ABOUT BUSARA
Busara Center for Behavioral Economics is a research and advisory organization that advances behavioral science in pursuit of poverty alleviation. We work with researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers to conduct rigorous field and laboratory-based experimental studies in behavioral economics in developing countries and apply research outcomes to real-world problems. We are headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with active project operations in Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.
Busara uses experimental research and data science to support clients to understand their customers, products, and internal workings. Combined with Busara’s behavioral science expertise, Busara’s techniques for data collection, analytics/machine learning, and visualization generate added value across client activities. Our foundation is based on decision science and data science tools, which are used to model complex human behavior.
About the Role:
We’re looking for a Research Lead at Busara to manage a portfolio of current Busara projects, ensuring high-quality work is delivered; manage our academic network, academic – advisory partnerships, and new collaboration opportunities; support on Busara’s international lab expansion; and line manage our team of managers and specialists with a growth mindset focused on mentoring and developing their expertise.
Does this sound interesting? If so, are you looking to:
Lead on delivering top-notch research
- Manage a portfolio of projects to deliver high-quality work, including managing internal and external client relationships, and managing Busara’s management teams.
- Ensure Busara’s standards for lab protocols, pre-analysis plans, and research ethics are followed across our work, leading work-plan development and coordination across portfolios and projects.
- Design state-of-the-art research systems to support field and lab research.
Manage internal research portfolios and initiatives
- Manage initiatives like our Off the Record (here) series, including our research agenda, work-plans, and blog outputs.
- Develop our academic network further and lead new and innovative ways of collaborating with academics and researchers.
- Support on lab expansion to new regions/geographies and with new partners.
- Lead other internal initiatives like developing tool-kits and handbooks, redesigning a gender-sensitive lab, updating standards for lab research, streamlining lab processes, etc.
Lead and manage teams across Busara offices
- Manage mid-level Lab staff across our Kenya, Nigeria, and India offices.
- Help facilitate the development of team members’ skills and expertise.
Represent Busara externally
- Disseminate results, prepare project reports, and present results at conferences.
- Contribute to content creation and execution for Busara’s internal and external capacity building and learning initiatives
What else will you be doing?
- Serve as sounding boards for initiatives that affect the Lab team.
- Serve as champions for the Lab team to manage the team and bring forward all relevant and actionable requests.
- Serve as an example to other Research Lab staff of how to execute project responsibilities to a high degree through mentorship and training.
- Participate in hiring and onboarding of new Research Lab teams.
- Contribute to the growth and culture of our international offices.
Requirements
Good. So you’re interested in the organisation and what the role entails. But do you have what we’re looking for?
- A Master’s degree in Economics, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or related fields. Strong technical understanding of economics, statistics and/or evaluation is necessary.
- ~5 years of previous work experience in a related field with internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong project management skills and experience with the ability to lead projects with a high degree of autonomy.
- Strong leadership alongside a clear focus on collaborative working, including experience line managing and supporting team members to develop their own skills and expertise.
- Strong quantitative skills including knowledge of and experience working with data analysis software with a focus on experimental social science and causal inference.
- Expertise in designing and implementing experiments (lab and/or field).
- Experience working with academic clients and managing large-scale research.
- Familiarity with behavioral science.
- Fluency and excellent communication and writing skills with a mastery of English.
- Flexible, self-motivated, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently and a team player
- Interest and experience working in a fast-paced working environment.
More Information
- Job City Nairobi
