Research Data Systems Consultant

Our common home (och) is an organisation that promotes civic participation to build solutions to our changing natural environment. Specifically, we seek to engage people that have so-far been left out of the climate conversation - people with more traditional values who feel a deep attachment to place, tradition, family and nation. Our mission is to reach a political consensus on the need to preserve our environment and empower everyone across society to work together in exploring and building solutions.

Research is central to OCH’s strategy - it ensures that decisions and initiatives are grounded in evidence and reflect the realities, needs, and engagement patterns of the communities we serve. We combine in-house and externally partnered quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the values, motivations, and concerns of audiences often overlooked in the climate debate.

Role overview

Fixed-term: 1 year (0.5 FTE)

As OCH’s global research team grows, and as our work reaches new geographies, we are accumulating survey-based quantitative data. We seek to better structure, store, and leverage this data thanks to the deployment of a specialized Software.

The Software in question is a data storage and data exploration platform designed primarily for the polling and opinion research sector. It will allow us to centralize OCH’s quantitative datasets and make them more accessible, reusable, and interpretable, including for colleagues who are not data specialists.

We are looking for a consultant that will be responsible for leading and coordinating the end-to-end implementation of the Software within OCH, from early data architecture decisions, to complete data importation, to full internal deployment across countries.

This role is not limited to technical data handling. It sits at the intersection of:

• Quantitative research

• Data engineering & structuring

• Change management and internal enablement (desirable)

A strong understanding of quantitative research data and survey-based workflows is therefore essential, as decisions made during data preparation and labeling directly affect how data can be explored, compared, and reused for future research objectives.

Key responsibilities

Roll-out planning & coordination:

• Lead the operational roll-out of the Software in line with OCH’s phased implementation plan (preparation, full data importation, internal deployment)

• Coordinate closely with OCH research leadership and country teams to ensure alignment on objectives, timelines, and priorities

• Act as the main point of contact for Software-related operational questions within the organization

• Liaise with the Software's technical team in case of questions / required support during implementation phase

Data architecture, labeling & importation

• Define and implement a coherent data architecture and variable labeling strategy adapted to cross-project & cross-country comparability, as well as long-term reuse of polling data

• Lead pilot imports of selected datasets to test and refine structure and labeling conventions

• Manage the large-scale importation of existing datasets (~50 datasets) into the Software, ensuring quality, consistency, and documentation

Internal enablement & adoption

• Design internal onboarding and training content for future Software users of country teams and global research team

• Plan and coordinate onboarding sessions (country-level and/or global) - including scheduling, preparation materials, and follow-up

• Provide time-bound technical support to encourage early adoption and structured uptake

Required expertise & experience

This role requires a hybrid profile, combining research-related knowledge & experience with operational, technical and data fluency.

Essential

• Some experience working with quantitative polling or opinion research data

• Understanding of survey design and polling data structures (questionnaire logic, codebooks, weighing, variable harmonization, analytical use cases, etc.)

• Fluency with survey data formats and tools (e.g. SPSS .sav, R, Stata, or similar), including managing large numbers of variables and complex metadata

• Ability to make informed decisions about data labeling and structuring based on research objectives, not just technical constraints

• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage complex, multi-country data workflows

Highly desirable

• Prior experience with data platforms for survey/polling data analysis

• R coding proficiency (Software supports R for easier cross-project labeling harmonization)

• Experience supporting or training non-technical users in data tools

• Familiarity with international or multi-country research environments

Key skills & attributes

• Analytical and methodologically rigorous

• Comfortable translating between technical data work and research questions

• Pedagogical mindset and strong communication skills

• Pragmatic, structured, and detail-oriented

• Able to work autonomously while collaborating closely with diverse teams

Expected outcomes

• A fully populated and well-structured platform containing all existing quantitative datasets (essential)

• A methodological & guideline document on data labeling / structuring for future imports and adapted to cross-project and cross-country analysis (essential)

• Onboarding and training content (format TBD): a set of tools/guideline documents that OCH teams can refer to as desired for technical support (desirable)

• Internal teams equipped to explore and use the Software more independently, including non data-specialists (desirable)