Senior Research Methodologist — Principal Investigator, Multimodal Survey Experiment

ICF Olson; United States; Remote; USD 119,000 - 203,000; Full time

Job summary

ICF Olson is seeking a Senior Research Methodologist to lead a two-year, grant-funded study testing hybrid survey designs against DHS benchmarks. The role combines design leadership, cross-country coordination with national statistical offices, and dissemination of findings.

You will oversee protocol development, ethical submissions, and rigorous analyses, while mentoring a diverse team and serving as the primary liaison to the funder. This is a remote role with international travel.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in demography, statistics, biostatistics, epidemiology, public health, or related quantitative field; OR a master's with 20+ years of relevant experience.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in survey research design and implementation (or 20+ years with master's).
• Deep expertise in probability sampling, weighting, complex survey design, and advanced analyses (e.g., dual-frame estimation, mode-effects analysis, small area estimation).
• Experience with household survey operations in low- and middle-income countries.
• Strong writing experience including study protocols, client/funder reports, and peer-reviewed publications.
• Experience conceptualizing and leading research grants or contracts.
• Demonstrated methodological thought leadership (conferences, peer-reviewed articles).

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific leadership from design through implementation, analysis, and dissemination for two country tracks.
• Convene and lead a technical working group of external experts and finalize core design decisions with in-country partners.
• Lead development of the full study protocol and oversee IRB/ethics submissions.
• Direct the analytic core: sampling and power design, dual-frame estimation, non-response and replacement protocol, mode-effects estimation, and small area estimation.
• Lead the development of a cost-quality frontier using fieldwork data.
• Provide in-country and remote support to fieldwork, coordinating a single field workforce across two design arms.
• Lead post-hoc simulation of untested design configurations and translate findings into guidance.
• Lead final reports and peer-reviewed manuscripts, and represent the study at conferences.
• Serve as primary technical liaison to the funder and in-country partners.
• Mentor and coordinate a multidisciplinary team; coordinate with survey managers and operations staff.

Skills

PhD in relevant field

Survey design

Multisite leadership

Statistical writing

20+ years experience

Education

PhD in demography / statistics / epidemiology

Master's with 20+ years experience

Job description

The Senior Research Methodologist position sits within ICF's Global Health and Development Practice, which serves clients such as the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of State, philanthropic funders, multilateral organization, and national governments to strengthen health systems, generate evidence, and improve population health and development outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.

The practice has deep expertise in population-based surveys, health data systems, monitoring and evaluation, and technical assistance to national institutions.

ICF seeks a Senior Research Methodologist to serve as Principal Investigator (PI) for a methodological experiment testing hybrid (phone + in-person) survey designs against contemporaneous Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). The study asks how much of a standard DHS -- including representative biomarker data, small area estimation, and strong measurement performance -- can be preserved, under what conditions, and at what cost, using hybrid designs. It will field two designs (household-first and phone-first) alongside contemporaneous DHS in two countries in West and Central Africa, each of which includes malaria biomarkers, and will produce an evidence-informed decision framework and transferable guidance for the DHS Program and the broader survey-research community.

The PI is the single point of technical and coordinating accountability for the study, leading a multidisciplinary ICF team and partnering closely with in-country co-Principal Investigators at the national statistical offices in each study country. This is a grant-funded position spanning a two-year period. This position is 100% remote/telecommute, with international travel to study countries.

What You'll Be Doing

Provide overall scientific leadership for the experiment from design through implementation, analysis, and dissemination, serving as the single point of technical accountability across two concurrent country tracks.

Convene and lead a technical working group (TWG) of external experts, and finalize core design decisions -- including content scope, representativeness targets, and content-triage grading criteria -- with in-country co-PIs and partners.

Lead development of the full study protocol and oversee IRB/ethics submissions in coordination with ICF and in-country ethics committees.

Direct the analytic core of the study: sampling and power design, dual-frame estimation, the non-response and replacement protocol, mode-effects estimation, and small area estimation -- working closely with the sampler, methodologist, and data scientist/modeler.

Lead development and population of a cost-quality frontier, integrating activity-based cost and time data captured during fieldwork.

Provide in-country and remote support to fieldwork, coordinating a single field workforce across two design arms alongside the contemporaneous DHS, including malaria biomarker collection.

Lead post-hoc simulation of untested design configurations, and translate findings into transferable decision-tree and heuristic guidance for future survey designers.

Lead the final report(s) and peer-reviewed manuscripts, and represent the study in conference and stakeholder presentations.

Serve as the primary technical liaison to the funder and to in-country partners, ensuring strong country ownership and adherence to Global Access and open-data commitments.

Mentor and coordinate a multidisciplinary team; while this position has no direct personnel-management authority, the PI is responsible for project leadership and technical task management in close collaboration with survey managers and finance/operations staff.

Required Qualifications

Doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in demography, statistics, biostatistics, epidemiology, public health, a social/behavioral science, or a related quantitative field; OR a master's degree in one of these fields with 20+ years of relevant experience. Minimum 15 years of experience in survey research design and implementation, applied to population-based or public health surveys (or 20+ years with a master's degree, as above). Deep expertise in probability sampling, weighting, complex survey design, and estimation, with the ability to independently conduct and interpret advanced analyses (e.g., dual-frame estimation, mode-effects analysis, small area estimation, equivalence testing) and to mentor others. Demonstrated experience with household survey operations in low- and middle-income countries. Significant writing experience, including study protocols, client/funder reports, and peer-reviewed publications. Demonstrated experience conceptualizing and leading research grants or contracts. Demonstrated track record of methodological thought leadership, such as conference presentations and peer-reviewed articles.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with DHS or DHS-like surveys and with biomarker (e.g., malaria RDT) data collection. Experience conducting survey research in West and/or Central Africa. Familiarity with phone-based and multimodal data collection (RDD, list-based, or hybrid designs) and the measurement challenges they raise. Experience partnering with national statistical offices, ministries, or other in-country institutions. Working proficiency in French.

Professional Skills You Will Use

Attention to detail, organized, and proactive; able to manage multiple competing tasks and deadlines, negotiating prioritization. Exceptional verbal and written communication, including the ability to convey methodological concepts to varied audiences -- funders, country partners, and technical teams. Able to make sound methodological decisions under real-world timing and budget constraints, including protecting scientific integrity when tradeoffs arise. Able to drive project progress across concurrent country tracks and a distributed team, in close collaboration with in-country co-PIs and ICF operations staff. Comfortable working across time zones and cultures with international partners.

Submission Materials

Resume/CV.

One writing or work sample on which you were solo or primary author (e.g., a study protocol, methodological report, or peer-reviewed paper demonstrating advanced survey methods and analysis experience; please send no more than one document).

Working at ICF

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Candidate AI Usage Policy

At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process. However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodation that involves the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance at [e-mail]. We are dedicated to providing the necessary support to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Pay Range

There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position. The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is: $119,323.00 - $202,850.00 Nationwide Remote Office (US99). Need help? We’re one: [e-mail]

About ICF ICF is a global consulting and technology services company with approximately 9,000 employees, but we are not your typical consultants. At ICF, business analysts and policy specialists work together with digital strategists, data scientists and creatives. We combine unmatched industry expertise with cutting-edge engagement capabilities to help organizations solve their most complex challenges. Since 1969, public and private sector clients have worked with ICF to navigate change and shape the future. Learn more at icf.com.