Research Assistant with specialisation in policy

Job Description

●      Job Title: Research Assistant with specialisation in policy

●      Job Type: Consultancy

●      Duration of Post: 11 months

●      Location: Lebanon

●      Application deadline: August 31, 2022, 17:00 EEST

●      Interview date: September 9, 2022

●      Start date: October 1, 2022

●      FTE: the post is full-time, 40 hours/week

●      Salary: $1500 per month

●      Experience requirement: Master’s degree or equivalent work experience

●      Reports to: the project team (Mariam Daher, Mayssa Jallad, and Nikolay Mintchev)

Description of the project:

This project is an interdisciplinary study about the relationship between livelihood strategies, experiences of governance, and social and political identity in Lebanon. The project aims to address two questions:

1.    What are the multiple and complex ways in which people’s livelihood recovery strategies impact, and are impacted by, experiences and representations of governance processes?

2.    What kinds of livelihoods recovery initiatives are needed to strengthen social cohesion and contribute to socially inclusive visions of future recovery?

These questions will be addressed through a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods, including modelling and analysis of survey data, ethnographic data on livelihood strategies, and interview data on perceptions of service provision delivered by different governance stakeholders.

The research that will be carried out for this project is expected to lead to a range of academic and policy outputs focusing on the proposal of efficient livelihood recovery initiatives that are both inclusive and responsive to people’s specific needs and experiences.

The postholder for this job will work closely with an interdisciplinary team of scholars in Lebanon and the UK. They will focus specifically on the study of existing economic and livelihood policies, and on working with the team to develop policy analyses and policy proposals based on the quantitative and qualitative evidence about the relationship between livelihoods and the experience of governance.

The post is funded by the United Kingdom’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) via the MENA Social Policy Network, which is based at Bath University. The award holder and lead institution of the project is the Institute for Global Prosperity at University College London, UK.

Application process:

To apply for this job, please email the following documents to Mariam Daher [email protected] by August 31, 2022, 17:00 EEST.

1.    A CV (maximum 2 pages)

2.  A cover letter explaining how your qualifications and experience fit the job description (maximum 2 pages)

3.    A writing sample (maximum 5000 words)

Key Responsibilities:

●   Carry out literature reviews, especially in the field of economic and job creation policies, recovery strategies, public service provision and conflict prevention in the context of Lebanon

●      Carry out original empirical research, such as interviews with policy stakeholders

●    Produce written outputs, including policy reports, working papers, academic articles, and shorter texts for a non-specialist audience such as blog posts

●      Assist in the writing of funding proposals to secure additional funding for the project

●      Attend weekly meetings with the project team in Beirut

●      Attend meetings and engage with project partners and collaborators

●      Report regularly on progress to the project leads

●  Attend events in Lebanon, such as symposia and workshops, on themes relevant to the project

●   Undertake administrative tasks such as organizing workshops or symposia and writing progress reports for the funder

●  Complete various tasks related to the project objectives as requested by the project leads

Qualifications and Experience:

• Previous experience of studying or researching policy or law in Lebanon - please specify the field of experience in your cover letter
• Masters degree or equivalent experience in a related degree (such as public administration, economics, political science, development studies, or a similar field)
• Fluent command of English and Arabic

Competencies:

-     Ability to work as a member of a team

-     Ability to respond to and build-upon feedback from the team

-     Knowledge and commitment to interdisciplinary research

-     Ability to write complex reports and articles in a clear and accurate fashion

-     Excellent writing and presentation skills for promoting and reporting on the research

-     Excellent organisational skills

For any questions or queries, please write to Mariam Daher at [email protected]