Research Project Manager

About Jacaranda Health

Jacaranda Health’s mission is to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes in the public health system. Through innovative AI-driven technology and human-centered solutions, we partner with governments to scale impactful, data driven interventions. These solutions include PROMPTS, an AI-enabled platform for mothers, and MENTORS, a facility-based training program equipping frontline nurses with lifesaving skills and knowledge. Our innovations and partnerships have reached over 2.4 million women across 1,100+ health facilities. As we expand across Kenya, Eswatini, and Ghana, we are looking for dynamic leaders with a passion for impact, to help us transform the future of maternal health. 

Jacaranda Health is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from qualified candidates regardless of race or ethnicity, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and any other protected characteristics. 

About the team

The Research Design & Evaluation (RD&E) team is the heart of Jacaranda Health, providing evidence for product design, implementation, scale and expansion of Jacaranda’s programming. We pride ourselves on being data and technically adept, working with cutting edge technology to drive high value solutions for maternal health. 

The Research Projects department, housed within the division of RD&E, is critical in delivering evidence for decision making. Our portfolio of research projects focus on questions related to implementation, impact, growth, sustainability and ultimately providing the evidence needed to deliver high-quality products to our clients.

About the role

Jacaranda Health is seeking a mid- to senior-level Research Project Manager with deep applied experience in user experience research and learning, including use of mixed-methods evaluation, a strong orientation toward impact and sustainability, and growing exposure to the application of research to digital health products. This role is ideal for a professional who excels at generating rapid, actionable learning from scaled product data, and translating evidence into programmatic and product design decisions.

The Research Project Manager will play a leadership role in shaping how Jacaranda evaluates interventions across the full lifecycle—from early experimentation  and iteration to scale and long-term sustainability and impact. Working closely with Product, Data & Analytics, Tech, and Programs teams, the role will focus on understanding how, why, and for whom interventions work, with particular attention to context, equity, and impact.

Location: Nairobi, Kenya.
Reports to: Head of Research Projects.
Direct reports: Senior Research Projects Coordinator & Research Coordinator.

Terms of Engagement: One-year contract, renewable.

What You’ll Do:

Lead Product Learning

• Design and implement rapid user research, embedded within Product development lifecycles. This will involve using user data, conducting user research, product analytics, and experimentation to understand engagement, performance, user experience and health outcomes.

• Translate evidence into concrete strategies to improve product offerings and implementation. 

Lead Implementation Research & Learning

• Design and lead implementation research studies that optimize the scale and impact of the organization's solutions These will be mixed methods approaches to understand how product offerings and interventions operate in the real world. 

• Generate decision-ready insights from implementation research - translate evidence into strategies that inform iteration, adaptation, and scale. Own the Research team’s departmental strategy. 

• Lead the design of research projects that generate actionable insights and fit a rapid Technology-oriented pace of learning. 

• Oversee data gathering, analysis, and interpretation, ensuring quality at all levels. 

• Translate research findings into clear, decision-ready recommendations that guide product iteration, experimentation, partnership, and scale strategies.

  
  

Lead and coach teams  

• Lead and mentor research teams to understand departmental strategy, deliver quality research outputs, and understand how to apply research learnings to product and solution implementation. 

• Partner with other internal departments, both technical and non-technical,  to translate complex findings into action. Communicate complex findings with clarity and influence, translating evidence into compelling narratives for Product managers, Programs teams, senior leadership, donors, and government partners to inform decision-making.

Who you are:

What you bring

• Master’s degree in public health, social sciences, epidemiology, implementation science, or a related field, with 5–8+ years of experience conducting applied or product/UX-focused research; or a Bachelor’s degree with equivalent hands-on research experience.

• Demonstrated mid- to senior-level experience in product, implementation, or applied research, with strong use of qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to answer real-world product and program questions.

• Proven ability to design and lead studies that inform product iteration, scale-up, sustainability, and impact within complex health or digital systems.

• Strong experience translating research evidence into clear product, programmatic, or policy decisions, influencing roadmaps, feature prioritization, or implementation strategy.

• Proficiency in at least one statistical or analytical software package (e.g. STATA or R), with the ability to interpret and communicate quantitative findings for product decision-making.

  
  

Skills and Competencies:

• Experience conducting product or UX research within large-scale digital health platforms or technology-enabled services.

• Familiarity with user and product analytics, dashboards, or routine platform data, and using these data to complement qualitative or mixed-methods research.

• Hands-on experience with qualitative analysis tools (e.g. NVivo, Atlas.ti) and applied synthesis for product learning.

• Experience collaborating closely with product teams, governments, donors, or large-scale implementation partners to embed research into delivery and scale.

  
  

Why join us?

Mission-driven work: Impact the lives of millions of mothers and babies.

Innovation-forward thinking: Lead cutting-edge solutions in maternal and newborn health.

High-growth organization: Shape national-scale programs with global reach.

People-centric culture: Collaborate with an ambitious, passionate, and supportive team.

To Apply:

Interested candidates should submit applications through this link – Research Project Manager.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and early submission is encouraged. No hard copies required or accepted.  Application Deadline: 6th February 2026.