Number of Positions: 30
Duty Station: Kakuma & Kalobeyei Wards, Turkana County
Position Overview:
Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) is seeking qualified and motivated individuals to join our team as Research Assistants to be supporting field-based data collection activities across project sites in Kakuma and Kalobeyei wards. This is a temporary, on-call position based on project needs.
Research Assistants will play a vital role in gathering high-quality qualitative and quantitative data to support program learning, accountability, and improvement across PWJ’s priority thematic areas, including Livelihoods, Shelter, WASH & Solid Waste Management. The position reports to the MEAL Officer or M&E Lead, working closely with project teams to ensure accurate, reliable, and timely data collection using digital tools.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct household surveys, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)
- Assist respondents in interpreting interview questions to ensure a complete and accurate response.
- Engage directly with refugees, host communities, and other vulnerable groups.
- Record, organize, and transcribe qualitative notes accurately
- Use digital data collection platforms for field surveys
- Support data quality checks, cleaning, and verification processes
- Adhere to community entry protocols and uphold PWJ’s humanitarian principles
- Perform additional tasks as required during emergency response activities
Minimum Qualifications
- Diploma/Certificate in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Community Development, Agriculture, Environmental Health, Monitoring & Evaluation, IT, or any related field
- Bachelor’s degree is a further advantage
- Prior experience as a Research Assistant, Field Data Collector, or Enumerator is desirable.
- Proficiency in digital data collection platforms (e.g., Kobo Collect, ODK, SurveyCTO, Comcare)
- Competency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Accurate typing and data entry skills
- Fluency in English; knowledge of Swahili, local language (Turkana) and/or refugee community languages (Somali, Nuer, Dinka, Arabic) is an asset.
- Ability to comprehend the research questions.
Personal Attributes
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- High accuracy, attention to detail, and consistency in data collection
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Willingness to work in remote and challenging field environments
- Strong organizational and time-management abilities
- Demonstrated integrity, accountability, and commitment to PWJ values
- Flexible, adaptive, and proactive in field operations