Conflict Research Lead

Context:

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) is a disaggregated data collection, analysis, and crisis mapping project. The ACLED team conducts analysis to describe, explore, and test conflict scenarios and makes both data and analysis open for free use by the public. ACLED material is regularly used to inform journalism, academic research, and public discourse on conflict, and to support the work of practitioners and policymakers. ACLED is the highest quality and most widely used real-time data and analysis source on political violence and protest around the world.

LASER Pulse consortium is a network of university-based researchers across the countries and technical sectors in which USAID works, and their NGO and international partners. Through this network, LASER researchers will partner with USAID M/B/IOs to identify new research questions, conduct demand-driven research, translate research results into development impact, and build technical and research capacity of universities and researchers in developing countries. Beyond USAID M/B/IOs on their specific research needs, LASER will independently identify research questions that cross regions or sectors and then fund associated research activities to provide knowledge that will benefit USAID and the development community as a whole. Find more information here.

The role:

ACLED is recruiting a full-time Conflict Research Lead to assist in the research process for a project collaboration with LASER Pulse, focused on conflict mitigation, violence prevention, and peacebuilding interventions. This position is fully remote and can be done from any location with reliable internet service.

This is a full-time employee position. The candidate must have the right to work in the United States of America. Only those with the legal authorization to work in the US (citizenship, permanent residence, or work permit) will be considered, even if they do not plan to be residing in the US.

Please submit your salary range for consideration. Applications without an explicitly stated salary range will not be considered.

The position is expected to start in November 2020.

Specific roles and responsibility:

• Conducting literature reviews and desk research, compiling bibliographies, cataloguing and summarizing reports
• Research assistance/desk reviews/gap analysis
• Building and testing statistical models based on the available data
• Contributing to analysis when needed
• External stakeholder engagement
• Project management/coordination
• Other ad hoc research and analysis support tasks and occasional administrative and coordination tasks

Skills and competencies

• An advanced university degree in conflict studies, peacebuilding, international development, or related field is required. Recent PhD graduates preferred.
• Fluency in English
• Expertise in conflict research and in-depth knowledge of conflict data and literature
• Academic and/or professional experience related to peacebuilding
• Knowledge of statistical packages for conducting quantitative analysis
• Sound understanding of the gendered dimensions of conflict and experience undertaking conflict analysis
• Project management/coordination experience
• Previous experience with USG conflict work (preferred)
• Quantitative analysis/methods skills
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Strong writing and editing skills
• Strong critical thinking and analysis skills
• An extremely high level of attention to detail
• Ability to work remotely and meet deadlines with limited supervision (experience working in a remote environment preferred)