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Market Research Job at CIMMYT in Nairobi, Kenya

CIMMYT is seeking an experienced research professional to support market intelligence studies and research activities from its Nairobi-based operations. The position combines research coordination, survey design, digital survey programming, partner management and data-quality assurance.

The work sits at the intersection of research and practical implementation. Rather than focusing only on designing research questions or analysing completed datasets, the person in this position will be involved throughout the research process. That can include preparing study plans, reviewing questionnaires, testing digital surveys, coordinating external research partners, monitoring fieldwork and making sure data is handed over correctly.

CIMMYT is an international non-profit organisation working on agricultural science, with a particular focus on improving production systems and strengthening food and farming systems in the Global South. The organisation works across crops including maize, wheat, sorghum, millet and other associated crops and collaborates with partners to support farmers and more resilient agrifood systems.

The position is therefore suited to someone with substantial applied research experience who can work across different research methods while keeping studies organised and on schedule.

Coordinating Multiple Research Studies

One of the main responsibilities will be coordinating assigned market intelligence studies. The person may manage day-to-day activities across two or three studies at a time, meaning good organisation will be important.

Each study will have its own scope, budget, milestones and delivery dates. The research professional will maintain workplans, trackers and schedules while monitoring progress against the agreed requirements.

If a study begins to fall behind or an implementation risk emerges, the issue needs to be identified early and raised with the appropriate members of the research team.

The work also involves coordinating different stages of a research project. Questionnaire development, partner engagement, procurement, survey programming, piloting, field implementation and data handover all need to connect properly.

This requires regular communication between internal research teams, country teams, procurement colleagues and external research partners.

The person will also support the preparation of implementation plans, budgets, Terms of Reference, scopes of work and partner deliverables based on the requirements of each study.

Keeping documentation organised is another important responsibility. Decisions, changes and implementation updates should be properly recorded so that the people involved in a study have access to the information they need.

Research Design and Survey Development

The position involves contributing to quantitative, qualitative and experimental research.

Different research questions may require different approaches, so the research professional should be comfortable working with methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, concept testing, product testing and experiments.

The job is not limited to using established methods. The person will also be encouraged to explore and test new approaches that could improve market intelligence research.

This includes digital research methods, video-based approaches and appropriate AI-assisted research tools.

Questionnaire development will be another major area of responsibility. Instruments need to be reviewed and standardised across studies, including question wording, response options, variable names, coding and identifiers.

The research professional will also work with agreed templates, question banks and data dictionaries.

Before a survey reaches respondents, the instrument needs to be checked carefully. This includes looking at survey logic and consistency, considering the burden placed on respondents and making sure the instrument will produce data that can be analysed properly.

Changes made during translation, programming, piloting and field implementation must also be tracked through proper version control.

Testing Digital Surveys

Digital survey tools are an important part of the position.

Before a programmed survey is launched, the research professional will test it and document any problems found. Agreed corrections will then be made in consultation with the research team.

User acceptance testing and piloting will also be supported. Feedback from these stages needs to be incorporated before the final survey is released for fieldwork.

The position calls for practical experience with digital survey platforms such as SurveyCTO, ODK and KoboToolbox, or comparable systems.

Understanding how survey logic works is equally important. The person should be familiar with validation, variables, coding conventions, data dictionaries and the structures used to prepare information for later analysis.

Protecting Data Quality During Fieldwork

Good research depends on the quality of the information collected in the field, so monitoring does not stop once a survey has been launched.

The research professional will support routine field monitoring and data-quality checks. These checks may identify missing information, unusual values, inconsistencies, outliers or interview patterns that require further investigation.

During field implementation, data-quality outputs will need to be reviewed regularly. Emerging concerns should be communicated to the research lead and relevant research partners.

Some technical problems can be handled directly with research teams and implementation partners, while issues that could affect research design, data integrity or interpretation need to be escalated.

This part of the work requires a careful approach because problems identified during fieldwork may need to be addressed before they affect a larger portion of the dataset.

Working With Research Partners

External research agencies, consultants and field teams can be involved in assigned studies. The person in this role will act as a day-to-day contact for implementing partners.

This means explaining study protocols, research tools, timelines, quality expectations and deliverables.

Partner onboarding is also part of the responsibility. The research professional may coordinate activities such as questionnaire translation, piloting, enumerator training, supervisor training and field launch.

Once fieldwork begins, progress needs to be tracked against the agreed plan.

The person will follow up on outstanding actions and deliverables, review routine implementation updates and help address operational problems. Partner outputs and documentation will also need to be reviewed to confirm that the agreed work has been completed to the required standard.

Improving Research Systems

The position also has a knowledge-management component.

Reusable research tools, templates, standard operating procedures, training materials and other implementation resources will need to be maintained and improved.

Lessons from completed or ongoing studies should not simply remain within individual project files. The person will document recurring problems and identify practical improvements that can be applied to future studies.

There will also be an opportunity to contribute to quality-control tools covering research design, field implementation and data handover.

CIMMYT is looking for someone willing to explore new technologies and methodologies that could improve research quality, efficiency or the quality of insights generated.

AI-assisted research tools and other emerging approaches can be tested on a small scale before being considered for wider use.

Academic Background and Experience

The position requires a Master's degree in a relevant discipline. Suitable fields include economics, agricultural economics, development studies, marketing, market research, social sciences, statistics, data science or another relevant area.

A Bachelor's degree combined with appropriate directly relevant research experience may also be considered in line with organisational policy.

Candidates should have between five and seven years of relevant professional experience in applied research, market research, survey research, development research or a related field.

Experience across different research methodologies is important. The candidate should have practical exposure to quantitative, qualitative or experimental research and be able to contribute to the development and implementation of research instruments.

Experience with surveys, interviews, focus groups, observational research, concept testing or experiments can be relevant.

The position also requires practical experience in questionnaire development, digital survey programming, survey implementation and research quality assurance.

Who This Position Suits

This role calls for more than academic knowledge of research methods. The person needs to be comfortable managing real studies, coordinating different teams, dealing with external partners and keeping track of numerous details at once.

Strong organisational skills will be important because several studies may be active simultaneously. At the same time, the research professional needs enough technical understanding to review survey instruments, test digital questionnaires and identify data-quality problems.

The ability to learn is also important. New research tools, technologies and methodologies are continually emerging, and the position specifically calls for someone willing to test and apply new approaches.

Experience with AI-assisted or other emerging research methods would be an advantage, although it is not presented as an essential requirement.

For an experienced research professional in Nairobi with a relevant postgraduate qualification, strong survey experience and practical knowledge of digital research platforms, this CIMMYT position brings together research coordination, technology, field implementation and quality assurance.

The work covers the full research workflow, from developing and testing instruments to coordinating partners, monitoring fieldwork and improving systems for future studies. It is particularly relevant to professionals who enjoy both the technical and operational sides of applied research and who can move between research design, project coordination and data-quality responsibilities.

Application

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