Program Officer, Knowledge Translation

Reporting to the Program Leader, the Program Officer, Knowledge Translation, within Education & Science’s Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX), will play a pivotal role in advancing education innovation and evidence-based policymaking. Responsibilities will encompass facilitating the scaling of promising education innovations, working closely with partners to identify, support and replicate successful models across different contexts. Additionally, the incumbent will push efforts to strengthen partners' capacity to integrate research findings and evidence into their policies and foster knowledge-sharing networks among stakeholders.

Primary Duties and/or Responsibilities

Knowledge synthesis, uptake and communication

• Design and implement plans to disseminate widely project-and program-level research results among local, regional and international stakeholders, including the development of high-quality publications that positions the KIX initiative to visibly contribute to national, regional and global dialogues about food systems change.
• Design, draft and commission user-friendly summative documents and communication pieces that synthesize research for multiple audiences including government agencies, researchers, practitioners, the media, policy communities and the public.
• Identify appropriate service providers (i.e., writers, copy editors, publishers) to support the production of research output documents and plan and oversee this process.
• Prepare and coordinate written, graphic, visual materials, web site content and other social media for public presentation/dissemination.
• Coordinate conferences and other events in consultation with relevant team members.
• Engage proactively with local, regional and international stakeholders through dissemination of key results, organization of formal and informal exchanges (including at high-level international events), and ensure needs and priorities as identified by policymakers feed into research processes (e.g. through review of policy documents).
• Contribute to the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation of the KIX initiative that aligns with broader goals of Education and Science’s funding partner strategies.
• Contribute to reporting processes and monitoring progress in meeting the program’s outputs and outcomes (i.e., set evaluation frameworks).
• On occasion, make presentations and/or represent IDRC at selected meetings, conferences, workshops or seminars.

Capacity Building in Communication and Outreach

• Strengthen capacities among research project teams in communications, outreach and research uptake through promotion of collaboration with stakeholders who can distill and effectively communicate key messages or play an intermediary role between the generators and users of knowledge.
• Provide feedback on communications and research uptake strategies and products (outputs), particularly to project team leaders and/or communication/research uptake officers of project teams.

Program and Centre-wide collaboration

• Work together with colleagues to guide the formulation and development of the program’s strategy and related project portfolio.
• May be required to take on special assignments and more frequent interaction with senior team members around program development issues.
• Participate in Centre-wide initiatives.

Job Knowledge

Education

Master’s or PhD degree and a record of publication in a relevant social science discipline such as international development.

Experience

This position requires three years of work experience relevant to knowledge translation, communication and research, including:

• Developing and implementing knowledge-translation strategies and plans, including selecting channels and developing key messages and content for target audiences, and evaluating the effectiveness and impact of efforts;
• Knowledge of food systems challenges in low- and middle-income countries, including strategies for influencing demand and improving consumer food environments;
• Analyzing, interpreting and synthesizing technical research-for-development results, with experience on how to translate knowledge to practice for policymakers and practitioners;
• Experience acting as an intermediary between knowledge creators and users for building and maintaining partnerships;
• Developing reports, policy briefs, briefing notes, and web and social media content for various audiences;
• Experience strengthening capacity among research teams in research uptake is an asset;
• Developing and managing research-for-development projects is an asset; and
• Experience working in developing regions.

Job Scope

Within the KIX initiative, the PO-KT will contribute to overall success by coordinating activities, managing partnerships, and ensuring alignment with the goals of IDRC’s Education and Science division. Monitoring and evaluating the impact of KIX-supported projects and initiatives, tracking progress towards goals, and assessing the effectiveness of knowledge-translation strategies are also central to your role.

Other Comments

This position is designated as bilingual (English and French) at the intermediate level.