Principal Officer, Research and Capacity Building at African Union: (Deadline 26 April 2024)

Organization Information

Reports to: Deputy Executive Director
Directorate/Department : African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration, Bamako, Mali
Division: Office of the Deputy Executive Director, Research and Capacity Building Unit
Number of Direct Reports: 10
Number of Indirect Reports: 0
Job Grade: P4
Contract Type: Regular
Location: Bamako, Mali

Purpose of Job

The Principal Policy Officer (Research and Capacity Building) identifies and coordinates research on migration (its causes, nature, magnitude, trends, and policy implications) and coordinates the training/capacity building of Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in migration issues.

Main Functions

The Principal Policy Officer (Research & Capacity Building) will perform the following duties:

• Provides overall leadership to the research and capacity-building functions of the Centre.
• Coordinates the development of strategic plans for the Research & Capacity Building Unit in line with the Centre’s strategic goals, objectives, and priorities.
• Presents and defends resource requirements needed to carry out the annual work plans of the Research & Capacity Building Unit.

The Principal Policy Officer (Research & Capacity Building) will play a significant role in:

• Achieving the ACSRM’s mandate of deepening understanding of African migration patterns and trends and strengthening migration governance in the African continent.
• Coordinating, producing,, and disseminating ACSRM’s flagship publications, including the African Migration Journal, African Migration Policy Briefs Series, African Migration Working Papers Series, and African Migration Monthly News, and identifying new ACSRM publications series.
• Coordinating and providing technical expertise for ACSRM’s research projects.
• Coordinating and providing technical expertise for ACSRM’s capacity-building projects.
• Reviewing and providing inputs on project proposals, draft articles, technical reports, briefing notes, policy briefs, interim reports, final reports, press reviews, final reports, project reports, and memos for ACSRM’s research, policy, and capacity-building activities.
• Drafting, updating, and consolidating the content of ACSRM’s website regularly.
• Liaising and collaborating closely with African migration researchers, scholars, experts, policymakers, and practitioners.

Specific Responsibilities

• Coordinates the development of technical proposals on research and capacity-building per the Centre’s strategic priorities.
• Assists management in grant writing and mobilizing resources for the Centre’s research and capacity-building activities.
• Monitors performance and prepares progress reports on the Centre’s research and capacity-building activities.
• Coordinates the monitoring and evaluation of programmes under the Research & Capacity Building Unit.
• Coordinates and contributes to the production and finalization of ACSRM’s publications.
• Coordinates and updates the ACSRM’s experts and researchers’ database.
• Liaises with African migration experts, researchers, and global migration scholars for their potential contribution as authors and reviewers of manuscripts to be published in the African Migration Journal, flagship publications, and other ACSRM publication outlets.
• Leads, coordinates, and organizes ACSRM’s policy debates, research, capacity-building, advocacy seminars, webinar series, summer schools, and other events.
• Leads, coordinates, and provides inputs to the publications of the content of ACSRM’s website and its updates regularly.
• Provides technical inputs and assistance on requests on migration and related issues submitted by the African Union, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Member States, local and international partners, experts, researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders.
• Leads, coordinates, and assists in developing ACSRM’s research and capacity-building projects and addressing the administrative, financial, managerial, and technical aspects.
• Supervises the work of interns, consultants, and junior researchers and advises on the selection of consultants and experts for ACSRM’s activities.
• Leads, coordinates, and provides inputs in drafting, reviewing, and editing articles for peer-reviewed journals, briefing notes, strategy documents, regular regional/continental/national reports, technical reports, working papers, policy briefs, white papers, memos, concept notes, project proposals and related project documentation, speeches, PowerPoint Presentations, training materials, conference materials and proceedings, project reporting, technical documents, and other papers produced by the Centre.

• Draft peer-reviewed journal articles, briefing notes, policy-oriented papers, strategy documents, regular regional/continental reports, and capacity-building and training materials on migration issues.
• Coordinates the overall activities of the African Migration Journal, an international peer-reviewed journal on African migration published by the African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration (ACSRM).
• Represents the Centre at relevant national/regional/continental/international seminars and conferences and promotes the ACSRM’s work during these events.
• Stay up-to-date on relevant theoretical and methodological approaches, policy debates, and academic literature on migration.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Deputy Director.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• Master’s degree in Migration Studies, Sociology, Economics, Anthropology, Political Science, Geography, Demography and Population Studies, International relations, Law, Development Studies, Refugee Studies, Humanitarian affairs, or other related disciplines and fields with a concentration on migration, from an accredited academic institution, with a total of ten (10) years of relevant work experience. A Master’s degree concentrating on migration will be an asset.

