Senior Research Associate

Job

Senior Research Associate

Spark is looking for a Senior Research Associate to work closely with the Senior Research Director and the Evidence and Strategy Manager as a part of the Research team. The Senior Research Associate will play a key role in designing, managing, and delivering high quality research that supports Spark’s research and learning priorities. This is a hands-on research role for someone who combines strong quantitative and analytical skills with the ability to independently own each stage of a research project, from assessing operational feasibility and research design through analysis and dissemination. The role will contribute to rigorous evaluations and applied research, develop and maintain reproducible data management and analytical workflows, and translate findings into actionable insights for a diverse set of audiences.

Tasks And Responsibilities:

• Project Ownership & Research Management:

• Own assigned research projects or workstreams from initiation through delivery, including developing work plans and budgets, managing timelines, coordinating inputs and research activities, and ensuring timely completion of deliverables.

• Lead quantitative research activities for assigned projects, from research design and measurement approaches through analysis and dissemination. Some experience with qualitative research is preferred.

• Ensure that research activities and outputs meet organizational standards for rigor, quality, and research ethics.

• Data Collection, Analysis, and Management:

• Develop and maintain reproducible analytical workflows, including organized and well-documented code, version control, and research documentation, including records of key analytical decisions.

• Develop, program, test, and deploy survey instruments and other research tools.

• Prepare and maintain research datasets following reproducible data management practices

• Analyze and synthesize quantitative, qualitative, and, where relevant, geospatial data to answer research and programmatic questions.

• Translate complex analytical findings into clear products for research and practitioner audiences, including data visualizations, briefs, reports, presentations, and technical documentation.

• Develop a thorough understanding of Spark’s monitoring systems and how monitoring data can be used to further process evaluations and to generate learning for the organization.

• Team Contribution & Capacity Building"

• Contribute to strengthening team-wide research systems, tools, templates, and quality standards.

• Collaborate across research and program teams to ensure that research responds to organizational priorities and generates useful evidence for decision-making.

About This Opportunity Learn More and Apply

Employer

Spark Microgrants

Location

uganda

Date Posted

12 October 2026

Closing Date

12 November 2026

Regions

Sub-Saharan Africa

Countries

Uganda

Flexibility

Home-based work

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