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BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH
REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.
IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS.
We are currently looking for a Senior Assessment Officer to support our team in Nigeria (remotely from Dakar, Senegal)
Department: REACH
Position: Senior Assessment Officer – MSNA
Contract duration: 11 months
Location: Dakar, Senegal (with occasional travel to Abuja, Nigeria).
Starting Date: 1st April 2026 (dependent on funding confirmation).
COUNTRY PROFILE
Nigeria is confronted by multiple security challenges. The Insurgency of The Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād (JAS) – more popularly known as Boko Haram – has entered its twelfth year and has spawned a humanitarian crisis rendering sections of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe state inaccessible, limiting affected population`s access to basic infrastructure and services, and displacing millions. In the Northwest, banditry has emerged as a key challenge, becoming more sanguinary with every year. The high levels of crime and increased use of violence and kidnappings have led parents and authorities to pull millions of students out of school. The spotlight remains on the Northeast yet needs – both humanitarian and developmental – are rising in the Northwest, long-running discontent and militancy prevails in the Niger Delta, discontent is increasing between herders and farming communities spreading from the central belt southwards, and separatist Biafra agitations in the Igbo Southeast simmer on.
Against this backdrop, IMPACT Initiatives has developed a wide range of research cycles to provide an evidence-base for the humanitarian community. Historically, IMPACT Initiatives has been present in both the Northeast and Northwest of Nigeria. Thematically, across 2021 – 2023 IMPACT Initiatives fielded Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessments (MSNAs), Hard to Reach (H2R) assessments, Area Based Assessments (ABA), Rapid Overviews of Areas of Return (ROAR), Thematic Assessments (TA), Rapid Assessments (RA), and WASH Infrastructure Mapping, while also playing a key role in Famine Monitoring, Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance, and the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI).
IMPACT is currently hosted by a national NGO, FACT Foundation, and all staff are seconded to FACT during their mission in Nigeria. Both organisations are anticipating the confirmation of an upcoming ECHO-funded consortium in Nigeria, focused on emergency response mechanisms through cash as the primary response modality as well as full REACH MSNA in the North-East. This will be the first REACH-led MSNA in the NE since 2022 and it aims to align directly with the 2026 HPC. Due to persistent visa issues in Nigeria, the position is for the time being placed in IMPACT’s satellite office in Dakar. There is a possibility that there will be occasional travel to Abuja, Nigeria as well as permanent relocation to Nigeria if the visa situation improves.
POSITION PROFILE
Under the management of the Research Manager, the Senior Assessment Officer (SAO) helps to oversee the research activities related to the North-East MSNA.
This position requires strong research skills, a willingness to work in a team, an analytical mind, creativity, and independence. Knowledge of the national or regional context in Nigeria is an advantage.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Senior Assessment Officer’s responsibilities include:
RESEARCH DESIGN AND OVERSEEING DATA COLLECTION
Support the full MSNA research cycle, including the drafting of ToRs, methodology notes, assessment tools, analytical products, and dissemination strategies.
Lead the design of assessment tools in close collaboration with relevant external stakeholders.
Ensure field testing and piloting of tools and sampling approaches to confirm methodological robustness prior to the rollout of data collection.
Ensure that assessment design, data collection, and analysis are planned and implemented in a structured and coherent manner, in line with project objectives, strategic priorities, and global REACH guidelines.
Ensure that MSNA data are processed, checked, and cleaned on a daily basis throughout the data collection period.
Ensure regular and effective communication between assessment, data, and partnership teams throughout the research cycle.
Support the management of logistics, financial, administrative, and HR processes directly related to IMPACT activities, and liaise with FACT counterparts as required.
DRAFTING OF RESEARCH PRODUCTS
Lead the drafting of MSNA outputs (e.g. factsheets, reports, briefs) in line with agreed timelines, partner requirements, and IMPACT quality standards and guidelines.
Ensure that research products accurately reflect collected data and that findings are communicated clearly and effectively, in line with their intended use.
Maintain regular communication with country management and IMPACT HQ regarding progress, timelines, and deliverables for written outputs.
In collaboration with the Research Manager, support the identification and drafting of complementary analytical products that further leverage MSNA data.
Review outputs drafted by more junior staff
EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENGAGEMENT
Serve as the primary technical point of contact for external response actors on MSNA research design, data collection planning, joint analysis, and sector-specific technical inputs, in coordination with the Research Manager.
Interact autonomously with IMPACT HQ departments and serve as the mission focal point for MSNA-related coordination.
In coordination with the Research Manager and Country Representative, represent REACH with donors, partners, and the wider humanitarian response community in Nigeria
KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND LEARNING PROCESSES
In coordination with country management, support monitoring and evaluation activities as outlined in research ToRs and in line with IMPACT guidelines.
In collaboration with the Research Manager, organize and facilitate external lessons learned discussions with relevant stakeholders, as well as internal lessons learned exercises.
Generate, document, and disseminate robust lessons learned at the end of each MSNA research cycle.
The Senior Assessment Officer 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 At least 3 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian setting, such as program management, evaluation and assessments;
Research skills Excellent quantitative and qualitative research design, data collection, and data analysis experience required;
Familiarity with aid system Good understanding of the aid system and the research community. Prior experience with humanitarian coordination forums preferred;
Management experience Demonstrated staff management skills is desirable, including remote management;
Thematic experience Prior experience with multi-sectoral assessments.
Experience in geographical region Past experience in the region/supporting is desirable;
Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting and reviewing;
Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility and work independently;
Academic qualifications Excellent academic qualifications, including a master’s degree in a relevant discipline;
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.
Language skills Fluency in English required
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
For this position, salary between 2’460 CHF and 2’520 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.
How to apply
Please apply directly on the website via the following link : Senior Assessment Officer – MSNA for Nigeria, based in Dakar (Link For External Applicants)