Research Assistant

Job Summary

Lessitala Consultoria e Serviços is seeking a full-time Research Assistant position to work on studies of the Economics of Health Decision-Making in Mozambique. Lessitala Consultoria e Serviços is undertaking these studies in partnership with the University of Michigan. The Research Assistant will work with Professors Dean Yang and Tanya Rosenblat, and possibly other University of Michigan faculty, on a set of research projects on HIV/AIDS. Successful applicants will also collaborate on new research on health and economic development that stem from the ongoing research.

The Research Assistant will contribute to the research project in a variety of different ways, including data management; geographic information systems (GIS) work; fieldwork management.

This position can serve as a bridge towards further graduate studies, such as a Master’s Degree or Ph.D., for applicants interested in empirical economics. The Research Assistant will be an active member of Development Economics @ Michigan, a dynamic community of scholars, and will gain exposure to the cutting edge of research in development economics.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direction of the project’s Principal Investigator (PI), the Research Assistant will engage in the following:

Survey Monitoring: help set up a field survey in Mozambique, track, and clean data collection daily, and troubleshoot with the field team.

Data Science: assist with data entry, cleaning and processing that regularly validates the quality of collected data collection and contributes to the creation of a public dataset.

Research: support various research projects and statistical reports by conducting reviews of current research, analyzing data, and writing summaries of research findings.

The selected candidate will need to possess the following:

• The ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment with strong project management skills, exceptional attention to detail, and the ability to exercise sound judgment.
• Exceptional time management skills with a proven ability to multitask and prioritize to successfully complete projects on tight deadlines with little supervision.

Qualifications and Skills

Required Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (economics or related social science disciplines) with one or more years of relevant work experience;
• Strong undergraduate performance (15/20 on average or higher);
• Proven ability to code in Stata;
• Mastery of Microsoft Excel;
• Excellent written communication skills;
• Fluent or native in English;
• Proficiency in Portuguese.
• Experience conducting and managing fieldwork and/or field surveys (ideally related to international development)

Desired Qualifications (preferred but not required)

• A master’s degree in a relevant field (economics or related social science disciplines) is preferred.
• Knowledge and understanding of data science, field experiments, or research literature in development economics relating to health, education, or natural disasters.
• Knowledge of local languages from the Center Region of Mozambique.

Additional Information

• This is a 12-month position, with a potential for extension pending funding, based on performance.

To Apply

To apply for the position, you should submit a cover letter, your CV, and your latest transcript of grades (unofficial is fine). Both cover letter and resume/CV must be written in English. The cover letter should indicate your starting availability, address your specific interest in the position, outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position, and indicate which work location you prefer.

Applications should be submitted, with the subject line “Application – Mozambique-based Research Assistant 2024”.

Job title: Research Assistant

Work location: Mozambique

Full/part time: Full-time

Employment type: Temporary Contract Employee

Starting salary: Competitive, based on qualifications and experience.

Organizational group: Lessitala Consultoria e Serviços