Senior Researcher, Violence Protection and Response

The International Rescue Committee is a global humanitarian aid, relief and development nongovernmental organization.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a leader in violence prevention and response research and programming, covering women’s protection and empowerment, child protection, and protection and rule of law. This Senior Researcher position is within the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab, with a dual reporting line to the VPRU. The role involves providing oversight, guidance, and support for the VPRU’s research portfolio, which focuses on preventing and responding to violence against children, women, and other vulnerable individuals in crisis and conflict zones. A critical aspect of this work is ensuring strict adherence to ethical guidelines for research involving violence against children and women.

1. Coordinate active research studies with external academic partners and internal IRC stakeholders, including supporting data collection and designing tools like survey instruments, interview guides, study protocols, and referral pathways.
2. Ensure all research complies with IRC research standards and ethical guidance, particularly for violence-related studies.
3. Contribute to drafting policy reports and academic articles, potentially as a first author.
4. Lead the development and implementation of the violence prevention and response research agenda, in collaboration with VPRU Global Practice Leads and the VPRU MEAL lead, aligning with VPRU's safety strategies across Child Protection, Women’s Protection and Empowerment, and Protection and Rule of Law, and Impact at Scale priorities.
5. Contribute to creating innovative and inclusive measurement tools and data collection methods.
6. Engage with internal VPRU and country-based teams to ensure programming is evidence-based, assessing current and future protection initiatives to reflect the latest developments and best practices.
7. Proactively establish partnerships, encourage cross-learning, and strengthen collaboration with key research organizations and networks, especially those in IRC operational contexts.
8. Represent the IRC at significant external research forums.
9. Identify and pursue business development opportunities to fund the research agenda, including developing a robust plan, engaging university partners, and managing individual bids to secure funding and enhance IRC's leadership in protection evidence generation.

1. PhD in public health, child development, psychology, or a related quantitative or qualitative discipline is preferred.
2. For PhD holders, 3–5 years of experience; for Master’s degree holders, 6–8 years of experience in research related to violence against children and women, child protection, humanitarian emergencies, or similar topics.
3. Demonstrated experience conducting research in child protection, women’s protection and empowerment, and violence prevention and response within humanitarian settings.
4. Strong understanding of ethical principles relevant to sensitive study topics such as child protection, women’s protection, gender-based violence (GBV), and violence research.
5. Ability to work collaboratively across different sectors, coordinating research studies, and uniting diverse perspectives.
6. Proven skills in both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
7. Excellent oral and written communication skills with meticulous attention to detail.
8. A strong track record in research publication and securing funding.
9. Commitment to upholding principles of Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, data protection, and Safeguarding standards.
10. Proficiency in English is required; French is highly preferred, and additional languages like Arabic, Spanish, Swahili, or others are beneficial.