Deputy Manager - Survey - CERP

About CERP

The Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) is a non-profit research center that promotes the use of rigorous quantitative research and actively engages with policy counterparts to address critical public policy issues.Founded in 2008 by prominent Pakistani economists affiliated with institutions like Harvard University, the University of Chicago, Pomona College, and the Lahore University of Management Sciences, CERP aims to bridge the gap between research and implementation in both public and private sectors.

About Role

Your primary responsibility will be towards the Survey unit and you will be required to work individually and as part of a team. Some of your tasks may include, but are not limited to:

Relationship Management

• Pro-actively identify opportunities to deliver CERP's mission of ensuring high-quality data collection with in-house projects as well as third-party firms
• Manage and troubleshoot any immediate concerns of stakeholders regarding the project
• Interact regularly with Principal Investigators (PIs), external clients, government officials, and project staff to apprise them on project implementation and progress
• Ensure project deliverables, such as data and reports, are submitted to clients or project teams on time
• Work closely with the Survey Manager to manage a high-functioning core team
• Keep the Survey Manager & Director apprised of all developments on the projects and serve as a key link between the Survey Team and external clients, project staff, and/or Principal Investigators
• Build and socialize onboarding and training modules for surveying skills for staff across the organization, including training/reference materials on survey design and quality assurance
• Promote inter-project best practices and take a lead in sharing best practices with projects through formal and informal trainings
• Develop strategies and tactics to promote and market the work of the Survey Team on social media and other relevant platforms
• Maintain compliance with all organization policies and procedures

Project Management

• Oversee data collection projects and ensure survey project adherence to research design, data quality protocols, overall project timelines, and project budgets
• Manage and mentor Survey Leads, Survey Associates, and Survey Analysts to build technical and managerial competence
• Directly supervise core team members, lead transitions, onboarding of new staff, and maintain institutional memory of project activities
• Ensure project adherence to general research design, sample selection, data management, general research protocols, and overall project management timelines
• Ensure that project deliverables, such as reports and financial statements, are submitted to donors and partners on time
• Provide guidance to clients’ ongoing project monitoring, including by recommending implementation quality indicators and data sources
• Provide technical advice on the design of data collection methods, survey instruments, and data management
• Design and delegate processes for delivering accurate status reports containing work-stream progress, upcoming milestones, changes to milestones, issues, risks & financial status, on a regular & ad-hoc basis as required
• Reference existing practices, systems, and workflows of the Survey Team and continuously assist the senior management in identifying and implementing innovative systems for improved project delivery and monitoring
• Lend expertise to strategic planning and execution across the evaluation lifecycle of projects in the designated portfolio

Financial

• Assist the Survey Manager and Director with project financial management, including creation and monitoring of project budgets, tracking expenses, and producing financial reports and projections

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Delegate organization, implementation, and creation of processes for piloting, high-frequency checks, back-checks, and spot-checks to ensure data integrity and quality
• Oversee and ensure all data quality protocols are followed including auditing enumerators and performing daily checks of the incoming data; correcting the errors of staff iteratively to ensure the data is of the highest quality

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Economics, Public Policy, Computer Sciences, or a related discipline
• Preferably 4–6 years of relevant experience in research/program design and/or evaluation, including the design and execution of surveys, focus groups, and interviews
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of project management and data collection projects
• Strong ability to manage large teams, handle multiple projects simultaneously, and liaise with partners, government officials, and key stakeholders
• Proven statistical & data collection applications programming and data management skills (STATA/R/Python, Survey CTO/ODK platforms)