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Senior Research Advisor (Global Research & Evidence)
Unit: Global Insights and Engagement (FSC)
Location: Vienne (Austria)
Duration: 12 months with possible extension
About us
SOS Children's Villages, founded in 1949, is the world's largest non-governmental organization focused on supporting children and young people without parental care, or at risk of losing it.
Child neglect, abuse and abandonment is everywhere. Families are at risk of separation. Locally led, we work in more than 130 countries and territories to strengthen families who are under pressure so they can stay together. When this is not in a child or young person's best interests, we provide quality care according to their unique needs.
Together with partners, donors, communities, children, young people and families, we enable children to grow up with the bonds they need to develop and become their strongest selves. We speak up for each child's rights and advocate for change so all children can grow up in a supportive environment.
They contribute to the leadership of SOS SOS Children's Villages International (CVI) including enabling sound budgeting and financial management by leaders and managers in the two units: FCS (Federation Secretariat) and IDS (International Development Support).
Mission
The Global Insights and Engagement Pillar support the Federation and Member Associations by turning global impact, data, and evidence into insights that strengthen decision-making, communication, advocacy, and shared learning across the federation, while advancing SOS Children’s Villages’ collective voice and impact., in line with the organisation’s vision, mission and strategy. It sets evidence and learning priorities, harvests practice-based knowledge and impactful innovations from Member Associations, and connects these with high-quality research, evaluation and global frameworks. Through this work, and in partnership with academic institutions and other stakeholders, it translates learning into shared standards, positions and scalable approaches that ensure programme relevance, enable programme change, inform advocacy efforts, advance care reform, and improve outcomes for children and young people at risk of losing parental care, those who have lost parental care, and their families and communities. Meaningful child and youth participation is embedded across this work, ensuring that children’s and young people’s lived experiences, perspectives and initiatives inform research, innovation, governance and advocacy processes, and contribute to more relevant, inclusive and impactful programmes.
The Senior Research Advisor provides direction and oversight for the research. Support and responsible for defining research priorities based on organisational needs and programme challenges, and for ensuring the design and implementation of high-quality research and evaluation initiatives, particularly those that are multi-country, participatory, or focused on innovation and scalability. The role involves managing research partnerships and networks, producing and quality-assuring strategic knowledge products, and supporting the uptake of evidence in programme design, fundraising, and policy influence. Position also play a key role in strengthening the research capacities of Member Associations and guiding the work of the research team to ensure coherence, relevance, and impact.
Tasks and Responsibilities
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Identify and prioritise strategic research and evaluation themes in alignment with organisational objectives, global programme priorities, and opportunities for innovation and scale-up. Ensure that annual research priorities are clearly defined, coordinated, and formally approved.
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Contribute to the design and implementation of high-quality research and evaluation initiatives, including multi-country and participatory studies, by overseeing project planning, budgeting, ethical compliance, and the timely delivery of outputs and results.
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Develop and manage strategic research partnerships and collaborative networks with academic institutions, expert organisations, and peer INGOs to strengthen evidence generation, leverage external expertise, and enhance organisational visibility and credibility.
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Produce, review, and contribute to high-level knowledge products, research outputs, and policy briefs to ensure findings are translated into actionable recommendations, organisational learning, and evidence-based advocacy messages.
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Foster internal collaboration across departments, thematic units, and regional offices to ensure research activities are effectively integrated into programme design, innovation initiatives, and proposal development processes.
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Support organisational learning by systematically capturing, synthesising, and disseminating research findings and evaluation outcomes, while promoting their application in strategic decision-making, policy development, programme adaptation, and continuous improvement processes.
Responsibilities to Uphold Safeguarding (standards) and Promote a Safe Environment
As someone working for or on behalf of SOS Children’s Villages, you are responsible for helping to create and maintain a safe and protective environment for staff, as well as for the children, young people, and adult programme participants supported and cared for by SOS Children’s Villages. You are expected to:
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Commit to the Code of Conduct and reflect on the safeguarding implications of your work on an ongoing basis.
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Actively participate in team discussions to identify risks and share and apply preventative and mitigation measures and strategies.
- Integrate safeguarding principles into your daily decisions and tasks.
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Report any safeguarding concerns promptly and in line with procedures.
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Promote values-based culture, accountability and zero tolerance of harm.
Requirements
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Requires a Master’s degree, preferably in International Development, Psychology, Child Development, Education, or Social Sciences such as Anthropology or Sociology.
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The position requires 5–8 years of relevant professional experience in research, evaluation, programme development, or evidence generation within international development, child rights, social services, or related sectors.
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Willingness and availability to travel internationally up to 20% of the time.
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EU work authorization preferred
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Excellent command of English, both written and spoken
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Desired: Proficiency in an additional SOS language, such as Spanish, French, or Arabic.
