RESEARCH MANAGER

Girl Rising is a US based non-profit whose mission is to use the power of storytelling to change the way the world values girls and their education. Girl Rising began in 2009 as a campaign with a film at its center, profiling nine girls around the world, each defying the odds and confronting barriers to education. Over the last decade we have expanded both our storytelling and our work with local partners as well as deepened how we measure and evaluate our work.

We have three main pillars of our work:

• WE CREATE films, media content and educational resources that tell the stories of girls, the realities they face and the futures they desire- and the seismic ways in which educating girls transform families, communities and entire nations.
• WE COLLABORATE with organizations around the world to support locally led change that accelerates and strengthens quality education and greater opportunity for girls. In 2021, we worked with over 100 organizations across 12 countries, reaching an estimated 10 million girls and boys.
• WE ACTIVATE change by inspiring individuals, from parents to presidents, to support action for girls’ education and girls’ rights. We strive to change mindsets, norms and policy so that girls everywhere can go to school, rise and thrive.

Girl Rising, in collaboration with our education partners based in the regions where we work, equips adolescents - especially girls - with vital skills, builds their confidence, and dismantles barriers to their education. By engaging peers, teachers, school administrators, parents, and community leaders, we build supportive allies around adolescents to create environments where they can identify their aspirations and pursue their goals. Our programs are founded on storytelling as a transformative tool to spark curiosity, shift mindsets, and inspire action that drives meaningful change.

JOB TITLE: Research Manager

LOCATION: Remote. The successful candidate will be based in India or Kenya and must have at least a four-hour overlap with the 9 am to 5 pm Eastern Standard Time work hours.

REPORTS TO: Director of Program Quality and Learning

CONTRACT TYPE: Full-time consultant

JOB TYPE: Full-time

Position Summary

The Research Manager will serve as a key member of the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team, working collaboratively with program staff to collect, analyze, and manage the quality of GR program data from multiple countries and conduct in-house research. Since the culture of in-house research and centralized data management is evolving in Girl Rising, this role requires ongoing capacity building of team members who are continuing to learn and adapt. A majority of program team members work remotely in different parts of the world.

Responsibilities

Research

• Plan, coordinate, and conduct primary and secondary research and program evaluation activities for Girl Rising programs
  • Use research expertise to design and execute research projects, including the development of appropriate research designs and strategies for data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
  • Design and develop surveys and focus groups; work with program team members to define research goals and project scope, and translate these into questionnaire items for surveys or protocols for focus groups.
  • Assess data across programs and identify quantitative and qualitative research opportunities to allow evidence-based and data-informed programming.
• Apply advanced qualitative and quantitative research methods to draw accurate conclusions for a given research project and develop written reports and summaries based on research findings - ensure written and oral communication of findings in an accessible language for evidence-based reporting.
• Remain current on research, learning, and evidence that will inform GR’s work and impact. Keep the in-house research directory updated; share key research findings from GR programs across education and gender networks.

Data management and analysis

• Work closely with program team members and the in-house system administrator to manage and upgrade the internal database based on changing/emerging program priorities.
• Identify program outcomes to be tracked over time and devise mechanisms to collect meaningful data to tell stories of change beyond reach numbers.
• Ensure timely quarterly reporting in close collaboration with program leads.
• Review data for reliability and integrity and generate dashboards for inclusion in interim and final reports, internal and external presentations, and grant applications.
• Manage and manipulate raw data from paper-based and online surveys, ensure data integrity, and coordinate accurate data reporting internally and externally.
• Take the lead on any future significant expansions to the internal database to allow for deeper, more robust systems and processes.

Support Function

• Participate in proposal development processes to share insights and recommendations based on research and program data analysis, as needed.
• Advise on established program monitoring, evaluation, and learning strategies, frameworks, plans, and indicators to capture project performance and results.
• Support the development and reporting of various performance indicators, competitive analysis, benchmarking, and gap analysis
• Remain informed about Girl Rising’s curricula, tools, and training on social and emotional learning, gender, and various other themes, and media assets used across countries, the development of new curricula, and the adaptation of existing materials for use in new regions of the world.

Required Qualifications

• A postgraduate research degree in Economics, Public Policy, Education Policy, or any other relevant field with a strong quantitative grounding.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in conducting social development research and managing program-related data at nonprofit organizations, preferably in the areas of education and gender.
• Experience in managing database systems; knowledge of Salesforce is a plus.
• Experience in conducting literature review, creating questionnaires, and implementing surveys/ research in collaboration with partners.
• Experience in quantitative research and analysis, proficiency in at least one of the data analysis software (i.e., STATA, R, etc).
• Fluency in English.
• Ability to self-start and work independently as well as collaborate well with others, including staff in different locations.

Preferred Experience

• Experience cleaning, analyzing, and presenting data visually and in writing to a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• You have experience in synthesizing research findings to generate practitioner and policy-oriented insights, for example, writing policy briefs, blogs, etc.
• You have experience in conducting qualitative research and analyzing qualitative data.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your resume and a cover letter to Khuzama Khan at jobs@girlrising.org by Sunday, 09 November 2025, with the subject line “Research Manager”.

Girl Rising is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. Due to the volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

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