Research Assistant
Saudi Arabia Labor Market Research
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Start Date: As soon as possible
Minimum commitment: 12 months
Competitive salary
Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD) at Harvard University is a research program that promotes the use of rigorous evidence to inform the design of public policies in countries around the world. We inform public policy by working alongside policymakers to design and test interventions that will maximize the reach of public resources and more effectively deliver services and programs. EPoD's cutting-edge research is identifying how policy design can best leverage policymaker and researcher insights to enable sustainable development. Current research areas at EPoD include governance, education, entrepreneurship, health, agriculture, sustainable development, and access to finance. EPoD also seeks to train current and future policymakers in effectively utilizing rigorous evidence in policy decisions.
EPoD is recruiting a Research Assistant to support the project management, partnership engagement, and execution of randomized control trial (RCT) studies that investigate labor market and human capital development policies and outcomes in Saudi Arabia. The position requires strong interpersonal and analytical skills as well as excellent organizational and communication skills. The successful candidate will be a self-starting individual who can confidently and competently build and manage partnerships, engage with policy counterparts at all levels, manage field activities, and support visiting faculty and research staff in Riyadh. The Research Assistant will also provide support in designing and implementing the RCT interventions, as well as engage in basic data collection and preliminary analysis. The Research Assistant position offers an opportunity to work closely with and under the mentorship of economists and public policy experts, and gain first-hand experience working with researchers and policy partners to support cutting-edge policy research. We will consider both full-time and part-time candidates.
Responsibilities:
- Manage the day-to-day implementation of project activities, including overseeing field-based activities and partnership engagement, in collaboration with relevant partners in Saudi Arabia and research team abroad.
- Work with local counterparts at all levels to obtain the necessary permissions and approvals for the project
- Serve as the liaison between in-country partners, policymakers, and internationally-based researchers and staff, providing daily communication on project updates to the Principal Investigators and research staff
- Contribute to field-based research activities, such as designing and conducting surveys, focus group discussions and/or interviews
- Identify and access primary and secondary data sources, providing basic data cleaning and analysis as needed
- Prepare literature reviews per request of the Principal Investigators
- Assist in the design, development and implementation of the RCT intervention as needed
- Develop policy briefs, presentations, and other documents presenting research evidence in a compelling and policy-relevant format
- Represent the project at meetings with local policy partners and government counterparts
- Coordinate with project teams to ensure timely submission of deliverables, as well provide support to projects in the field as necessary
- Manage and troubleshoot any immediate field-based concerns of stakeholders regarding the project
- Travel domestically to field sites to meet with project partners as needed
- Other duties as assigned by the Principal Investigators
- Master’s degree in economics, public policy, political science, statistics, education, management, or related field including some quantitative coursework. A Bachelor’s degree with 2-3 years’ relevant work experience will also be considered.
- Demonstrated interest in labor market issues, youth development, education and/or economic policy in Saudi Arabia and/or the Middle East region.
- Strong project management and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to interact well with faculty, staff, and research partners internationally.
- Experience in building and managing partnerships
- Familiarity with designing and conducting basic research such as surveys or focus group discussions.
- Familiarity with data analysis techniques and statistical software packages such as Stata
- Excellent English and Arabic oral and written communication skills.
- Proactive, self-directed individual who can meet deadlines in a fast-paced working environment.
- Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite
- Ability to travel domestically