Program Manager

(US preferred, but remote possible for the right candidate)

GeoPoll is the leading provider of mobile device-driven research, data collection, and analysis in emerging markets, providing full-service solutions to its broad client base. GeoPoll has experience administering surveys in more than one hundred and twenty countries and conducts approximately five million surveys annually in more than forty-five languages. With operations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, GeoPoll continues to grow and scale quickly.   GeoPoll adheres to the strictest ethical and research standards and employs highly rigorous methods and approaches to data analysis.

Given our continuing growth and development and the critically important work we are doing for our partners and clients, GeoPoll is looking for a Program Manager who will report directly to a Portfolio Manager. This individual will demonstrate strong project management skills and will play an important role in helping the team deliver for its clients.

Responsibilities

The Program Manager will be directly responsible for independently leading multiple research projects. Their responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Project Management

  • The management of research projects, delivering of client outputs in a timely manner and first-time-right, including the administrative and operational tasks related to design, planning, and output based on program requirements.
  • Ensuring the success of the program management team in meeting contractual and program requirements; this includes problem-solving when faced with issues so that these can be mitigated/addressed
  • Organizing program documents and managing enumerator trainings so that each adheres to GeoPoll standards and protocols, ensuring that all interviewers are trained per project requirements prior to starting full data collection
  • Conduct quality control through data and audio review to ensure that data meets GeoPoll quality standards, ensuring that at pre-determined percentage of calls made by interviewers are graded and reviewed
  • Manage the inputs and support of internal technical departments, including questionnaires, training, quality control, data processing, and reports.
  • Leading GeoPoll teams to establish project work plans and timelines for projects, preparing samples and executing deliverable submissions for client projects.
  • Managing vendor project financials to ensure maximum accrual and help track account payables for active portfolio.
  • Managing vendor project financials to ensure maximum accrual and help track account payables for active portfolio.

Technical work

  • Working directly with clients to understand their needs, developing studies to meet those needs, providing insights, recommendations and usages of collected data to benefit programmatic activities
  • Escalating to the Portfolio Manager issues and risks that come up for a project in the portfolio so that these can be addressed in a timely manner. Helping the portfolio teams as a whole to improve program and vendor management and to think strategically about GeoPoll’s future development, growth and expansion in new markets and sectors.

Business Development

  • Contributing to business development efforts by managing current client relationships and supporting sales leads to further grow accounts.

Requirements:

  • Minimum four (4) years’ experience in a program/project coordination or survey research role.
  • Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills with the ability to follow through and execute tasks in a pro-active, timely manner.
  • Willingness to fulfill tasks related to all aspects of a program/project’s lifecycle with an emphasis on project management, client relationship development and advancement, and survey research reporting requirements.
  • Excellent communication skills, including an ability to communicate effectively with clients and to various internal departments related to design, planning, financial management, sales, data processing, marketing and third-party services.
  • Language capabilities: bilingual Spanish or French candidates are preferred but any second language capability is a valued attribute.
  • Familiarity with fundamental quantitative research skills including questionnaire design, sampling, basic data processing and analysis, fieldwork management and reporting.
  • Bachelor’s degree in a social science, business administration or similar fields is required, a Masters in a similar or related field is preferred.
  • Advanced experience with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Experience with statistical software (SPSS, Stata, R) is not required but helpful.
  • A positive demeanour with a passion for survey research.
  • Multicultural awareness and sensitivity.