Research, Reflection & Evaluating Head

Action Appointments Development Recruitment (Pty) Ltd; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 1 200 000 - 1 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A national NGO partnership is seeking a Head of Research, Reflection & Evaluating to establish a new department focused on improving early childhood development. The role includes leading knowledge creation, managing research and evaluation programs, and guiding strategic learning across the network. The ideal candidate holds a Master's degree with significant experience in complex contexts and a commitment to social impact.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in complex organizational contexts.
• At least 4 years in a senior role leading functions and managing teams.
• Experience in social impact initiatives is essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creation and sharing of knowledge across the network.
• Develop and manage research and evaluation agendas.
• Build and oversee research-practice partnerships.

Skills

Leading sophisticated research and evaluations

People- and user-centred research approaches

Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks

Strong problem-solving abilities

Systems thinking

Capacity to cope with stress

Education

Master’s degree or equivalent

PhD preferred

Job description

SmartStart is a successful national network of NGOs & partners realising quality, affordable early learning for all 3-5 year olds — through scaling a network of providers, and achieving specific ecosystem transformations with governments and partners.

About the Job

The Head of Research, Reflection & Evaluating at SmartStart will establish and lead a new department focused on generating, sharing, and applying knowledge to improve early childhood development practices and outcomes. The role involves designing and managing research and evaluation programmes, building partnerships, and fostering reflective practice and evaluative thinking across the network. It requires strategic leadership in developing research agendas and methodologies to inform learning and innovation within SmartStart. The position combines academic rigour with practical impact, contributing to SmartStart’s mission of extending quality early learning access at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Knowledge Creation & Sharing
  • Lead SmartStart’s approach to identifying, creating, nurturing, and sharing knowledge across the network and ecosystem.
  • Explore and introduce new knowledge relevant to SmartStart’s practice.
  • Collaboratively question assumptions and co-create knowledge products.
  • Package and communicate learnings using an asset-based approach that values diversity and agency.
  • Foster reflective practice and evaluative thinking throughout the organisation.
• Research & Evaluation Leadership
  • Develop and lead a multi-year research and evaluation agenda focused on practical use and learning.
  • Promote evaluation as integral to practice and research that informs and is informed by practice.
  • Build and manage research–practice partnerships.
  • Oversee and manage SmartStart’s research and evaluation assets.
  • Ensure systematic inquiry into how interventions work and their impact.
  • Design, scope, and manage research and evaluation programmes and projects.
  • Develop terms of reference and RFPs for independent evaluations.
  • Conduct or oversee mixed-methods research and evaluations as appropriate.
  • Ensure adaptability in methods and approaches over time.
• Executive & Organisational Leadership
  • Serve as an Exco member, contributing to SmartStart’s strategic leadership and coherence.
  • Practise and promote systems thinking-and-doing, supporting strategic and societal-level learning.
  • Guide the SmartStart Hub and network partners in realising organisational strategy.
  • Foster collaboration, trust, and continuous learning across departments and teams.
• Team, Partnership & Departmental Management
  • Build and lead the Research & Evaluating department, including staff, contractors, and consultants.
  • Manage partnerships that extend SmartStart’s research reach and capacity.
  • Contribute to synergies across other departments in the Innovation & Learning portfolio.

Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum Master’s degree (or equivalent) with relevant experience; PhD preferred (especially with practical experience).
• At least 8 years of relevant experience in complex organisational or systemic contexts.
• Minimum 4 years in a senior role, successfully leading functions and managing teams.
• Experience working in social impact initiatives, programmes, or organisations.
• Advantageous: Fluency in one or more African languages.
• Employment Equity candidates (especially Black African men) are strongly encouraged to apply.

Specific Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Confidence in leading sophisticated research and evaluations.
• Expertise in people- and user-centred research and evaluation approaches.
• Sound understanding of M&E / MEL / MERL frameworks and practices.
• Proven ability to see patterns and build coherence amid complexity.
• Research tools and methods relevant to qualitative, quantitative, or systems approaches.
• Demonstrated integrity, reliability, and openness in behaviour and relationships.
• Strong curiosity, learning orientation, and openness to feedback.
• Familiarity with systems thinking, design thinking, and societal scale innovation.
• Commitment to SmartStart’s purpose and principles of social justice.
• Ability to build trusting relationships, adapt roles across contexts, and facilitate diverse collaboration.
• Skilled at sense-making, synthesising information, and navigating ambiguity.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, distinguishing between complicated and complex contexts.
• Capacity to cope with stress, reprioritise continually, and lead through uncertainty.