Senior Assessment Officer – Area Based Coordination for Sudan, based in Nairobi Full Time NEW

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

Created in 2010, IMPACT is a Geneva-based NGO and the largest independent data provider in contexts of crisis. IMPACT aims to support a range of stakeholders in making better, more informed decisions in humanitarian, stabilization, and development settings. Through our team of assessment, data, geospatial, and thematic specialists, IMPACT promotes the design of people-centred research and set standards for collecting and analyzing rigorous, high quality data in complex environments. Over the past 15 years, IMPACT has been growing in size and geographic reach to become one of the largest humanitarian research agencies in the humanitarian sector.

IMPACT’s teams implement assessment, monitoring, evaluation, and organisational capacity-building programmes in direct partnership with aid actors. IMPACT’s team is composed of over 200 full-time international experts as well as a roster of consultants, who are currently implementing over 50 programmes in over 30 countries across Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Central and South-east Asia, and Eastern Europe.

We are currently looking for an SAO for Area Based Coordination for the Sudan mission

Position: Senior Assessment Officer (SAO) – ABC

Contract duration: 6 months

Starting Date: December 2025

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

COUNTRY PROFILE

Clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in Khartoum on 15 April 2023 and spread quickly across the country. Civilians have fled areas affected by fighting in large numbers, including to Chad, Egypt and South Sudan. Prices of food, fuel and other basic goods have skyrocketed skyrocketing, making critical goods unaffordable for many people. Half of Sudan’s population are in need of humanitarian assistance, and the country is on the verge of a catastrophic hunger crisis. Humanitarian organizations are racing to respond to the most pressing needs wherever and whenever feasible, with access issues complicating the ability of actors to respond. In this fast-evolving context, IMPACT Initiatives is working to inform the emergency response to enable effective prioritization with scarce resources.

POSITION PROFILE

The SAO ABC will be responsible to lead on the development of information systems for the new area based coordination models in the Darfurs. Under the supervision of the Research Manager of the Systems Strengthening and Localization Unit, the SAO will lead on the following:

Working with the ABC coordinators to develop primary objectives for the ABC IM system

Active participation in ABC partner meetings, consultations and MEAL coordination meetings

Conducting high level partner systems review

Developing analytical frameworks for the ABC IM system

Creating harmonized tools and methods for common IM processes adapting to the context and organizational needs

Drafting initial information products, such as situation reports

This position requires a profile of someone with the ability to map out and assess processes and work highly collaborative with a diverse set of INGO stakeholders. Candidates should have strong research, analytical, writing and presentation skills and be able to clearly think through information processes. The position will require strong external engagement with partners, as well as the management of research cycles end-to-end.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The SAO’s responsibilities include:

RESEARCH CYCLE MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Break down the IM systems and existing reporting channels for the ABC areas, and identify bottlenecks and good practices / scalable processes if they exist at organizational level.
• Develop new analytical frameworks for ABC areas
• Produce relevant short term and long-term outputs for the respective areas

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

• Work closely with the ABC coordinators and INGOs on the ground to define priorities for the ABC IM and receive relevant input in the form of reporting, assessments and other key information from partners.
• Represent IMPACT in relevant external engagements (e.g., conferences) as related to the Sudan crisis

CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING

• Keeping up to date with the shifting Sudanese context.

STAFF MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING

• Promoting capacity building across the IMPACT Sudan mission related to deepening analytical capacities using existing research (capacity building portfolio will depend on level of experience)

INTERNAL COORDINATION

• Work closely with HQ to develop and validate new research, and implement IMPACT’s 3.0 vision in Sudan
• Coordinating with research units and teams to move forward or improve aspects of the research cycle.

The SAO will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. They will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.

REQUIREMENTS

• Years of work experience 3-5 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian setting, such as assessments, monitoring and evaluation, research design and analysis, etc.
• Research skills Strong experience in mixed methods research with high statistical literacy
• Familiarity with aid system Strong understanding of the multi-sectoral humanitarian architecture; familiarity with Sudan or similar context
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent verbal and written communication and synthesis skills for effective reporting required. Visualization skills are an asset.
• Academic qualifications Excellent academic qualifications, including a master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g. international studies, development, humanitarian response, data science, political science, etc.).
• Software skills Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software an asset
• Security environment Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment.
• Experience in geographical region Past experience in the region/supporting is desirable
• Language skills Fluency in English required, competency in Arabic is an asset.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• For this position, salary between 2’580 CHF and 2’640 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
• Accommodation and food provided in the guesthouse.
• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance.
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered).
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)
• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.
• Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’ HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training.
• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.

Tagged as: Impact Initiatives, Kenya