Research Officer

About Global Health 50/50 

Global Health 50/50 (GH5050) is an independent, evidence-driven initiative to advance action and accountability for gender equality. GH5050 was formed around a unique model which brings together the rigour of academic research, the knowledge of how policy change can occur and the momentum of advocates and communicators to catalyse progress on gender equality. GH5050’s mission is ‘To improve health, well-being, and social justice through the promotion of human rights, particularly in relation to gender equality, by conducting research, disseminating the useful results of such research, and providing information, advice and advocacy.’ Established in 2017, GH5050 is a non-profit organisation (as a UK registered charity) headquartered in Cambridge, UK, that initially focussed on the health sector and is increasingly active in the justice and finance systems, globally and at country level. 

Context 

Through our flagship annual report and Gender and Health Index, GH5050 provides the only bird’s-eye view of gender, inclusion and equality in the global health sector today. The report assesses 200 organisations annually across a core set of variables on policies and practices to tackle power and privilege imbalances within the workplace, the gender and geography of organisational leadership, and whether gender is considered in any organisations' external-facing programmatic or policy work. Working with research and advocacy partners, supported by an advisory group, gender and health experts and a team of research consultants, GH5050 leverages the research data and evidence to engage with the assessed organisations directly.   

The successful candidate for this post is expected to play an integral role in contributing to the research, dissemination and impact work of GH5050, during a time of rapid growth. 

Role Summary 

GH5050 is looking for a mixed-methods researcher with excellent statistical analysis skills, experience in gender analysis, and proven ability to communicate complex results. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of one of the world’s leading research and accountability initiatives for gender equality. You will join a small and growing team of staff working at GH5050. We are looking for a motivated, proactive, dynamic, collaborative and meticulously detail-oriented individual to join our team and work across our thematic workstreams on health, justice and economics. 

The programmatic priorities of this role in Year 1 include supporting the processes of research, data collection, cleaning, validation and analysis of the following projects: 1) Disability inclusion, gender and health report, 2) Gendered Health Pathways data visualisation tool, 3) 2025 annual health sector report, 4) inaugural global justice 50/50 report. It is expected that over the course of Year 1, approximately 70% of this role will be dedicated to the health sector data and research and 30% to the justice sector. In Year 2 of the role, data and research support in the new economics and finance sector will be required.  

Responsibilities: 

• Conduct mixed-methods research at the intersection of global health, global justice, global economics/finance, career leadership, and gender justice in support of GH5050 annual and thematic reports, projects and activities as required. This may include literature reviews, scoping reviews, data collection and evidence mapping, or other research tasks as required.  

• Utilize standard statistical and/or data management software packages to execute data processing and data analysis activities and to summarize and present findings.  

• Manage large datasets; clean, aggregate data and perform quality control; evaluate/analyze and interpret data. 

• Develop and maintain documentation on work procedures covering all aspects of the production cycle of reports.  

• Prepare internal briefs, reports and presentation on statistical results. Work with the report team to prepare results for external dissemination.  

• Work creatively to suggest new chart types and data visualisation functionalities, including dashboards.  

• Work with website developers to present and visualise data on the GH5050 website.   

Knowledge/Experience:  

Essential 

• Masters degree or equivalent in a relevant disciplinary area – e.g. statistics, demography, social sciences, economics 

• Experience conducting mixed methods research 

• Programming skills SPSS and/or Stata.  

• Experience in managing and querying large databases and practical experience with relevant software and programming languages. Excellent command of Microsoft Office software, especially Excel (including macros and pivot tables). 

• Experience of data management processes to ensure data validity and reliability 

• Ability to produce clear, concise, engaging and evidence-led written outputs including reports, policy briefs, academic papers and op-eds. 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain strong channels of communication with GH5050 staff and external collaborators 

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment 

• Excellent organisation skills, flexibility and ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines 

Desirable 

• Experience conducting research on gender 

• Experience in Python would be an asset. Some familiarity with programming in R an advantage.  

• Good knowledge of the main frameworks for data visualisation, data processing, machine learning, or willingness to learn those frameworks. 

• Experience in conducting evidence reviews – e.g. systematic reviews, scoping reviews – an advantage 

All Staff are required to: 

• Demonstrate commitment to GH5050’s organisational values, including exercising high ethical standards and research integrity, with attention to teamwork and collaboration  

• Ensure that they have read and understood all mandatory policies and procedures 

• Uphold the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policies, ensuring effective implementation in all aspects of their work for the charity 

• Act always within the charity rules, policies, procedures, and any other statutory requirements 

• Be proactive, bring ideas, suggestions and contribute to the improvement and development of the charity 

• Undertake training as required 

• Attend staff and team meetings as required, including in-person at the Cambridge office at least one or two days per week 

• Observe health and safety procedures in the workplace to ensure personal safety and to safeguard the interests and safety of colleagues and visitors 

• To establish, foster and maintain close working relationships with other functions to allow swift resolution of issues and sharing of knowledge 

• Undertake other duties and responsibilities as appropriate since all staff are expected to work flexibly within their skill level to respond to changing priorities and support the development and growth of the organisation 

Our generous staff benefits include:  

• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays. In addition, we may provide 3 days leave over the Christmas and New Year period 

• Flexible working arrangements – with at least 1-2 days per week in the Cambridge office 

• 5% employer pension contribution 

• Employee assistance programme (EAP) via Health Assured  

• Professional development and training