Field Research Program Officer at the Taimaka Project

The Taimaka Project is a highly cost-effective, Founder’s Pledge recommended nonprofit that delivers reimagined pediatric malnutrition treatment to save the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children. We implement a modified form of community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) treatment targeting children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in Gombe State, Nigeria.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Field Research Program Officer

Location: Gombe
Contract Duration: Full time for 12 months
Reports to: Field Research Associate

Description

• To evaluate the impact of our CMAM programs in terms of lives saved by our program and the cost per life saved, our field research team is preparing to collect high-quality data to serve as inputs for our cost-effectiveness analyses. 
• The data collection will primarily use two survey methods, SMART and SQUEAC, to collect the data on the prevalence of malnutrition, mortality rates, and coverage of CMAM treatment. This will involve both quantitative and qualitative surveys.
• We are seeking a Program Officer to join our field research team for twelve months to oversee the entire data collection process, including training enumerators and monitoring daily data collection activities in accordance with the standard operating procedures and study protocols. 
• The Program Officer will coordinate the implementation and smooth running of the study until its completion, in collaboration with the Taimaka operational teams (medical, research, administrative) at field sites in Yamaltu/Deba and Funakaye LGAs of Gombe state, including some settlements in remote or hard-to-reach areas. 
• The fieldwork is expected to begin in Gombe State around mid-May 2025.

Duties and Responsibilities
Prior to study data collection:

• Learn the survey protocols and make recommendations for contextualising survey activities.
• Support the revision, translation, and testing of a digital (ODK) household questionnaire.
• With the support of a survey consultant, train 10-15 enumerators on survey protocols and procedures, household data collection, and administration of the household questionnaire in a digital format (ODK).
• With the support of a survey consultant, manage the standardization test and pilot testing to assess enumerators’ measurement skills and allow them to practice the survey.
• Facilitate local regulatory processes, community mobilization, and general awareness of survey activities to sensitize health authorities and community members to facilitate high rates of participation.

During study data collection:

• Regularly visit field sites to supervise data collection teams.
• Conduct regular audits of field activities and digital data to ensure high-quality data collection.
• Develop and clearly communicate schedules, transportation plans, equipment distribution, survey protocols, assigned data collection tasks to enumerators.
• Conduct some light administrative tasks, assist in logistical procurement and organize daily transportation for data collection teams within a designated budget.
• Ensure strict adherence to the study protocol and data collection procedures, including designing and implementing 1-2 refresher trainings for data collectors, if needed.
• Be responsible for and check daily the anthropometric equipment to ensure it is properly calibrated.
• Identify and troubleshoot any issues faced by data collectors in the field, including troubleshooting issues with digital data collection in ODK.
• Digitally monitor daily progress and data submissions of the data collectors by extracting and cleaning data collected in ODK Collect.
• Complete monitoring reports to document adherence to the survey protocols.
• Meet regularly with the research management team to discuss progress and challenges

After studying data collection:

• Review and offer input on the final analysis

Additional Information:

• Contract Duration: Full-time for 12 months (May 2025 to April 2026), with a probation period of 3 months, subject to extension based on performance
• Location: Gombe, Nigeria, with frequent field visits to surrounding outpatient nutrition clinics in Gombe state, Nigeria, including areas in Funakaye LGA and Yamaltu/Deba LGA.

Requirements

• Candidates should possess a University Degree
• Fluency in Hausa (written + spoken) and English (written + spoken) is required, including the ability to translate technical questionnaires and documents from English to local languages.
  • Proficiency in Fulfulɗe and other local languages is strongly preferred
• At least 3 years of experience managing house-to-house data collection for evaluation, surveys, or research in community health or a similar discipline, is required.
  • Experience in managing anthropometric data collection (e.g., height and weight) and qualitative data collection is strongly preferred.
• Experience conducting and supervising house-to-house data collection, performing field-based checks of data quality, is required.
  • Experience with community mapping, household numbering, and random sampling is strongly preferred.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently in Gombe state, including visiting households in remote areas while carrying anthropometric equipment, including height boards and digital scales, is required.
• Data cleaning and analysis skills, including experience in data cleaning and monitoring digital data, including extracting data from ODK or KoboToolbox forms and performing data quality checks, is required.
  • Proficiency in Excel is required.
  • Proficiency in ENA and R is preferred.
• Experience with data collection for human subjects research, including knowledge of informed consent processes and compliance with ethical requirements and standard protocols, is required.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work effectively and independently in a multicultural and resource-constrained environment is required.
• Flexibility to work over the weekends is required.

Salary
NGN 250,000 - NGN300,000 / Month, commensurate with education and experience.

Application Closing Date
11th May, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• As Taimaka is working in a constantly changing environment, reasonably specific work duties may be requested that may not fit into the above job description, but which will help promote overall study goals.
• Interviews will be held on the 13th and 14th of May and the aimed start date is between 15th and 19th of May.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis