Project Coordinator and Researcher

• Position Title : Research & Project Coordinator
• Location : Nairobi or Kinhasa but another location in East or Central Africa can be considered. Candidate should state their willingness to relocate in their cover letter.
• Languages : English (essential); French (essential)
• Duration : Annual with 6 months probation period
• Level of Effort (LoE) : 50%–100% depending on expertise and availability
• Start Date : 1st August 2025
• Application Deadline : Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until position is filled
• Remuneration : 1,700 – 2,400 EUR depending on experience, LoE and location.

Background

SeeD (Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development) is a research organisation that developed research methods to understand social cohesion, drivers of conflict, and answer other research questions relating to development and peacebuilding. SeeD works with international development organisations, governments and civil society leaders to design and implement people-centered and evidence-based strategies for promoting peaceful, inclusive and resilient societies. SeeD provides policy recommendations for social transformation, rooted in citizen engagement strategies and an empirical understanding of the behaviours of individuals, groups and communities.

One of our core methodologies is a quantitative multidimensional survey tool called the SCORE (Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index), which has deployed in several countries under several brands. You can read more about recent work in Ethiopia, South Sudan, the Ivory Coast, and Ukrain (make each country name to be a link to Ethiopia EPI report, South Sudan SCORE report, recent IC report, Ukraine SCORE report, and any others you think are relevant, maybe some from WA). The foundational methodological document of SCORE is here (link to “green book” of SCORE). More information about the organisation and its activities can be found at: www.seedsofpeace.eu, https://api.scoreforpeace.org/storage/pdfs/DOC_SeeD_Experties-and-Competencies_Revised.pdf

https://app.scoreforpeace.org/

SeeD is preparing for a new SCORE in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The position aims to support the project's design, implementation, and strategic engagement phases with strong local contextual understanding and stakeholder networks. In parallel, SeeD is interested in hiring candidates which can help the growth of our work in East Africa (Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia) and West Africa.

Scope of Work

The consultant will :

• Lead and support SCORE-related activities across all project stages
• Lead on key research stages of the SCORE including: research design, identificiation of hypotheses and research questions which are relevant to the peacebuilding needs of key stakeholders, quantitaive survey design, qualitative methods design, interpretation of analyses, writing of reports, presentation of findings
• Coordinate with local stakeholders and authorities
• Conduct, quality-control or supervise fieldwork research activities that will be deployed by a partner organisation, including qualitative and quantitative data collection.
• Contribute to dissemination and strategic engagement efforts
• Support logistical planning and communication with local partners
• Coordinate and collaborate with SeeD research and analysis teams

Profile Requirements

Essential :

• A degree in political science, international relations, development studies, law or economics, or any other social science. Graduates of other relevant fields, who have some research background in any field, are also encouraged to apply;
• Fully fluent in both written and spoken English and French. Knowledge of other languages of the region is a plus.
• Strong local knowledge and existing professional networks in DRC
• Demonstrated stakeholder engagement experience, liaising and networkingExcellent written and verbal communication skills in English (IELTS 7.0 or equivalent)
• Minimum 5 years of demonstrable experience in project management, including project design and planning, activity implementation, monitoring, report writing, etc.;
• Experience in research coordination, community engagement, or policy-relevant project implementation
• Solid understanding and knowledge of:
• Different qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, processes and production of analytical outputs;
• Peacebuilding, and conflict resolution theories and practice;
• Different international peacebuilding and development actors and their global and country priorities (e.g. UN agencies, USAID, World Bank);

Desirable :

• Familiarity with social cohesion and reconciliation frameworks, or other fields and subfields of inquiry relevant to SeeD’s portfolio in the region
• Proven ability to work across different sectors (e.g. policy, civil society, international development, academia)
• At least 3 years of experience working in an international environment, including donor-funded projects.
• Knowledge of statistical/quantitative analysis methods; or of Python, R, or other languages; or of other statistical software
• Knowledge of interpretation and translation of quantitive result into messages

What SeeD offers :

• Ongoing internal and external training and mentorship
• Flexible and supportive working environment
• Exposure to international research experience
• A fast professional growth trajectory
• An employer savings contribution of 1% after the probation period, with a plan for gradual increases over time.

How to apply

Please send the following documents to recruitment@seedsofpeace.eu. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 15th July 2025

• CV and cover letter
• Contacts of 3 referees
• 1 English writing sample 1 French writing samples from previous work that you were the lead author of, which highlights your ability to design and deploy research
• Completed self-assessment matrix (see more information below)
• At SeeD we value creativity, innovation and out-of-the-box thinking and doing. We are researchers for action, peacebuilders, and see ourselves as efficient and disruptive innovators in an often slow-moving space. Feel free to include in your application package any materials that you think will highlight your creativity, innovation and initiative.

Self-Assessment Matrix

As part of your application, you are required to submit a self-assessment matrix that reflects your current skills and experience across the different stages of the SCORE project cycle. The self-assessment matrix and instructions can be downloaded here. This helps us better understand your strengths, identify where support may be needed, and plan team composition and workload accordingly. Please note that this will not affect your eligibility or selection—we do not expect any candidate to be proficient in all areas. The self-assessment matrix should be submitted along with your CV and cover letter by the application deadline.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews will begin by mid-July 2025. We encourage early applications, as the process will continue until a suitable candidate is identified.