Head Of Research And Innovation

About Southern Voice

Southern Voice (SV) is a network of leading think tanks in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, committed to producing, promoting, and disseminating evidence-based policy analysis by researchers from the Global South. The organisation's ultimate aim is to address the existing knowledge asymmetry and participation deficit in the development dialogue.

Since its inception in 2013, Southern Voice has evolved into a vibrant network of 71 Think Tanks from the Global South dedicated to leveraging quality local data and research. The aim is to enhance the global development debate and increase the impact of the 2030 Agenda in the South.

Southern Voice envisages a world in which power has been realigned between countries. The result would be a fair and equitable engagement on global issues, advancing a world where people's rights and needs are met, and sustainable development is achieved.

About the Role

As the Head of Research & Innovation at Southern Voice, you will lead the organisation's research and innovation agenda, ensuring the quality, relevance, and influence of its evidence-based work. You will define strategic research priorities in collaboration with the Executive Director and other units, guiding methodological rigour, experimentation, and collaborative research across the network. A key part of the role is to strengthen relationships with member think tanks and research partners, promote knowledge exchange, and foster innovative approaches to produce timely, participatory, and policy-relevant research. You will also oversee the integration of research with Southern Voice's broader policy, communications, and network engagement strategies, ensuring that evidence from the Global South informs global development dialogues and contributes to more equitable knowledge systems.

Purpose of the Role

Ensure the relevance, quality, and impact of Southern Voice's research through innovative and evidence-based approaches. This role promotes methodological rigour, experimentation with innovative research methods and collaborations, and meaningful engagement of evidence users to enhance the usability and policy influence of the network's research.

Duties and Responsibilities
1. Research relevance, innovation & strategic positioningPurpose:

Define and guide Southern Voice's research direction to remain relevant and forward-looking, integrating innovation as a driver of methodological rigour and engagement of researchers and evidence users.

Main activities:

• Define the research agenda in collaboration with the ED, ensuring coherence with institutional priorities and considering inputs from the other offices.
• Ensure the relevance of research initiatives in response to emerging development debates and the interests and priorities of SV members.
• Define and implement the network's innovation strategy, integrating new products, methods, or partnerships that enhance impact, collaboration, and members' engagement.
• Promote the strategic use of digital tools and technologies to facilitate collaboration, data sharing, evidence analysis, and collective learning across the network.
• Generate and coordinate new ventures and use of innovative research tools, such as data analysis, use of technology, participatory methodologies, collective intelligence, evidence to actions labs, among others, — to test cutting-edge research approaches.
• Identify and promote engagement with evidence users (e.g., policymakers, practitioners) throughout the research cycle.
• Represent the office and network in relevant fora, both academic and policy-oriented.
• Promote relationships with research partners (e.g., IDS, UNU-WIDER, ODI) to foster collaborative opportunities and enhance mutual benefits.
• Monitor the development and research-for-development landscape, identifying trends, major publications, and debates shaping the field.

• Contribute to fundraising and proposal development for research and innovation-driven initiatives.

• Methodological guidance & research qualityPurpose:

Ensure methodological rigour, coherence, and practical applicability across Southern Voice's research portfolio.

Main activities:

• Provide methodological guidance to ensure quality, credibility, and impact of outputs.
• Develop and share methodological tools and standards that combine academic rigour with practical application.
• Oversee multiple research projects running concurrently across countries and time zones, ensuring methodological consistency, quality control, and timely delivery.
• Provide strategic guidance and mentoring to team members of the Research and Innovation office, leading individual research initiatives.

• Facilitate peer learning among members and Secretariat staff on research design and data practices.

• Strategic alignment & institutional integrationPurpose:

Align and coordinate the research and innovation agenda with other teams and with Southern Voice's broader strategic and operational priorities.

Main activities:

• Coordinate strategic planning with other offices to ensure research initiatives are coherent with policy, communications, and network engagement efforts.
• Connect and enhance existing initiatives, ensuring that learnings are shared and synergies identified.
• Support proposal development, particularly in research-driven components, ensuring integration across offices.
• Collaborate in fundraising efforts for research and innovation projects.
• Contribute to institutional reporting, ensuring research results are well-documented and evidence-based.
• Leverage technology-enabled systems to improve internal coordination, data management, and communication across offices.
• Ensure internal coordination mechanisms are in place to connect research outputs with communications and policy uptake.

• Develop and report strategic indicators to measure the impact of the office's initiatives.

• Team management & leadershipPurpose:

Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing research team culture that reflects Southern Voice's values and supports professional growth across a global, virtual environment.

Main activities:

• Lead and mentor the research team with strategic vision, empathy, and clarity, promoting a culture of trust, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Provide constructive feedback and manage performance with openness, encouraging accountability and professional development.
• Support junior colleagues through coaching, guidance, and opportunities for skill-building and leadership growth.
• Model emotionally intelligent leadership, maintaining balance and care in communication and decision-making.
• Promote equity, justice, and the amplification of diverse perspectives from the Global South within all team dynamics and outputs.

• Ensure effective collaboration across time zones and cultural contexts, nurturing a cohesive and motivated virtual team.

• Cross-cutting responsibilities (for all the Heads in Secretariat)

• Data management and institutional memory

• Process definition
• Reporting & proposals
• Representation
• Support for fundraising

Skills and Experience

• Policy-oriented research: Proven ability to design and deliver timely, decision-focused research with real-world policy relevance.
• Blended theory and practice: Combines academic rigour with practical experience in government, NGOs or applied research settings.
• Participatory and collaborative methods: Skilled in co-created, networked research and engaging stakeholders throughout the process.
• Innovation and technology use: Experience applying digital tools or new methodologies (e.g. participatory approaches, open online collaborative methods, among others) to make research more inclusive and efficient.
• Cross-cutting expertise: Generalist mindset with the ability to synthesise diverse evidence across development themes in the Global South.
• Global project management: Experienced in coordinating multi-country research initiatives; adept at managing risks, timelines and deliverables across time zones.
• Partnership and fundraising: Track record in building research collaborations and contributing to proposal development.
• Empathic leadership and team management: Inclusive, emotionally intelligent leader with experience managing diverse, virtual teams, who fosters feedback, growth and collaboration within teams.
• Equity and knowledge justice: Committed to amplifying Global South voices and addressing knowledge asymmetries.
• Languages and location: Fluent in English; proficiency in Spanish, French, or Portuguese preferred. With significant experience of the Global South, ideally based within Latin America, Africa or European time zones.