OR

• Bachelor’s degree in similar fields of study with twelve (12) years of relevant work experience
• Three (3) and six (6) years out of total experience need to be at supervisory and expert/specialist levels, respectively.
• A Ph.D. in Migration Studies or Political/ Social Sciences/ Humanities/ Economics/ Legal International Relations, Law, or Development Studies or other social sciences-related disciplines with a concentration on migration will be an added advantage
• Relevant work experience needs to be continuous and combined in the following areas:

1. Solid experience in drafting peer-reviewed journals’ articles, reports, technical papers, policy briefs, meeting and project reports, etc. on migration issues in general, and on African migration in particular.
2. Solid experience in conducting research and training in migration or related areas.
3. Demonstrated experience in a migration research institute, academic institution or international organization, conducting research, analysing, and publishing on migration, focusing on African migration issues.
4. Solid experience implementing large-scale migration projects and programmes, emphasizing project development, strategic planning, research, training/capacity building, policy development and policy implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.

• Comprehensive knowledge of theories, methods, and training tools on migration.
• Excellent understanding of the research and policy agenda on migration.
• Excellent knowledge of various aspects of African migration, the research agenda on migration in the continent, and the training and capacity-building needs of African Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on African migration.
• Excellent knowledge of the global/international agenda on migration and its implications on the African continent.
• Excellent knowledge of the African Union, RECs, and international instruments related to migration.
• Proven experience interacting with international and regional public partner agencies.
• Proven track record of working and liaising with high-level government and donor officials.

• Demonstrated experience organizing workshops, conferences, expert meetings, and training seminars for various audiences (Government officials, RECs, researchers, experts, lecturers, students, practitioners, media, etc., interested in African migration issues).
• Demonstrated experience liaising with experts, researchers, lecturers, students, and practitioners on migration issues.
• Demonstrable experience in supervising and leading junior researchers, interns, and consultants’ teams and delegating tasks and authority.
• Demonstrable experience in drafting technical documents for executive-level consumption.
• Demonstrable experience in peer-review and editing technical and policy documents.
• An understanding of the African Union’s way of working and managing associated relationships with Member States/RECs and partners is preferred.

Required Skills

• Technical expertise and experience in supporting and managing complex programmes, particularly in social research and training/capacity building.
• Excellent analytical skills to respond to emerging and complex migration trends. and to develop, apply, and, adjust programme strategies and policies to further the agency’s mission, goals, and objectives.
• Excellent skills in conceptualizing, planning, developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs.
• Excellent past track record in publishing academic publications, especially articles in leading local and international peer-reviewed journals on migration issues, an asset.
• Excellent past track record in publishing policy-oriented publications and technical reports directed to Government officials, international organizations, NGOs, and relevant stakeholders.
• Excellent knowledge in editing, reviewing, and coordinating the publications of academic and policy-oriented papers (articles, working papers, policy briefs, technical reports, meeting reports, national, regional, and continental reports).
• Excellent past track record in managing and carrying out research and capacity-building projects and activities.
• Excellent track record in developing grant proposals for research funding and securing funding for research, training, and capacity-building projects and activities.
• Demonstrated ability to present research findings and represent the Centre during seminars, workshops, and international conferences.
• Excellent ability to liaise and develop strategic relations with experts, researchers, government officials, policymakers, academic and research institutions, think tanks, international organizations, NGOs, migrant and diasporas organizations, civil society organizations, etc., to identify, develop and conduct new research studies and opportunities in line with the ACSRM’s thematic areas.
• Excellent ability to liaise diplomatically, good representational skills, and experience interacting with various stakeholders and decision-makers to build strong collaborative relationships with governments and partners (State and non-State actors).
• Strong written and oral communication skills, particularly proven ability to write clear and concise reports and solid experience linking research findings with policy debates, options, and programming decisions.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Flexibility and smooth adaptation to a changing working environment.
• Excellent ability to deliver under tight deadlines, work autonomously, and ensure a strong team spirit.

• Excellent project planning and management skills for organizing, planning, and executing projects from conception through implementation.
• Demonstrated ability about computer skills, including excellent word-processing capabilities, proficiency with e-mail and internet applications, and PowerPoint, and expertise using office software applications such as MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Excellent command of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including analyzing qualitative and quantitative data using relevant software (for instance: NVIVO, Atlas-ti for qualitative data, and SPSS and STATA for quantitative data) and excellent ability to create and maintain databases using relevant software (R, SQL, etc.), an asset.
• Excellent knowledge in creating and updating websites, including developing content for the website, an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to disseminate information, research findings, policy, and advocacy materials for large and various audiences (Senior Government officials, experts, researchers, students, academic and think tank partners, practitioners, media, migrant and diasporas organizations, NGOs, international organizations, etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to disseminate knowledge and information through social media.
• Ability to work in an international and multicultural environment and maintain positive, collegial, and strong relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders.
• An excellent command of at least one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, or Kiswahili).  Knowledge of any of the other five will be an added advantage

Leadership Competencies

Core Competencies

Functional Competencies