Senior Ecosystem & Inclusion Researcher

Role Overview

You will design and lead field research efforts that capture how startups and micro, small, and medium enterprises actually operate across East Africa, with a particular focus on communities beyond capital cities. Your work will help the organisation understand the real barriers and opportunities facing women and youth entrepreneurs, turning raw field data into actionable insights that inform programs and partnerships. Day to day, you will coordinate research teams, manage relationships with local innovation hubs and entrepreneur associations, and ensure every study reflects the realities of the people it is meant to serve.

Key Responsibilities

• Design mixed-methods research protocols combining household surveys, key informant interviews, focus groups, and observational methods tailored to startup and MSME contexts.
• Lead data collection exercises in secondary cities and rural territories across East Africa, ensuring local languages and cultural nuances are properly captured.
• Build and maintain trust with regional innovation hubs, women’s business networks, and youth tech communities to facilitate respondent recruitment and community validation.
• Manage quantitative datasets using statistical software and perform rigorous qualitative coding and thematic analysis to produce triangulated findings.
• Translate complex research results into clear reports, policy briefs, and presentations for internal teams, funders, and ecosystem stakeholders.
• Train and supervise local enumerators and research assistants on fieldwork ethics, interview techniques, and data quality standards.
• Track research budgets, timelines, and ethical approvals, proactively flagging risks and adjusting plans when field conditions shift.
• Contribute to the development of research tools, sampling frames, and indicator frameworks specific to East Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Development Studies, Statistics, Gender Studies, Economics, or a related Social Science discipline.
• 7–10 years of hands-on experience running mixed-methods field research within East Africa’s startup or MSME ecosystems, including direct exposure to informal and semi-formal enterprises.
• Demonstrated networks with innovation hubs, women’s entrepreneur associations, and youth tech communities operating outside Nairobi or other primary capitals.
• Strong proficiency in both quantitative analysis (e.g., STATA, R, or SPSS) and qualitative methods (e.g., NVivo, Dedoose, or manual thematic coding).
• Proven ability to design survey instruments, conduct key informant interviews, and facilitate focus group discussions in multi-lingual settings.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; working knowledge of Swahili or other regional languages is a strong advantage.
• Willingness to travel extensively within East Africa, often to remote or underserved locations, for extended periods of fieldwork.

Application Requirements

Interested candidates should submit:

• Updated CV/Resume
• Cover letter highlighting relevant assignment experience
• Proposed daily consultancy rate in KES/USD
• Samples of previous work, such as policy briefs, research reports, or event proceedings