A Research Executive at Research PLUS Africa is entrusted with executing projects, managing clients, and projects. It may sound easy, just swinging on the office chair, responding to clients, and telling the field team what to do, right? Not quite, that’s just an itsy-bitsy part of the job. The bigger picture is that I support in proposing to clients how we will best execute their projects. This may even involve coming up with the best innovative research execution that the client may not have thought of.
Once a project is commissioned, I keep in communication with the client and act as liaison between client and our team as we progress in preparation, data collection, analysis, up until the conclusion of the project when the last report is successfully the this process, I have developed exemplary communication skills that help manage client expectations as well as top-notch project management skills that ensure quality is not compromised in process and output. This is how I earned my MVP title. The same skills are very useful in collaborating with the rest of the Research PLUS team and other external project stakeholders; not being bossy but rather being a team player, all the while maintaining a firm approach to the quality execution of the work before us. When a project is live in field for data collection, I am there too, working closely alongside the research assistants and living through each dynamic part of the research process.
If one of our values – Nurturing Talent were a person, I would be she! I have grown significantly in the research world, thanks to my hard work, willingness to learn, and the great team at Research PLUS Africa that continues to see my potential and open doors for me. Starting from the entry level of Research Assistant, collecting data, with no prior background in Research, I have grown to, not only executing projects but also being trusted with managing clients. With a decade of experience, I not only know each step of a project, but I have lived through them all. I speak research language, I own it!
In my free time, I listen to old music, watch movies and series, preferably psychological thrillers and enjoying alone time in cool, quiet, forest environments.
