Team Leader / Principal Investigator – Uganda

Aninver Development Partners SL (www.aninver.com) is looking for a Team Leader / Principal Investigator for a governance, private sector consultancy assignment financed by UNICEF in Uganda.

Aninver Development Partners SL is currently preparing a proposal for an upcoming consultancy assignment supported by UNICEF in Uganda. The initiative focuses on governance and private-sector engagement within the education sector, specifically evaluating a national Life Skills Programme. We are seeking an experienced Team Leader / Principal Investigator to lead this critical assessment, which aims to examine implementation fidelity, emerging learner outcomes, and institutionalization readiness across diverse learning environments in the country.

The successful candidate will spearhead a comprehensive, mixed-methods evaluation encompassing urban, rural, and refugee-hosting implementation settings. Working closely with national education stakeholders and local government authorities, the Team Leader will guide the strategic direction of the study from inception through to final reporting, ensuring adherence to the highest standards of child safeguarding and rigorous empirical research.

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

• Lead the overall design, execution, and management of the independent implementation, emerging-outcome, and institutionalization-readiness assessment.
• Ensure rigorous application of mixed-methods research tools and maintain high-quality deliverables across all project phases.
• Coordinate closely with UNICEF, national ministries, and key stakeholders to align assessment methodologies with strategic goals.
• Oversee multi-site data collection, ensuring strict compliance with ethical guidelines and child safeguarding principles.
• Synthesize empirical findings into actionable, evidence-based recommendations to inform future policy decisions and programme scale-up.

Scope of work

• Conduct a comprehensive desk review of programme documents, curricula, monitoring reports, and previous evaluations during the inception phase.
• Finalize the assessment framework, methodology, data collection tools, and sampling strategy in consultation with key partners.
• Obtain necessary ethical clearances and research permits prior to field deployment across targeted districts.
• Oversee multi-site quantitative surveys and qualitative consultations involving schools, teachers, learners, and government officials.
• Supervise the cleaning, processing, and analysis of quantitative datasets and the coding of qualitative transcripts.
• Organize stakeholder validation workshops to present preliminary findings and gather feedback from key partners.
• Draft and finalize a comprehensive assessment report detailing findings, conclusions, and strategic recommendations for institutionalization.

Your role as Team Leader / Principal Investigator

• Act as the primary focal point and intellectual lead for the consultancy team, coordinating all technical inputs and fieldwork activities.
• Direct the finalization of the detailed Inception Report, work plans, and quality assurance frameworks.
• Manage multidisciplinary research teams and enumerators across diverse geographical settings, ensuring methodological rigor.
• Facilitate high-level engagement and consultations with key government counterparts, UNICEF officials, and local authorities.
• Lead the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative findings to identify operational bottlenecks and emerging learner outcomes.
• Ensure strict adherence to child safeguarding principles and ethical protocols throughout all research activities.
• Lead the drafting and presentation of final assessment deliverables, ensuring high-quality English writing and impactful stakeholder presentations.

Requirements

• Education: Master's level or higher in education, social sciences, public policy, development studies, public health, monitoring and evaluation, economics or related field
• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience leading research, assessments, evaluations or large-scale studies, with demonstrated experience managing mixed-methods assignments in education, adolescent development, and life skills
• Languages: Excellent English writing and presentation skills

Desirable

• Prior professional experience working on education or adolescent well-being programmes in East Africa or similar settings.
• Familiarity with UNICEF evaluation policies, guidelines, and child rights programming.

An accomplished researcher and team leader with extensive experience directing mixed-methods evaluations in education and adolescent development, possessing exceptional strategic leadership and stakeholder management skills.

Assignment details

• Location: Uganda
• Financed by: UNICEF
• Sector: Governance, private sector
• Estimated duration: 3 months
• 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 UNICEF-financed project in Uganda.
• 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.