Technical Skills
- Strategic Research Planning and Oversight – Advanced: Demonstrated ability to define, coordinate, and implement research agendas aligned with organisational priorities, innovation objectives, and global programme needs.
- Research Methodologies – Advanced: Extensive expertise in qualitative, participatory, and mixed-methods research involving children and young people, including the design, supervision, and quality assurance of complex multi-country studies and evaluations.
- Research Partnership and Stakeholder Management – Advanced: Proven experience establishing and managing strategic collaborations with academic institutions, peer organisations, technical experts, and external partners to strengthen research quality, credibility, and visibility.
- Evidence-Informed Policy and Programme Influence – Advanced: Strong ability to translate research findings into actionable recommendations that inform programme design, advocacy strategies, policy development, and organisational decision-making.
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Production and Quality Assurance of Knowledge Products – Intermediate: Ability to support the development, editing, and critical review of high-quality research outputs, including reports, policy briefs, and knowledge products tailored to diverse audiences such as donors, practitioners, and policymakers (desired)
- Capacity Strengthening in Research and Evaluation – Intermediate: Experience strengthening organisational research and evaluation capacities through training design, mentoring, coaching, and institutional learning initiatives (desired)
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Demonstrated thematic expertise in childhood, youth, family and relational child and youth care, child protection, and social services for children without parental care or at risk of losing parental care (desired)
Other Competencies and Soft Skills
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Strategic Thinking and Innovation: Ability to connect research activities with broader strategic programme objectives, anticipate emerging trends, and propose innovative approaches that support organisational impact and scaling.
- Leadership and Team Coordination: Capacity to lead, mentor, and coordinate diverse teams and complex projects while fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing work environment.
- Excellent Communication and Influencing Skills: Ability to communicate complex research findings clearly and effectively to non-technical audiences, influence strategic discussions and decision-making processes, and represent the organisation externally with credibility.
- Ability to work effectively across diverse cultural and regional contexts, demonstrating sensitivity to local dynamics, inclusion, and power relations. (desired)
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Comfortable operating in complex and evolving environments, with the flexibility to adapt research approaches, priorities, and leadership styles in response to changing organisational or contextual needs. (desired)
Ways of working:
- Global collaboration and communication – Working effectively across countries, cultures, and time zones by maintaining clear communication, transparency, and shared understanding within distributed teams.
- Cross-functional collaboration – Working closely with colleagues across different functions and areas of expertise to combine knowledge, solve problems collectively, and deliver meaningful outcomes aligned with the organisation’s mission.
- Effective collaboration within matrix structures – Working constructively within solid and dotted reporting lines by maintaining open communication, aligning priorities with both line and functional managers, and ensuring clarity on roles, responsibilities, and expectations to support coordinated delivery across teams.
- Flexibility and adaptability – Remaining responsive to evolving contexts and adjusting priorities, approaches, and ways of collaboration as projects, services, or organisational demand evolve.
- Ownership and accountability – Taking responsibility for advancing tasks and initiatives, proactively addressing obstacles, and ensuring that commitments, decisions, and actions are carried through to completion, taking initiative within your scope of responsibility rather than waiting for direction.
- Strengthening member associations and their autonomy – Ensuring that knowledge, tools, and lessons from projects and services are shared with member associations so they can learn from the work carried out and progressively strengthen their capacity and independence.
- Continuous feedback and transparency - Contributing to a culture where feedback and data are shared openly and constructively, enabling teams and stakeholders involved to reflect, learn, and continuously improve their work and impact.
What We Stand for
SOS Children’s Villages is committed to creating and maintaining a caring and protective environment, which promotes its core values, and prevents and addresses child abuse and exploitation. We strongly condemn all forms of child abuse and exploitation, be it within or outside of our organization, and always respond to any case of proven, alleged or attempted abuse within our sphere of influence according to its nature. Efforts ensure that mechanisms are in place to raise awareness, aid prevention, encourage reporting and ease response. They range from human resource development actions such as training and counselling to measures such as suspension, dismissal, and legal action.
SOS Children’s Villages is committed to creating and maintaining a safe working environment for our staff, the children and young people and the communities that we work for. The organization prohibits harassment, exploitation and abuses by or of any employee, supervisor, manager, child, young people, community, contractor, applicant, or other individual with whom SOS Children’s Villages employees come into contact by virtue of their work. All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our prevention and protection against Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse policy.
In addition, SOS Children’s Villages apply a zero-tolerance concerning any fraud situation. The organization does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
Successful candidates will have to submit a criminal record certificate, current within the last three years. In accordance with the organisation’s child protection policy, these positions will be subject to criminal record checks.
How to apply?
If you are interested in this position, please send your detailed application in English through ICISMs here: https://careers-sos-kd.icims.com/
Please note that applications will be reviewed and suitable candidates will be contacted for interviews on an ongoing basis. The position will remain open until filled.
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