Qualifications

Proposal Summary

MSI is pursuing a five-year contract to provide research and support services to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB). DOL/ILAB is commissioning research support services to produce high-quality, timely Congressional and Executive Order reports on forced labor, child labor, and other labor policy priorities. Our team will deliver rigorous data analysis, policy research, technical editing, and communications support, while also strengthening ILAB's capacity through training, stakeholder engagement, and specialized supply chain and trade-related studies.

Please note: Only U.S. citizens (or persons otherwise eligible to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance through a National Agency Check with Inquiries) are eligible for this position

Position Summary

MSI requires an Evaluation and Research lead to produce a series of demand-led Congressional and Executive Order reports on forced labor, child labor, and related labor-policy issues. To ensure methodological rigor and credible findings, the Evaluation and Research Lead will help design, oversee, and execute all substantive research and evaluation activities under Contract 1605C2-25-N-0000. The Evaluation and Research Lead will be responsible for developing and implementing the technical approach for all research and evaluation tasks. The Evaluation and Research Lead will ensure that data collection, analysis, and reporting meet ILAB's scientific integrity standards and produce actionable insights for policy and programming. This position will report directly to the Team Leader and collaborate closely with subject-matter experts, field staff, and survivor consultants.

Responsibilities:
• On a demand basis, define evaluation questions, methodologies, sampling strategies, and data-quality protocols
• Draft and refine research instruments (questionnaires, interview guides, focus-group protocols) in accordance with ethical guidelines and inclusive of vulnerable and survivor populations
• Oversee quantitative and qualitative data collection activities, including desk reviews, supply-chain tracing, stakeholder interviews, and focus groups
• Ensure accurate, consistent data recording and storage; supervise field teams and local partners on data-management best practices
• Coordinate collection of ILO, UNESCO, and other statistical datasets; validate data quality and resolve discrepancies
• Conduct or supervise statistical analyses (using R, STATA, or similar), thematic coding, and triangulation across data sources
• Produce mid-term and final evaluation reports, including methodological appendices, data-visualization tables, and interpretation of findings against policy objectives
• Identify lessons learned, best practices, and actionable recommendations for DOL's labor-policy and trade-enforcement initiatives
• Facilitate technical working groups with ILAB staff, external experts, and in-country partners to review preliminary results and refine research approaches
• Implement the Quality Control Plan: conduct peer reviews of analytical outputs, verify source citations, and enforce scientific-integrity principles (objectivity, transparency, ethical conduct)
• Monitor adherence to timelines and budgets; flag risks to the Team Leader and propose corrective
• Train and mentor junior researchers, data collectors, and subcontractors in mixed-methods research techniques, ethics, and data-analysis software
• Produce internal guidance documents and toolkits on methodological approaches for ILAB's ongoing research needs

Qualifications:
• Advanced degree in evaluation, statistics, economics, sociology, international development, or related field
• At least 10 years of professional experience designing and leading mixed-methods evaluations, including 5 years on forced-child labor or human-rights research
• Demonstrated expertise in quantitative analysis (survey design, sampling, statistical modeling) and qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups, thematic coding)
• Familiarity with supply-chain mapping and trade-related dataset analysis
• Strong track record working ethically with vulnerable populations and survivors of exploitation
• Proficiency with data-analysis software (e.g., R, STATA, NVivo), MS Office, and data-management platforms
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with experience drafting technical reports for U.S. Government audiences