff, kindly refer to page 21 of the Last Mile Health Compensation Model. 

For the  United States, the range is $63,298- $79,633 dependent upon experience doing an equivalent role. Please note that this compensation is subject to statutory taxes.

About Last Mile Health

Last Mile Health partners with governments to design, scale, strengthen, and sustain high-quality community health systems, which empower teams of community and frontline health workers to bring life-saving primary healthcare to the world’s most remote communities. LMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, visit www.lastmilehealth.org.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and value diversity at LMH. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.