Research Associate at Laterite

Job Description & Key Responsibilities

As a Research Associate, based out of any of our offices (remote work is a possibility we are willing to consider), you will:

• Provide technical advice on the design of decision-focused research projects focusing on gender and/or nutrition sensitive agriculture programs in four African countries (Ethiopia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Tanzania)
• Draw on your expertise to ensure our research work addresses under-explored questions relating to gender and nutrition in agriculture and employs cutting edge methodologies/research instruments
• Take a leadership role in the full cycle delivery of one or two research projects across project countries coordinating with the project team; external consultants; ensuring implementation according to protocols; managing to the budget and timelines; and communicating with clients.
• Play a hands-on role in all steps of the research process: designing the technical approach; developing protocols, research instruments, and sampling strategies; monitoring data quality; conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis; writing reports; and presenting to clients.
• Contribute to the development of new research projects focusing on gender and nutrition: proposing research ideas; writing technical proposals; and pricing.
• Communicate with clients and donors about project process and represent Laterite and the project team in professional meetings.

You will develop skills and experience in:

• Technical design of research projects with a focus on gender and nutrition in agriculture
• Econometric methods applied to development research projects
• Managing a portfolio of complex research projects

Profile

Our ideal candidate is passionate about social and economic research in East Africa, with a special interest in gender or nutrition in agriculture. They can quickly grasp research concepts and structure their technical approach to a problem. They have strong analytical and interpersonal skills, self-motivation, and a drive to flourish in a fast-paced environment, where timelines can often be unpredictable. Our future colleague has project coordination experience and can manage activities involving varying levels of stakeholders and multiple team members. They are willing to develop their professional skills, contribute to the growth of an organization dedicated to social impact, and thrive in an innovative and collaborative organization.

Requirements:

• A master’s degree in Economics, Statistics, Public Health, Public Policy, Nutrition, Gender or a related field.
• At least three years of professional experience in research (whether in a project, program or academic setting) with a focus on Gender or Nutrition
• Experience conducting research with leading gender and/or nutrition methodologies (e.g., WEIA, pro-WEAI, time use studies, gender analyses, food environment analyses, surveys with dietary diversity measures, surveys looking at household decision-making)
• Strong analytical skills, experience working with quantitative data, and proficiency in Stata
• Experience communicating with external stakeholders or in a client-facing role.
• Solid project management skills and experience coordinating projects with multiple components or teams.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

In addition, we value:

• Previous experience working in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, or Burkina Faso in thefield of gender and or nutrition.
• Experience working with primary data (data collection or cleaning and analysis).
• Experience with Open Data Kit (ODK) or an ODK-based platform such asSurveyCTO or CommCare.
• Knowledge of Python and/or R