Team Leader/Lead Researcher – Sierra Leone

Aninver Development Partners SL (www.aninver.com) is looking for a Team Leader/Lead Researcher for a water sanitation consultancy assignment financed by UNCDF in Sierra Leone.

Aninver Development Partners is seeking an expert Team Leader/Lead Researcher for an upcoming assignment in Sierra Leone. Funded by UNCDF, this initiative focuses on the water-sanitation sector, specifically evaluating the peacebuilding and social cohesion outcomes of community-driven water management interventions in informal settlements.

The Team Leader will spearhead the endline perception survey to assess shifts in community attitudes regarding gender roles, water-related conflict resolution, civic engagement, and trust in local governance. The expert will lead the overall research design, stakeholder consultations, field implementation, data analysis, and comprehensive reporting.

Aninver is preparing a proposal for this assignment. The selected expert will be part of the proposed team; the engagement is conditional on the contract being awarded to Aninver. The full Terms of Reference for the position are shared with shortlisted candidates.

Objectives of the assignment

• Measure changes in community attitudes and perceptions concerning gender roles and women's leadership in water management.
• Assess community confidence in peaceful dispute resolution mechanisms for water-related conflicts.
• Evaluate levels of civic engagement and participation among women and youth in local community governance.
• Determine public trust and confidence in local governance structures and service providers.
• Ensure high-quality, methodologically rigorous survey implementation aligned with donor and project standards.

Scope of work

• Conduct a thorough desk review of project documents, baseline data, and logical framework indicators.
• Develop a robust, culturally appropriate survey design and methodology aligned with donor perception survey guidance.
• Formulate statistically sound sampling strategies covering target intervention and comparison communities.
• Recruit, train, and supervise a team of field enumerators on data collection tools and conflict-sensitive research.
• Manage safe and ethical field data collection, including community sensitization and respondent consent protocols.
• Perform comprehensive quantitative and qualitative data analysis, including gender and age disaggregation.
• Draft and finalize the endline perception survey report and present findings to key stakeholders.

Your role as Team Leader/Lead Researcher

• Provide overall technical and managerial leadership for the entire research assignment.
• Oversee the preparation and finalization of the inception report, survey instruments, and data collection protocols.
• Lead consultations with UNCDF, local authorities, and project partners to refine survey objectives.
• Supervise field data collection processes, ensuring quality control, ethical standards, and Do No Harm principles.
• Direct the data analysis process, interpreting quantitative metrics and qualitative thematic findings.
• Lead the drafting of the comprehensive endline survey report, incorporating stakeholder feedback.
• Deliver presentations of survey findings to project partners, donors, and local stakeholders.

Requirements

• Education: Advanced degree in social sciences, evaluation, or related field
• At least 5-7 years of experience in leading evaluations or research studies, with proven analytical and report writing skills
• Languages: Fluency in English

Desirable

• Prior working experience in Sierra Leone or similar West African contexts.
• Familiarity with peacebuilding, gender equality, and water-sanitation sector programming.
• Experience with UN-funded or international donor-backed evaluations.

An experienced researcher and evaluation expert with a strong background in social sciences, a proven track record of leading perception studies, and exceptional analytical and report-writing skills.

Assignment details

• Location: Sierra Leone
• Financed by: UNCDF
• Sector: Water sanitation
• Contract: individual consultancy (conditional on award)

About Aninver Development Partners

Aninver is an international development consulting firm headquartered in Spain. It supports governments, development banks, UN agencies and bilateral donors with feasibility studies, technical assistance, evaluations and capacity building across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Asia-Pacific, working with a network of international and national experts.

Why apply

• Join a multidisciplinary team on a UNCDF-financed project in Sierra Leone.
• Individual consultancy: flexible, output-based engagement with an experienced proposal team.
• Your CV stays in Aninver's expert network for future assignments that match your profile.

How to apply

Sign in (or create a free account) and upload your CV in English. Add your LinkedIn profile, indicative daily rate and availability to speed up the assessment. Aninver will contact the shortlisted candidates.

Frequently asked questions

Is the position confirmed? The engagement depends on the contract being awarded to Aninver. Shortlisted experts are included in the proposal with their consent.

Can I apply if I am not based in the country? Yes, unless the requirements say otherwise; relevant regional experience is an asset.

What happens with my CV? It is used to assess your fit for this and future positions and is not shared with third parties without your consent.