Knowledge Translation Scientist at African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)

Knowledge Translation Scientist is needed in the following areas:

1. Education and skills development
2. Population change and sustainable development (Demographic Dividend)
3. Health System Strengthening - Health Economics

The Knowledge Translation Scientist role entails providing leadership in development and implementation of knowledge translation and capacity building programmes, and promoting use of the evidence in decision-making processes at national and regional levels. This is a senior technical position with professional accountabilities to partners and technical functions at the institute. The successful candidate will be expected to lead various programmes implementation initiatives besides resource mobilisation activities. The candidate should possess a PhD in either of the following: Population Studies (Demography), Education, Health Economics or Development Economics. The candidate should also have strong qualitative and quantitative research skills; have a record of accomplishment in publications, grants proposal writing and hands-on experience in policy analysis, synthesising and translating research evidence into outputs that can be easily used by policymakers and in policy engagement.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead the conceptualisation, design and implementation of research, capacity building and policy engagement programmes
• Conduct research evidence synthesis including systematic reviews
• Conduct research evidence translation into policy-oriented advocacy materials
• Promote application of research findings in decision-making processes at national, regional, and international levels
• Proposal writing and fundraising
• Scientific writing for various research knowledge consumers and publishing policy-oriented research in journals

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Qualifications

• Candidate should have a PhD in either of the following; Population Studies (Demography), Education, Health Economics or Development Economics.

Skills

• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Critical thinker
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English (additional skills in French desirable).
• Strong interpersonal skills with effective team management skills
• Strong adaptability skills to changing research evidence environment

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years’ postdoctoral professional experience.
• Management and coordination of research programmes and partnerships
• Scientific writing publications.
• Evidence translation and policy analysis
• Engagement of senior policy makers
• Experience in proposal writing and fundraising.
• Monitoring and evaluation of research programmes