Research Assistant

About us

Sababi is a research institute with the overarching goal to improve the quality of research conducted in East Africa and the Horn of Africa. We approach this goal from three main directions:

Delivering high-quality research and data collection services

We conduct research on behalf of both academics and international development organizations. Our work in the development sector includes quasi-experimental impact evaluations, highly contextual qualitative studies, and everything in between. Our more scholarly work is primarily social scientific. We bring years of experience conducting primary data collection in the region, a background in survey design, and a team of experienced local researchers to ensure we collect the highest-quality data possible.

Improving the availability of data

The context in which we work can best be described as “data scarce.” Most data collection is funded by NGOs and international organizations that do not publish raw data or even many of the reports based on that data. Our goal is to improve access to information of all kinds by making available research reports that are not currently published online; collecting and making public survey data that is of general interest; and developing new data sources – including access to administrative data – for use by researchers, policy makers, and practitioners.

Building local and international research capacity

We work with full-time local researchers to build their capacity to collect data, perform quality control, manage projects, and so forth. Through active collaboration with local researchers with topical expertise, we improve our own research quality while also investing in their development and capacity to contribute to our collective knowledge. In addition, we aim to build interest in working in the region among international researchers through collaboration, publishing descriptive research to motivate theorizing by specialists, and through academic outreach and engagement.

The role

We are hiring a Research Assistant to learn and grow with our organization for a minimum of 1 year, with the possibility for extension. The position is remote, though the Research Assistant may expect to travel internationally on an ad hoc basis (up to 6 weeks / year). Typical projects include both one-off and ongoing monitoring and evaluation research on the impact of development and stabilization programs; design and maintenance of knowledge management systems; and basic social science research. The Research Assistant will report to a Project Manager.

Our ideal candidate is eager to develop new skills and work on a variety of project types – from program evaluations to policy reviews to large-scale data collection initiatives. An interest or background in politics, economics, public health, or international development is great – but intellectual curiosity and a propensity for creative problem-solving is better!

The leadership team will work to train and support the Research Assistant in a range of skill areas, including research design and survey/tool development, data collection methods and management, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, program monitoring and evaluation, proposal development, and project management, with the aim of creating growth opportunities within Sababi for increasingly independent work. While a research assistant is expected to contribute in many ways to the research project, typical responsibilities include the following:

• Conduct literature reviews,
• Manage survey and/or qualitative data collection exercises,
• Support the development and implementation of quality control systems,
• Contribute to knowledge management system maintenance,
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative data,
• Prepare program monitoring reports,
• Ensure frequent intra-team communication and updates,
• Monitor project budgets,
• Liaise with clients and/or project focal points,
• Provide administrative support, and
• Contribute to project proposal development.

We are interested in applicants from a range of backgrounds and with a wide variety of skills. However, the following are critical to success:

• Excellent writing and communication,
• Experience writing analytical papers (such as research papers for coursework) that make use of data,
• Fluency in English,
• Some training in statistics and/or quantitative data analysis, and
• Strong foundation in Microsoft Office (especially Excel).

Applicants with experience in quantitative data analysis or management using Stata, R, or SQL and/or a background in programming or scripting languages such as Python or Javascript are encouraged to apply!