Country Manager – Sierra Leone

Summary

Laterite is looking for a Country Manager to provide strategic direction, oversee research projects, and lead and mentor research teams based in our office in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

We are also open to hiring for a Country Director role for candidates with 8+ years of experience or a Senior Research Associate for candidates with 5+ years of experience.

About Laterite

Laterite is a data, research, and analytics firm specializing in complex development challenges. We work with universities, global think tanks, international NGOs, multilateral donor organizations, and government ministries and agencies. Our clients include, for example, the World Bank, USAID, TechnoServe, Promundo, the Mastercard Foundation, and several UN agencies.

We currently have offices in the Netherlands, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Peru. The team brings together more than 90 full-time local and international staff, as well as 1,000+ enumerators across all countries. We are proud to be a culturally diverse organization, and we welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in our team. Learn more: www.laterite.com

We work insocio-economic development research projects. We believe that impact is a long-term endeavor that requires being embedded in the local context. Delivering high-quality research requires building local teams and data collection systems, knowing the country, and establishing close working relationships.

One of Laterite’s key strategic goals is to create a collaborative and rewarding working environment for our staff, where every team member feels engaged, represented, and heard. Laterite is committed to creating opportunities for learning and career development within the team and across our offices.

Laterite is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

What you will do:

As a Country Manager, based in our Freetown office, you will:

• Oversee office operations, including financial and personnel management, contributing to corporate strategy, and overseeing process improvements.
• Manage the pipeline of research projects, ensuring Laterite delivers high-quality and impactful research for our clients.
• Develop the business pipeline including responding to requests for research proposals, designing evaluations for clients, and turning internal research ideas into externally funded projects.
• Develop and manage relationships and communication with Laterite clients and government officials.
• Support and develop research teams, including coaching, mentoring and/or training to develop their research and management skills.
• Maintain and promote Laterite’s office culture, sustaining a very friendly and collaborative atmosphere, combined with a fast-working pace, high standards and a strong desire for innovation and learning.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for growth and innovation, be it from a technical, learning or business perspective.

What you will bring:

We are looking for an accomplished professional with experience leading a portfolio of projects, growing research or business pipelines, and leading and mentoring research teams.

Our future colleague has:

• A postgraduate degree (master’s or above) in economics, international development, one of Laterite’s core sectors (agriculture, education, gender, livelihoods, public health), or a related field with a strong quantitative component. MBA a plus.
• 6 years of experience in international development, public policy, economic and social research, or management consulting.
• Previous experience managing complex research projects, growing research or business pipelines, and leading and mentoring research teams.
• Experience managing a team of 10-20 people.
• Strong oral and written communication skills in English
• Experience living and working in different cultural settings
• Motivation to work in social and economic research in Sub-Saharan Africa

Additionally, we are looking for:

• Solid understanding of quantitative research, evaluation, and analytical methods. Ability to converse fluently about research methodology and design.
• Solid project management skills to oversee a portfolio of projects at different stages in the research lifecycle.
• An excellent networker with experience in building relationships with clients and stakeholders from the public and private sectors.
• A self-motivated team leader with excellent interpersonal skills who thrives in a fast-paced environment where timelines can be unpredictable.

We welcome:

• Previous work experience in West Africa
• Proficiency in Stata, which is used in most of our research projects. Knowledge of R and/or Python is also a plus.

What’s in it for you?

Laterite offers a competitive remuneration package, including medical insurance and 25 days of annual leave. We are also committed to supporting our staff’s learning, providing an annual learning budget of up to $1,000 per person and 10 days of time off for professional learning each year. We also provide remote work options in accordance with Laterite’s remote work policy.

The starting salary for this role is USD $5,706 gross per month. The exact salary grade will be determined based on the selected candidate’s experience and performance in interviews.