Senior Researcher (Rwanda) at Youth Development Labs: (Deadline 9 December 2021)

Senior Researcher (Rwanda) at Youth Development Labs: (Deadline 9 December 2021)

Senior Researcher (Rwanda)

JOB DESCRIPTION

ABOUT YLABS

YLabs is a leading global design and research organization working to improve health and economic opportunity for young people 10–24 years old. Founded in 2014 at the Harvard Innovation Lab, YLabs partners with young people in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Central America to design, test, and advocate for youth-driven solutions that address key challenges to young people’s health and economic opportunity worldwide. YLabs’ focus areas are sexual/reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, mental health, and economic inclusion. Find out more about our projects here: https://www.ylabsglobal.org/work

With offices in the US and Rwanda, our team of physicians, designers, economists, public health professionals, and educators bring a unique mix of human-centered design, adolescent health, evaluation, economic and health outcome evaluation, behavioral science, and implementation know-how to the global problems facing youth. 

SUMMARY

We’re looking for an established researcher with expertise in mixed methods research approaches and analysis to join YLabs as a Senior Researcher to support the effective impact of YLabs’ portfolio of health and financial inclusion projects for youth. They will provide research expertise to support the design and evaluation of programs aimed to improve adolescent health and livelihoods; ensuring that YLabs’ work is high-quality, impactful, and helps us achieve our strategic goals. This role is to be based in Kigali, Rwanda, and will report directly to the Research Lead.

In this role, the Senior Researcher will be responsible for the development of research protocols, tools, data analysis, and reporting across our health and economic opportunity portfolio. An ideal candidate for this role will have experience in quantitative research methodologies, developing protocols for IRB submissions, training and overseeing field research teams of enumerators, overseeing in-person and mobile data collection efforts, data cleaning and analysis, and reporting. Experience in conducting qualitative research with young people, including validation of research tools, is also desirable.

The ideal candidate will be excited to work with a dynamic interdisciplinary team of designers and public health professionals to support the development of design solutions for some of the biggest challenges facing young people globally. They will bring previous experience conducting large-scale quantitative research, including developing, testing, and conducting quantitative surveys for digital data collection. They will be experienced in training and overseeing a team of enumerators to carry out large-scale, quality, and respectful data collection with youth and their communities.

YOU HAVE:

• 7-8 years of work experience in quantitative or mixed methods research
• An advanced degree (Masters, PhD, or DrPH) in public health, demography, international development, or related field
• Fluency in quantitative and qualitative research methods across the research process, from research protocol development to data collection and analysis, to reporting and presenting work
• Extensive experience using various quantitative and qualitative data collection software platforms including STATA and AtlasTI
• Familiarity with designing a sampling methodology and developing and validating research tools
• Previous experience leading dissemination efforts including composing donor deliverables, conference presentations, and peer-reviewed journal articles
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong project management skills; able to effectively communicate with supervisor and team members about work flow and prioritization of deliverables

Desirable skills:

• Research ethics including safeguarding and protection
• Prior work experience with youth programming
• Professional fluency in another language
• Experience with the human-centered design process

YOU ARE

• A thoughtful team player who makes decisions with trust and transparency; you are collaborative and consultative in your workstyle.
• Committed to building trusting, convivial working relationships that support wellness, creativity, and collective joy
• Excited about the prospect of mentoring, teaching, and training others, including colleagues, partners, and global audiences
• Adaptable, optimistic, and flexible when faced with changing circumstances and challenges
• A pro at prioritization, delegation, and helping others prioritize and delegate as needed
• Willing to work flexible hours to accommodate evening calls with the US-based YLabs team
• Fluent in English

LOCATION

This position requires the candidate to already have legal authorization to work in Rwanda. This role may involve 20% of regional travel in sub-Saharan Africa. All costs related to regional project travel and field work are covered and travel is dependent on current safety protocols and permissions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BENEFITS

YLabs adheres to Project Fair’s principles and standards to establish equity in pay with the overriding principle of “equal pay for work of equal value” outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. All salary ranges are based on level within the organization and are competitive to regional and national salary benchmarks, based on the respective office location.

The salary range for this position is gross commensurate with experience.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

To apply, send a resume and cover letter to talent@ylabsglobal.org with the subject line “Senior Researcher (Rwanda).”

This posting will be open until Dec 3, 2021.  Once the application period closes, all applications will be reviewed by our Hiring Committee. YLabs recognizes the effort that goes into submitting an application; all candidates will be notified of their application status once the hiring process begins. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. All YLabs offers of employment are conditional on satisfactory background check and criminal record clearances.

The deadline: 9th December 2021.