Director, Field Research
Lead Research for Action
📍 Remote (Global)
🕔 Full Time
⌛ 16/03/2025
LeRA is seeking an experienced research director to manage our in-country field research portfolio. In 2025, LeRA is conducting two lead content studies on consumer goods in East Africa: one in Kenya, and one in Malawi. Over the next five years, LeRA plans to conduct an additional 20 lead content studies across different countries, with a focus on Africa.
LeRA additionally intends to expand into other types of lead exposure research outside of lead content studies, such as environmental assessment and source apportionment studies. In 2025, LeRA is likely to undertake up to three additional studies on top of the aforementioned lead content studies, pending grant approval.
The Director of Field Research will lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of LeRA’s field studies, managing research execution, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement. They will also guide LeRA’s broader research strategy, assessing project cost-effectiveness and ensuring our work remains impact-driven and decision-relevant.
Responsibilities
Strategic direction and evaluation of LeRA’s current and future research portfolio
Co-leading strategic decision-making alongside LeRA co-founders, such as choosing local partners and developing stakeholder engagement strategy
Monitoring and evaluating LeRA’s ongoing field research projects
Assessing opportunities for expansion into other types of lead exposure research outside of lead content studies, prioritizing based on expected impact
Management of market-based lead exposure research projects, including supply chain research, consumer surveying, and product testing
Working with local implementation partners on study execution, including conducting expert interviews, training data collectors, and testing samples as needed
Managing relationships with local implementation partners, including sourcing, vetting, and ongoing relationship-building and maintenance
Spearheading the design and execution of additional non-market-based research
Additional planned studies for 2025 include investigations of lead exposure from contaminated metal cookware and informal lead-acid battery recycling
Stakeholder engagement across government, industry, civil society, and academia
Collaborating with partners on study design and execution to ensure that research provides decision-relevant information
Communicating findings effectively effectively in order to motivate product regulation or reformulation
Travelling to implementation countries for scoping and study implementation
Up to 6 months a year of travel to implementation countries: currently Kenya and Malawi, with anticipated expansion within East Africa and across Africa more broadly in future years.
In-country time requirements may decrease in later years, and may be flexible depending on individual circumstances. Reach out to hello@leadresearch.org if you have any concerns about this element of the position.
What We’re Looking For
A successful applicant will have most of the following:
Research management experience, including strategic direction, study design, and field data collection. Experience in environmental or public health, or development economics is particularly relevant.
Strong analytical abilities, across both quantitative and qualitative settings.
Strong stakeholder management skills, including building and maintaining relationships across academic, non-profit, and governmental organizations.
Commitment to impact and cost-effectiveness.
Excellent communication skills, including cross-cultural communication.
Comfort with working autonomously and with a high level of self-direction.
Dedication to conducting research that helps others around the world.
Experience living, working, and/or doing field research in low- and middle-income countries.
We are most interested in talent, not credentials. If you don’t fit some of the above criteria but think you are a good fit for this role, we’d love to see you apply.
What We Offer
This role offers the opportunity to play a significant, foundational role at an early-stage charity working in the highly impactful field of lead exposure research. Lead exposure sources are extremely understudied and poorly understood, yet there is growing demand for work in this area as major international players have started to recognize its importance. We expect LeRA’s work to be highly influential in this space; it will likely inform the direction of future research, policy-making, mitigation activities, and funding in the area.
We value work-life balance and are proponents of flexible work. Work schedules can be adjusted according to personal need. We are happy to provide any professional references for future positions as requested.
Application Instructions
Please click here to apply. You will need a Gmail account to complete the application form. Later stages of the application process will include a work task and interview. If you have any questions about the position or the application process, please email hello@leadresearch.org.
LeRA celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. Candidates are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, colour, gender, national origin, ethnicity, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other protected characteristic.
