
Manager, Research
CLOSED FOR APPLICATIONS
Remote (currently, there are two positions open for this role)
This role will be a critical member of the Research Team. School Leadership is a vastly understudied area of research in low and middle-income countries. GSL aims to address this challenge by collaborating with our partners, researchers, practitioners, and other similar organizations. GSL research consists of two broad functions: Program Research and Ecosystem Research. Our program research focuses on generating practice-based evidence on how to strengthen school leadership to improve student outcomes through our innovative school leader training programs. Our Ecosystem Research aims to better understand the educational contexts and systems within which school leaders are operating. We conduct and review research to understand school leader stories and what enabling factors make the biggest difference.
We are looking for an inquisitive and organized individual to join our team as a Research Manager.
School leaders have the potential to make incredible changes in the lives of students by building a strong school culture and helping teachers provide great instruction. Yet, school leadership has not been prioritized in low and middle-income countries. GSL works to change that through the following workstreams:
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We catalyze and support local partner organizations to deliver and scale high-quality training to school leaders.
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We generate insights from our partners and the broader research community to inform education policymakers, researchers, and practitioners on the best ways to support and develop strong school leadership.
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We connect our partner organizations with each other for deep learning between themselves and amongst the broader school leadership community - governments, funders, and policymakers.
We are a small but mighty remote team spread across the globe. We care about each other and we care about the work. You can learn more about our culture here. In five years, we have:
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Partnered with organizations in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kenya, and Brazil that work with over 3,500 school leaders, impacting approximately 920,000 students.
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Published an evidence review on what is known about school leadership globally, as well as two surveys that help the policy community hear from teacher and school leader voices.
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Become one of the leading voices in conversations about school leadership in the global south, being asked to speak at conferences and webinars throughout the world, and being recognized for our work. In 2021, HundrED in partnership with the World Bank recognized GSL as one of top ten impactful and scalable solutions that support teachers’ professional development.
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Established the School Leadership Network with the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 hosted by UNESCO and the Varkey Foundation to convene online meetings with 100+ experts and 400+ school leaders from 50+ countries to foster peer learning, share innovative practices, and strengthen school leaders’ voice in policy circles.
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Expanded our work to support needs during COVID in the Philippines, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria and Peru.
As Manager, Research, you will be able to:
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Innovate: You will co-create novel monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning instruments to track the impact of school leaders training on school practices, teaching practices, and student outcomes. You will work on global surveys, qualitative studies, A/B testing, randomized controlled trials, process monitoring, and program evaluation. You will co-develop program intervention and research design proposals.
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Manage: You will pilot, implement, and collaborate with our partners to collect, manage, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data. You will support our partners in different countries to improve data robustness.
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Collaborate: You will work closely with the Senior Director and Director of Research at GSL and all GSL team members, monitoring and evaluation teams at our partner organizations, research teams in other organizations, and academics in universities around the world.
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Contribute: You will contribute to shaping how GSL research evolves as the organization and network expands and help answer important learning questions for our network. You will participate, participate, and co-lead capacity-building, sharing, and learning events with our partners. The results of your work, knowledge, and expertise will benefit public-good resources for school leaders and organizations that support school leaders in low and middle-income countries.
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Publish: You will co-identify key findings from our studies, co-write publications, co-present in conferences and other speaking events, and join efforts in communicating insights from research to strengthen understanding and support for school leadership in low and middle-income countries.
The Research Manager (India) role will focus more particularly on our research projects in India, which currently include:
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A mixed method study to compare the effectiveness of school leaders' training with or without coaching. The study consists of three aspects: a randomized control trial, a qualitative study, and process monitoring.
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A mixed method study on school leadership and gender. This study consists of two parts: (a) an education ecosystem study in a state in India and its impact on school leaders’ ability to improve teaching and learning based on gender; and (b) an A/B testing of two school leadership training approaches to improve gender equity and student outcomes.
The Research Manager (Monitoring & Learning) role will focus more on our global monitoring and program learning, which currently include:
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Annual Pulse Survey of school leaders, which aims to understand the challenges and concerns facing school leaders in low- and middle-income countries.
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Development and piloting of instruments to monitor and evaluate our partners’ school leaders' training programs and conducting qualitative interviews to capture learning across our partners.
Your first year will be a success if you:
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Ask questions and be proactive to learn from your colleagues and from our partners.
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Seek out best practices in education and school leadership by reading and reaching out to internal team members and external partners.
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Co-design tools, formats, and processes for data collection for GSL and country affiliate organizations based on best practices.
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Conduct ongoing review, modify and improve the effectiveness of data collection and management processes.
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Support affiliate partners to improve the collection and use of data.
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Analyze data and disseminate findings to all relevant stakeholders.
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Use data to contribute to strategic decision-making, organizational learning, and project planning with GSL and affiliate organization leadership.
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Identify opportunities for research funding and developing proposals.
Candidate Qualifications
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You should have a Master’s degree in a relevant field with a strong quantitative grounding and understanding of qualitative research. We very much welcome autodidacts who gain skills and knowledge from experience but may lack academic or institutional certifications.
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You have a minimum of 3 years of work experience, ideally in education or development, but we welcome other proofs of transferable knowledge and skills.
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You have experience in conducting monitoring and evaluation of education or other social sector programs in low and middle-income countries or other transferable skills and contexts.
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You have experience in managing surveys and data collection.
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You have experience presenting data visually and in writing to a variety of internal and external stakeholders, and you will be asked to demonstrate your ability through an assignment.
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You have experience in conducting quantitative data analysis, and proficiency in at least one of the data analysis software (i.e., STATA, R, SPSS, etc.), and you will be asked to demonstrate your ability through an assignment.
Work Location and Remuneration
The candidate can be based in any country, with a preference for candidates based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Kenya, or Brazil. The candidate must have work authorization in their place of residence as GSL is not able to sponsor employment visas. The candidate must have the ability to travel internationally as well as within the country.
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For the Research Manager (India) position, we strongly prefer candidates based in India. This position will require frequent travel to the state of Telangana, and the candidate will be reimbursed for all travel-related expenses.
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For the Research Manager (Monitoring & Learning) position, we prefer candidates based in Indonesia, Malaysia, Kenya, or Brazil.
Salary and title are commensurate with experience and competitive with the non-profit education sector in the country where candidates are based. The salary for this position is calculated based on the cost of living of the candidate's home country and their level of experience. As points of reference, below is the annual salary range in several countries:
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India: INR 12 lakh - INR 15 lakh per annum
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Malaysia: MYR 90,000 - MYR 118,000 per annum
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Indonesia: IDR 325m - IDR 406m per annum
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Brazil: BRL 130,000 - BRL 170,000 per annum
Commitment to Diversity
GSL is an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all employees - across nationalities, races, ethnicity, religions, economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, disabilities, languages, ages, genders, and prior experiences. In our hiring, we seek those with an inclusive mindset and who notice and correct inequities when they arise.
Child Safeguarding
GSL is committed to safeguarding children. Background checks may be conducted as part of the hiring process. All team members are asked to agree to a safeguarding policy.