QUALITATIVE RESEARCH OFFICER

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH OFFICER

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

Possible is a collaboration that develops and tests innovations to improve health in Nepal by directly responding to local concerns, while drawing from and contributing to the broader disciplines of global health research, practice, and policy. Our partnership is between an independent Nepal-based non-governmental organization and a US-based non-profit. Possible envisions a world where everyone, everywhere has access to high-quality healthcare rooted in evidence, inclusion, and equity. As such, we engage in rigorous and collaborative research and innovation to address evidence, implementation, and policy gaps in the equity, quality, and accessibility of healthcare. Our research endeavors and partnerships aim to address challenges in context and from stated or established needs. Our first commitment is to develop and deploy interventions that improve health (rather than prioritize academic outputs that may be novel and methodologically sound but do not directly improve healthcare). We partner with community-based organizations, public and private sector academic institutions and research organizations to leverage research and evidence to inform and implement innovative solutions to healthcare challenges in Nepal. For the last 16 years, we have been a leader in healthcare innovation in Nepal, conducting implementation research with partnerships spanning several international institutions such as Harvard Medical School, University of California San Francisco, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and University of Washington.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Possible, a non-governmental organization registered in Nepal, is seeking a Qualitative Research Officer who will be responsible for providing research and analytics support to the organization’s application of qualitative methods across their research and innovation. The Qualitative Research Officer should see themselves as an advocate for Possible’s mission, vision, and values.

Reports to: Qualitative Research Manager Direct Reports: Research Assistant and/or Research Trainee

Works closely with: Possible staff, advisors, and partners 

Location: Kathmandu with 30-50% travel to partner sites

Areas of Responsibility

The Qualitative Research Officer will chiefly be responsible for carrying out the following areas of responsibility:

1. Qualitative research preparation, including capacity building: Ensure the tools for qualitative research are drafted, updated, and piloted; coordinate and align with multiple team members prior to data collection; and conduct training on qualitative methods where relevant.

• Assist in drafting relevant tools (e.g. In-depth interview (IDI) guide, Focus group discussion (FGD) guide, observation guide) for qualitative research;
• Assist with translation of tools and instruments from Nepali to English and English to Nepali (e.g., surveys, questionnaires, consent forms, etc.);
• Pilot tools coordinating with partner sites, support in finalizing the tools prior to actual data collection;
• Liaise with different team members to align on the research timeline and plan for qualitative data collection;
• Work with Qualitative Research Manager to provide regular and re-fresher qualitative methods trainings and workshops to team members involved in qualitative data collection at Possible and partner sites;
• Manage and coordinate logistics for qualitative data collection and training, working collaboratively with multiple team members;
• Support in preparing submission of IRB applications and other materials conducted by Possible, as needed.

2. Qualitative research implementation: Collect qualitative data, provide feedback for ethical data collection; assist in ensuring the integrity of qualitative data, including recording, transferring, storing and usage of data.

• Collect data using qualitative research methods, oversee data quality and data management, including appropriate storage and data management protocols;
• Maintain regular field notes from observation and interaction relevant to the research and program;
• Ensure ethical conduct of research by following protocols approved by institutional review boards, and also guide the organization to think critically about putting people at the center of our work and research;
• Engage with multi-layers of stakeholders to ensure the smooth implementation of research in the field

3. Qualitative data analysis and dissemination: Support in analysis, and write-up of qualitative data; and assist in disseminating the findings, highlighting impact and personal experiences and stories from our work.

• Work closely with vendors and ensure that transcription and translation work is of high quality;
• Conduct preliminary qualitative data analysis together with Qualitative Research Manager;
• Support write-up findings and results for Possible teams, government partners, donors, and funders, and for publications;
• Summarize field observation from qualitative data collection, and provide feedback to the team to strengthen the data collection process and program delivery.
• Support in disseminating the research findings to our internal team, partners and external audiences, including contributing to manuscript drafting, finalization and re/submission process to academic journals.

The above list of responsibilities is not comprehensive, and the Qualitative Research Officer may be required to take on additional responsibilities, as determined by the Qualitative Research Manager.

Must Haves:

1. Commitment to Possible’s Values, Mission & Vision.
2. Strong understanding of Gender Equity, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), along with the ability to integrate these perspectives in their work.
3. Passionate about qualitative, intervention, and implementation research. Candidates with a strong career goal in qualitative research, and experience in conducting qualitative research in reproductive and maternal and child health, non-communicable disease, vulnerable population, or mental health research will be given preference.
4. A strong motivation and flexibility to travel to urban, semi-urban, and remote areas in Nepal.
5. Qualification: A Master’s degree in social science, public health, or related field with at least one year of experience in core qualitative research in the healthcare sector, conducting data collection and supporting analysis with and without computer software packages (e.g., coding in NVivo, Atlas.ti, Dedoose). Proficiency in both written and spoken Nepali and English is essential. This position is only open to Nepali citizens.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Email your CV and cover letter to recruitment@possiblehealth.org When applying please include name and position in the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until filled. If we believe that you and Possible are a good potential fit, we will contact you to advance the application process. Please note that due to a large volume of applications, we may not individually respond to your application.

You can get a detailed overview of the job description by visiting our website here.