Research Associate/Analyst

Kigali, Rwanda

Requirements in a nutshell

Education: Master’s degree in Education, Economics, Statistics, Public Health, Public Policy, Sociology or a related field

Experience: Three years of professional research experience for Associate position and at least one year of relevant experience for Analyst position

Languages: English

Must-have: Experience managing data collection or research projects, including contact with external stakeholders; quantitative data analysis skills in Stata (preferred), Python and/or R.

Location: Kigali, Rwanda

Summary

We are seeking a Research Associate with at least three years of professional research experience to join our team and manage research projects. Candidates with less than three years of experience are also encouraged to apply and will be considered for a Research Analyst position.

About Laterite

Laterite is a data, research and analytics firm specialized in complex development challenges. We work with universities, global think tanks, international NGOs, multilateral donor organizations, and government ministries and agencies. Our clients include, for example, the World Bank, USAID, TechnoServe, Promundo, the Mastercard Foundation, and several UN agencies. 

We currently have offices in the Netherlands, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone. The team brings together more than 90 full time local and international staff, as well as 1,000+ enumerators across all countries. We are proud to be a culturally diverse organization, and we welcome applications from groups currently under-represented in our team. Learn more: www.laterite.com

We work insocio-economic development research projects. We believe that impact is a long-term endeavour that requires being embedded in the local context. Delivering high-quality research requires building local teams and data collection systems, knowing the country, and establishing close working relationships.

One of Laterite’s key strategic goals is to create a collaborative and rewarding working environment for our staff, where every team member feels engaged, represented, and heard. Laterite is committed to create opportunities for learning and career development within the team and across our offices. 

Laterite is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age or veteran status.

What you will do:

As a Research Associate, based in our Rwanda office, you will:

• Manage one or two research projects: coordinating the project team; ensuring implementation according to protocols; managing to the budget and timeline; and communicating with clients.
• Play a hands-on role in all steps of the research process: designing the technical approach; developing protocols, research instruments, and sampling strategies; monitoring data quality; conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis; writing reports; and presenting to clients.
• Contribute to the development of new business: proposing research ideas; writing technical proposals; and pricing.
• Improve the way we work: researching and piloting new methodologies and technologies; standardizing and automating processes for data collection and analysis; and supporting internal operations like recruitment and IT.

You will develop skills and experience in:

• Technical design of research projects
• Data analysis
• Business development
• Managing a portfolio of research projects

What you will bring:

An ideal candidate will have:

• A master’s degree in Education, Economics, Statistics, Public Health, Public Policy, Sociology or a related field.
• For the Research Associate position, a minimum of three (3) years of professional research experience (in either a project/program or academic setting) is required.
• For the Research Analyst position, a minimum of one (1) year of professional experience performing similar tasks is required. We are happy to consider internships, work on dissertations or within an academic research group for this, if you can show us how your experience meets what we are looking for.
• Strong analytical skills, experience working with quantitative data, and proficiency in Stata (preferred), Python and/or R.
• Experience communicating with external stakeholders or in a client-facing role.
• Solid project management skills and experience coordinating projects with multiple components or teams.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

In addition, we value:

• Experience working with primary data (data collection or cleaning and analysis).
• Experience with Open Data Kit (ODK) or an ODK-based platform such as SurveyCTO or CommCare.
• Previous work experience in East Africa and deep familiarity with the Rwandan context
• Research experience in one of Laterite’s core sectors - agriculture, education, gender, livelihoods and public health.

What’s in it for you?

Laterite offers a competitive remuneration package, including medical insurance and 21 days of annual leave. The starting salary for the Research Associate role is RWF 5,566,842 gross per month while the starting salary for the Analyst role is RWF 4,108,004 gross per month. The exact salary grade will be determined based on the selected candidate’s experience and performance in interviews. There is ample opportunity for growth both in terms of salary scales and roles. Promotions at Laterite are reviewed during our performance evaluations.

We are also committed to supporting our staff’s learning, providing an annual learning budget of up to RWF 1,431,000 per person and 10 days of time off for professional learning each year. We also provide remote work options in accordance with Laterite's remote work policy.

What next?

Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) is not allowed at any stage of the application process. Any indication of AI-generated responses may result in disqualification from the recruitment process.

Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Assessment

The first step is to complete a 30-minute verbal reasoning and quantitative assessment for which no special preparation is needed.

Link to the assessment: https://form.jotform.com/251883303232552

Submit application

Successful candidates will then be invited to upload their CV, cover letter, and a writing sample of their own original research (e.g. a thesis) via our online application system.

Analytical assessment

Candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be invited to complete an analytical assessment to gauge their capacity to perform statistical analysis on a dataset and present the findings in a short document (using STATA, R, or Python).

Interviews

Successful candidates will then be invited to a first interview. The interview stage will consist of three rounds of interviews. Please note that any job offer will be conditional upon developing proven mastery of Stata, if you do not already possess this skill. Laterite will provide training resources to support your learning.

Deadline

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Details on rolling applications can be found on the website: https://www.laterite.com/vacancies/