Research Assistant - Pearls Project - Dept of Architecture

Role Overview

The University of Nairobi is recruiting a Project Coordinator to steer the day-to-day delivery of the PEARLS project, with a particular focus on the movement of staff, students and partner-institution representatives between collaborating sites. The post-holder works across the full project cycle — designing and running mobility-linked learning activities, shaping joint knowledge products with partners, and keeping reporting, visibility and evaluation work on schedule. Because the project sits at the intersection of architecture, landscape and urban design, this role suits someone who can translate built-environment research into activities and outputs that partners, students and funders can actually use.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, schedule and run field-based studies, capacity-building sessions, lectures, workshops, research seminars and orientation programmes for the students, staff and partner representatives taking part in mobility activities.
• Contribute to joint curriculum development work carried out with partner institutions, helping align content, timelines and expectations across the consortium.
• Draft and produce knowledge products — policy briefs, newsletters, digital content and shared guidelines or international toolkits — in collaboration with partner teams.
• Organise joint dissemination activities with partners, including local exhibitions and the roll-out of toolkits and guidelines.
• Prepare quarterly and annual progress reports, documenting international and local case studies, emerging best practice and lessons learned across the project.
• Raise the profile of the PEARLS project through a deliberate communication strategy spanning the media channels the project uses.
• Support monitoring and evaluation activity, gathering and organising the data and evidence needed to track project progress.
• Take on other project-related duties as allocated by the project leadership.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or Urban Design/Planning from a university recognised by the University of Nairobi Senate.
• Demonstrable experience in research project management, whether gained in an academic, practice-based or multi-partner project setting.
• Proven ability to coordinate activities across several institutions and keep partners informed and aligned.
• Strong written skills for producing reports, briefs and dissemination material to a publishable standard.
• Comfort working with monitoring and evaluation processes and reporting against project milestones.
• Confident communication and presentation skills for facilitating workshops, seminars and orientation sessions with mixed local and international audiences.