Research & Development Director |Full time | Netherlands (preferred)

By 2030, 150 million people are able to prevent or resolve their most pressing justice problems. Do you want to join us on our mission?

HiiL, a social enterprise that works to enhance access to justice through innovation, is looking for an inspiring and collaborative leader to run the Research & Development department. 

The Research & Development Director contributes significantly to HiiL’s thought leadership and innovation, with research for the next generation of methods that support the realization of our mission. The director designs a compelling, relevant and cutting-edge research agenda that keeps HiiL ahead of the curve and serves country programmatic needs. 

The Director, together with the Country Programme Directors, works to reflect and develop our practices on-the-ground, while being informed by sound research and best practices. 

The position of Research & Development Director is a strong blend of technical research & development skills, business and operations know-how and managing teams in a people-centered manner. 

The director will manage and inspire a Research & Development team of currently 4 people and guide several Research Collaborators, Practice Coordinators, and the members of Practices. The director will report to the Chief Operations Officer. 

The position:

• Develops a clear and effective Justice Research & Development strategy and translates the strategy to financially sound annual Work Plans.
• Actively contributes to HiiL’s thought leadership by introducing and optimizing internal R&D processes, Practices and Methods.
• Presents evidence-based, realistic and viable R&D ideas to senior management and how this serves or innovates the HiiL programmatic needs.
• Leads R&D adoptions and drives complex, high impact, cross-functional projects through collaboration with relevant experts.
• Develops a clear and effective Training, Methods and Practice strategy and translates the strategy to financially sound annual Work Plans.
• Supports fundraising initiatives for R&D programs from major foundations, government (innovation) funds and groups of private funders by synthesizing and communicating information and data in a cohesive and succinct manner.
• Composes and maintains a high quality team and guides the researchers to effective research methods, policy briefs and other R&D outputs, including the HiiL knowledge repository (HiiL Dashboard).
• Mentors HiiL Practice Coordinators to codify and continuously improve the HiiL methods.

Our new colleague: 

• PhD or Research Master, or similar experience, in law, development, policy, non-profit management, political science, peace and conflict studies, international relations, international development, education, health or a related field
• Proven 8+ years of work experience as a manager in Research & Development (partly) in the field of Justice, preferably in a non-profit context.
• The ability to effectively prioritize, integrate and balance the various ongoing efforts under strict deadlines.
• Outstanding writing and editing skills.
• Superior organizational capabilities and the ability to work independently with strong self-initiative.
• Strong Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) or Google Suite skills.
• Feels comfortable in both qualitative and quantitative research. Knowledge of statistics and data science concepts as well as tools such as STATA is a must. 
• Knowledge of Power BI or other research relevant applications is a strong asset.
• Strong ability to synthesize and communicate information and data cohesively and succinctly.
• Strong leadership and team building skills as well as a high level of ethics and integrity.
• Experience with managing and motivating a team from a distance.
• Excellent English and French are a must, being able to work in Global South context is a strong asset.
• Willingness to travel.

We offer you:

• An opportunity of being at the forefront of making people centred justice happenAn organizational culture where motivation prevails; the work that we do is meaningful and contributes to changing people’s lives.
• An environment that is bound to further improve your professional skills.

What else:

• Starting date: 1st of April 2023 (or sooner if possible)
• We offer a full time position for an initial period of 1 year with the aim of building a long-term work relationship.
• In case you live in the Netherlands you will be offered a Dutch employment contract with a competitive salary, ABP pension, 40+ holidays per year, hybrid working.
• In case you are stationed abroad, you are commissioned to work as a consultant with a competitive fee and expenses. 
• You will become part of a dynamic and international team of 70+ professionals.
• Being creative, courageous and collaborative are at the heart of our organization so that needs to appeal to you and fit you.

Are you the inspiring Research & Development Director we need? Please apply and send us your CV and a short motivation letter latest on Sunday 19th of February 2023. 

Please note that we are recruiting on a rolling basis and will try to fill this position asap.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization. Therefore, people of all gender identities, sexes, sexual orientations, races, colours, religions, cultures, abilities, etc. are encouraged to apply for this position. 

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks. By submitting your application you accept that HiiL will conduct such pre-employment screening for successful candidates.

Will you join us?
Please apply using the button below and send us your CV and a short motivation letter.