Research Assistant

Samuel Hall is seeking a professional and motivated individual to join its team for a full-time position as a Children and Youth (Pillar 3) Research Assistant (RA) in our Nairobi/Tunis Office or remotely. The RA will work under the Children and Youth Pillar Lead through research activities, providing support on projects and to other pillar staff as needed. Applicants must be recent graduates or pursuing their Masters/Doctoral degree. There is a potential for domestic, regional, and international travel; COVID-19 restrictions permitting.

WHO WE ARE

Our research connects the voices of communities to change-makers for more inclusive societies. Samuel Hall is a social enterprise that conducts research in contexts affected by issues of migration and displacement. Our mandate is to produce research that delivers a contribution to knowledge with an impact on policies, programmes, and people. We provide practicable insights to challenging issues in the global South by providing academic-standard research through primary data collection in areas where researchers do not commonly go. Samuel Hall works with governments, donors, multilateral organisations and NGOs, as well public and private sector entities. We have worked with more than sixty-five organisations worldwide since 2010 through our offices in Afghanistan, Kenya, Tunisia, and Germany covering Asia and Africa. For more information visit www.samuelhall.org

CHILDREN & YOUTH PILLAR: Over half the world’s population is under 30 – young people frequently presented as burdens or risks, and children as victims to be protected. Samuel Hall takes a different approach. Our work amplifies their voices and celebrates them as forces for development, and drivers of positive social and political change. We specialise in (participatory) research into key transitions: supporting children and youth practically in accessing education, health, and other services; foundational rights: realising the rights accorded them in the UNCRC, and aspirations: upholding their agency in shaping their own futures. We work with child-friendly and child-focused organisations as well as international organisations, NGOs, and private foundations such as UNICEF, IOM, the World Bank, and Save the Children to develop impactful and actionable research.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: We are a rapidly growing research organisation: you will be expected to grow with us and carve out your own spot in the team. We look for pro-active, creative individuals who can identify opportunities to make their mark and identify solutions to problems. We believe in hiring people who can show their ability to be both strong leaders and reliable team-players, and able to to add value from the very start. We hire people who can expand our knowledge and help us reach our social impact objective in their field of expertise. We work in a fast-paced, demanding, and challenging environment.

TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

PILLAR SUPPORT

• Direct reporting and support to the Children and Youth Pillar Lead on all elements of the pillar’s work: research, partnerships, outreach and dissemination, strategic expansion, and strategic framework
• Put forward editorial ideas for dissemination work (including drafting blog entries, articles, papers based on on-going and published pieces, and identifying the right forum and timing for such publications, in line with on-going events, national/regional/global policy dialogues on relevant topics)
• Support to widen Samuel Hall’s network
• Support other Pillar Leads and teams as needed, coordinate work with all pillars and country offices
• Support Project Managers on project-related requirements as required.

PROJECT SUPPORT

Operations

• Adhere to the Project Cycle SOPs and train field teams on components of the project cycle
• Support training cycle (development and implementation) for colleagues
• Support and monitor field teams’ work, including solving field problems
• Effectively communicate with supervisors on progress with daily updates
• Provide input to improve the quality of the field teams’ notes, transcripts, outputs
• Ensure all project related information is stored correctly, using the Organisation’s SoPs; including but not limited to literature review, transcripts of interviews, meeting minutes, notes of all relevant project discussions (as emails or write-up), and visuals.

Research

• Support the design or design research tools and research methodology in collaboration with the research team
• Support/ conduct secondary research and desk reviews
• Participate in fieldwork – qualitative research will include case studies, focus group discussions, field observations, key informant interviews, as required in various locations
• Liaise with supervisors (in country and remotely) to improve quality of outputs
• Provide strong analysis and recommendations in line with policy and academic standards
• Under the supervision of the Project Manager, Pillar Lead and/or Director, transcribe interview notes, write field reports, and contribute to the draft/final report

Fieldwork

• Undertake socio-economic research including fieldwork and primary data collection, putting fieldwork at the centre of the mission
• Qualitative research will include as case studies, focus groups, field observations, key informant interviews as required in various locations, along with more innovative tools to be developed
• Supervise quantitative survey led by the rest of the team
• Problem solving in the field
• Provide input to improve the quality of the field team’s interview notes, transcripts, outputs

Analysis

• Provide strong analysis and recommendations in line with policy and academic drawing on the most up-to-date research methods and analytical tools
• Under the supervision of the Project Manager and/or Pillar Lead, transcribe interview notes, draft field reports, field diaries, progress updates, and analytical documents
• Prepare drafts of all written internal and client deliverables, such as concept notes, inception reports, field reports and draft final report, PowerPoint presentations.
• Edit pillar outputs to ensure quality assurance and consistency in the production of outputs.

VACANCY REQUIREMENTS

Prior experience working in contexts of migration, displacement, and international development are requirements for this role. The successful RA is further required to have:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field
• Past research and work experience specific to vulnerable groups
• Interest and experience working with children and youth-related domains
• Knowledge of key institutional frameworks and stakeholders
• Proven experience in writing academic and research papers
• Strong presentation / speaking skills and ability to build strong professional relationships
• Keen attention to detail
• Ability to be patient and to work well within a global team
• Ability to cope well under pressure, work occasionally irregular hours and meet tight deadlines
• Excellent spoken and written skills in English; French preferred; Arabic desirable
• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data analysis