Socioeconomics and Impact Manager at Foundation for Sustainable Smallholder Solutions (FSSS)

Position Summary

• The Socioeconomics and Impact Manager will provide strategic leadership for socioeconomic research, impact assessment, learning, adoption studies, and evidence generation across all FSSS programs and projects. The position is responsible for ensuring that project investments translate into measurable outcomes, sustainable livelihoods, increased resilience, and scalable impact for smallholder farmers and rural communities.
• The role will lead the design and implementation of impact measurement systems, socioeconomic studies, adoption assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and commercialization research while ensuring that evidence generated informs project design, implementation, donor reporting, policy engagement, and scale-up strategies.
• The role will provide technical oversight to the MEAL function and serve as the organization's focal point for impact evaluation, learning, and evidence-based decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Program Development

• Lead the development and implementation of FSSS's socioeconomic research, impact measurement, and learning agenda.
• Provide strategic guidance on project design, theories of change, results frameworks, and impact pathways.
• Support the integration of socioeconomic and impact considerations into all organizational programs and projects.
• Contribute to organizational strategy, resource mobilization, and partnership development.

Socioeconomic Research and Analysis

• Design and oversee:
• Baseline, midline, and endline studies
• Household and livelihood surveys
• Adoption and diffusion studies
• Market and value chain assessments
• Gender and social inclusion studies
• Farmer segmentation and behavioral research
• Ensure methodological rigor in research design, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Lead quantitative and qualitative research activities to generate evidence on project effectiveness and impact.

Impact Assessment and Learning

• Develop and manage organizational impact measurement systems.
• Lead impact evaluations across agricultural, livelihoods, climate resilience, and enterprise development programs.
• Establish learning frameworks and mechanisms to capture lessons learned and best practices.
• Promote adaptive management and evidence-based decision-making across project teams.
• Produce impact reports, learning briefs, and knowledge products for internal and external stakeholders.

Adoption, Commercialization, and Scaling Studies

• Lead studies assessing farmer adoption of technologies, innovations, and agricultural practices.
• Identify barriers and drivers of adoption and scale.
• Conduct commercialization assessments for agricultural products and technologies.
• Support product advancement initiatives by generating evidence on farmer preference, performance, and market potential.
• Develop scaling strategies for proven innovations and interventions.

Economic and Financial Analysis

• Lead cost-benefit and return-on-investment analyses for project interventions.
• Conduct socioeconomic impact assessments and economic feasibility studies.
• Assess profitability, enterprise viability, and livelihood outcomes among beneficiary populations.
• Generate evidence to support investment decisions and donor engagement.

MEAL Oversight and Data Quality Assurance

• Provide technical supervision and strategic direction to the MEAL Manager.
• Ensure alignment between monitoring systems and organizational impact objectives.
• Strengthen data quality assurance systems and reporting processes.
• Promote the use of digital tools and analytics for impact measurement and reporting.

Knowledge Management and Publication

• Lead the development of technical reports, policy briefs, publications, and research papers.
• Coordinate dissemination of project findings to donors, government agencies, research institutions, and development partners.
• Support publication of scientific and technical outputs in peer-reviewed journals and knowledge platforms.
• Represent FSSS at conferences, technical meetings, and stakeholder engagements.

Donor Reporting and Stakeholder Engagement

• Support the preparation of high-quality donor reports and impact narratives.
• Engage with donors, research institutions, government agencies, and development partners on impact and learning-related matters.
• Provide technical input into proposal development, project design, and fundraising initiatives.
• Represent FSSS in National and International technical forums.

Key Deliverables

• Baseline, Midline, and Endline Reports
• Socioeconomic Assessment Reports
• Impact Evaluation Reports
• Adoption and Commercialization Studies
• Cost-Benefit and Economic Analysis Reports
• Learning and Knowledge Products
• Policy Briefs and Technical Publications
• Donor Impact Reports
• Scaling and Commercialization Frameworks

Required Qualifications

Education

• Master's degree in:
• Agricultural Economics
• Development Economics
• Rural Development
• Agricultural Extension
• Development Studies
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Statistics
• Social Sciences or related field

Preferred

• PhD in Agricultural Economics, Development Studies, Impact Evaluation, Rural Development, or related discipline.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in socioeconomic research, impact assessment, monitoring and evaluation, agricultural development, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience managing donor-funded projects.
• Experience working with international organizations, development agencies, research institutions, or NGOs.
• Strong understanding of agricultural systems, livelihoods, and rural development.

Technical Competencies

• Impact Evaluation
• Socioeconomic Research
• Cost-Benefit Analysis
• Adoption and Scaling Studies
• Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods
• Statistical Analysis (SPSS, STATA, R)
• Data Visualization and Reporting
• Results-Based Management
• Knowledge Management
• Proposal Development

Core Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Leadership and Team Management
• Analytical and Critical Thinking
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Communication and Report Writing
• Problem Solving
• Innovation and Learning
• Results Orientation