Busara Center for Behavioral
Economics
Position: Research Analyst
Deadline to Apply:December 10, 2014
Start Date: January
12, 2015
Location: Nairobi
Summary: The Busara Center for Behavioral Economics is
seeking a qualified person for the position of Research Analyst. Busara
serves two primary goals:
(1) to develop, test, implement
cutting edge behavioral science research, and
(2) to rigorously apply behavioral
insights to policy-making and program design to enhance organizational outcomes
and effectiveness.
To serve the first goal, Busara
conducts behavioral experiments, both in our physical lab setting housed in
Nairobi, as well as through our “mobile lab”, which can be deployed to any
location in Kenya.
Busara has established a professional
lab setting as a resource for researchers to implement dynamic decision making
experiments with a unique subject pool.
Respondents are recruited from the
informal settlements of Nairobi and then randomly selected and invited for
sessions at the center. Experiments range from simple decision-making
tasks to complex political role-playing games.
To pursue the second goal, Busara
also engages directly with partners to enhance program outcomes by integrating
insights from the behavioral evidence base. In this capacity, Busara can work
on larger scale client-based experiments, high-level policy advising, and
capacity building efforts.
The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand field management experience in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research.
The Research Analyst will work
directly with the Busara-Kenya team, but also with the academic leadership
housed at Princeton University, and any researchers or clients developed during
their work period. Past clients have included Duke, MIT, Harvard, University
College London, UC Berkeley, IFPRI, Stanford, the World Bank, among others.
Responsibilities:
The Research Analyst will work
closely with the Busara-Kenya Office and occasionally directly with researchers
(academic researchers) to perform a variety of tasks including, but not limited
to:
- General logistics planning, assisting with
project design, aiding in designing survey questionnaires
- Conducting focus groups, running pilot
exercises
- Introducing projects to and negotiating
with partner organizations
- Analyze and synthesize research findings to
develop insights and recommendations for clients
- Checking and verifying data, preliminary data
cleaning, assisting in the writing of project reports and policy memos
The Research Analyst will be based in
Nairobi, with occasional travel within Kenya and in the region.
Qualifications and Experience:
Required
Qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s degree in economics, social
sciences, public policy, or related fields. Other fields will be
considered.
- Excellent management and organizational skills
along with some preliminary quantitative skills
- Extensive experience managing field operations
in Kenya
- Fluency and excellent communication skills in
English
- Interest and experience working in a
fast-paced working environment
- Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage
multiple tasks efficiently, a team player
- Demonstrated ability to manage high-level
relationships with partner organizations
Desired Qualifications:
- Familiarity with randomized controlled trials
preferred
- Familiarity with and interest in behavioral
economics preferred
To apply, please submit your CV and
cover letter to jobs@busaracenter.org and ensure that the subject line reads:
“Research Analyst REF NO: BU-2014-11-12”
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Deadline to apply is December 10, 2014.