Manager – Research, Learning, and Evaluation

Aahung; Karachi Division; On-site; PKR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Aahung Karachi Office is seeking a Research, Learning, and Evaluation (RLE) Manager to lead high-impact SRHR research and monitoring efforts. The role focuses on designing protocols, managing grants, and translating findings into policy and program improvements.

You will mentor the RLE team, develop M&E tools, and represent the organization in SRHR networks, ensuring ethical standards and evidence-based advocacy across Pakistan.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in health sciences, public health, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in research and evaluation within SRHR programs.
• Fluency in English and Urdu (reading, writing, and speaking)

Responsibilities

• Design and oversee research protocols and IRB processes.
• Lead end-to-end management of independent research grants.
• Translate analysis into actionable program insights and policy advocacy.
• Mentor the RLE team and develop M&E tools aligned with donor logframes.

Skills

Strategic research

Research design

Ethics & IRB leadership

Data collection leadership

Data management & analytics

Data systems & MIS

Documentation & record-keeping

Education

Master’s degree in health sciences/public health

Tools

STATA/SPSS

PowerBI/Tableau

Atlas.ti/NVivo

Job description

I. Position Information

Job title: RLE Manager

Location: Aahung Karachi Office

II. Organizational Context

Aahung is a non-profit organization founded in 1994.
Aahung uses a rights-based approach to improve the quality of sexual and reproductive health services provided in Pakistan to men, women and young people.
Aahung works with partner institutions with the aim of building the capacity and knowledge base of service providers comprised of doctors, nurses, government health workers, community and field workers, teachers and parents.

III. Key Responsibilities

Research, Monitoring & Evaluation

• Design and oversee research protocols to evaluate Aahung’s programs and inform evidencebased initiatives, including IRB processes.
• Lead and supervise independent research grants end-to-end, including budgeting, field management, and coordination of research staff and consultants.
• Conduct and oversee both quantitative and qualitative analysis, and translate findings into actionable insights for program design, advocacy, and policy influence.
• Develop and review research outputs, including manuscripts, abstracts, briefs, and reports for donors, journals, and conferences.
• Provide grant‑writing support by conducting literature reviews, designing indicators, and preparing draft proposals.
• Mentor and manage the RLE team, ensuring accountability, quality, and professional growth.
• Facilitate development of M&E tools and indicators, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and donor logframes.
• Serve as Aahung’s focal person for external research and evaluation partnerships.

Strategic Planning and Organizational Development

• Support strategic planning and operationalization with the Executive Director, including drafting, reviewing, and aligning programmatic, research, and organizational priorities with long-term goals.
• Use learnings from monitoring, evaluation, and research to inform new project and proposal development.
• Contribute to organizational sustainability initiatives by integrating evidence and strategic insights into advocacy and fundraising efforts.

External Representation and Advocacy

• Serve as focal person for Aahung’s participation in local and international SRHR alliances and networks, representing organizational knowledge and advancing advocacy agendas.
• Participate in sectoral dialogues, conferences, and meetings, and contribute evidence and thought leadership on SRHR and CSE.

Board Secretaryship and Governance

• Prepare board meeting agendas in consultation with the Convener and ED, and ensure accurate documentation of board minutes and decisions.
• Communicate board decisions to relevant subcommittees and track implementation of actions.
• Coordinate the Board’s workplan, facilitate staff implementation of board directives, and support governance processes.

Core Competencies (What we hope the person has or will have soon after joining)

• Values-based practice in SRHR, demonstrating alignment with Aahung’s mission, vision, and
  rights-affirming approach in professional decision-making and conduct
• Technical understanding of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including
  adolescent sexual and reproductive health and sexuality, grounded in evidence and
  programmatic practice
• Rights-based and gender-transformative perspective, with the ability to apply human rights,
  reproductive rights, and sexual rights frameworks to research, programming, and analysis
• Critical engagement with concepts of power and inequality, including empowerment, stigma,
  discrimination, non-judgmental practice, gender, and social justice
• Cultural, social, and ethical competence, including sensitivity and adaptability across gender,
  religion, race, nationality, age, and diverse sociocultural contexts
• Contextual knowledge of reproductive health in Pakistan, including key indicators, trends, and
  structural challenges
• Working knowledge of international SRHR frameworks and commitments, including ICPD, the
  Beijing Platform for Action, and related global agreements, and Pakistan’s obligations under
  them
• Ethical and respectful engagement with sexually marginalized populations, including LGBTQ+
  communities and people living with HIV, grounded in principles of dignity, inclusion, and
  empowerment
• Strong commitment to confidentiality, safeguarding, and ethical standards, with demonstrated
  ability to uphold confidentiality policies and protect sensitive information

V. Recruitment Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in health sciences, public health, social sciences, or a related discipline, with formal training and applied experience in research and evaluation.
• Experience: 5+ years of progressive experience leading and contributing to research, monitoring, and evaluation initiatives, including the design of research and evaluation studies; development of monitoring tools; and oversight of monitoring activities within reproductive health, maternal health, gender, and sexuality programs.

5+ years of experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis, including supervision of analytical processes and use of statistical, data visualization, and qualitative analysis software such as STATA/SPSS, PowerBI/Tableau, and Atlas.ti/NVivo, with demonstrated ability to translate findings into programmatic and strategic insights.

• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Urdu (reading, writing, and speaking)

Skills:

1. Strategic application of research theories and methodologies, including adaptation to complex and sensitive contexts
2. Leadership in research design, including development, validation, and refinement of data collection tools
3. Oversight of ethics and IRB processes, and leadership in dissemination and publication of research findings
4. Direction and supervision of quantitative and qualitative data collection, ensuring rigor and data quality
5. Advanced data management and analytical leadership, integrating quantitative and qualitative evidence for decision-making
6. Oversight and optimization of data systems and MIS platforms for research and program monitoring
7. Governance of documentation, data integrity, and record-keeping systems, ensuring compliance and institutional learning

VI. Working Conditions

Flexibility to travel locally and internationally, comfort with field work.

VIII. Important Note

Background and reference checks will be conducted and ethics is part of annual performance
appraisals. Applicants to self-declare prior issues of sexual or other misconduct, termination of past
employment, criminal records, and concerns registered with government authorities regarding contact
with children, and to consent to the disclosure of any such information by former employers during
verification of references.