Youth Impact’s mission is to connect youth to proven life-saving information. Our vision is to enable over 1 million youth to thrive through delivery of multiple evidence-based programs. We are at an inflection point in our growth: we have over 350 staff, three programs in health and education, and a cumulative reach of over 200,000 youth in 10 countries. Our culture is unique: we are always learning, have a dynamic, youthful team, a fierce commitment to measurement and evidence, and work hand-in-hand with the government. On any given day our leaders will sing and dance, negotiate MOUs, and spend dedicated time with the field team in schools.

 

Youth Impact’s Research and Innovation team seeks to hire skilled and motivated Research Officers who will play a critical role in producing data and evidence to support us to scale up our programs within Botswana, and with NGO partners, governments, research organizations such as IPA, and multilaterals such as the World Bank. On any given day, we might be: discussing the latest ideas for a randomized controlled trial or A/B test to improve our programs at scale with programs teams; visiting schools to improve our monitoring and data collection systems; cleaning and analyzing data to assess impact; visualizing data; writing up results; workshopping data insights with programs teams; supporting government counterparts to collect, use, and interpret data to improve education and health programs; and/or supporting partner organizations around the world to do the same! We think this is the dream job for anyone passionate about impact, evidence, and data.

 

We seek candidates who excel in a team-oriented and collaborative environment that values curiosity, and who have a passion for improving youths’ lives and the application of rigorous evidence to complex problems. The ideal candidate has strong data management, task management and organizational skills necessary for carrying out high-quality, quantitative data collection. The candidate will also enjoy problem solving and applying creative thinking to challenges and building relationships with program leaders, implementers, and government partners.

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Primary Duties & Responsibilities

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• Develop and test study instruments (e.g. surveys, discussion guides)

• Train implementers on administering electronic and paper-based surveys 

• Support project teams in collecting high-quality data for health and education programs, including visiting schools throughout Botswana to ensure implementation teams are following research protocols 

• Develop electronic surveys using SurveyCTO

• Create and manage monitoring dashboards using Google Sheets

• Clean, manage, and analyze data in Stata (preferred) or R 

• Support production and communication of research insights for internal programs teams, as well as academic, policy, and practitioner audiences 

• Collaborate across multiple departments and contribute to the growth of a cutting-edge rigorous M&E unit that fuses research and practice

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Required Qualifications

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• Bachelor’s degree in economics, mathematics, public health, or a related discipline

• Experience cleaning and managing large datasets

• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets and proficiency in all Microsoft Office and G Suite applications 

• Ability to manage various concurrent tasks effectively and coordinate between multiple colleagues and departments

• Ability to work in an international team based across different geographies

• Willingness to travel to different regions in Botswana several times throughout the year for 1-2 weeks at a time to support training, tool piloting, and program and survey implementation

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Desired Qualifications

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• Working knowledge of Stata (preferred) or comparable statistical software program e.g. R or Python

• Working knowledge of SurveyCTO or related software like KoboToolbox or ODK Collect 

• Experience in monitoring and evaluation, quantitative field research 

• Familiarity with randomized evaluations and econometric methods

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, in particular, the ability to communicate complex thoughts and ideas simply and effectively and tailor communications to the audience 

• Adaptability, motivation and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment: The role can be demanding and, at times, subject to external pressures for timely completion. The candidate must be adaptive, creative, organized, and highly motivated. 

• Ability to create “structure out of nothing:” Strong ability to turn a visual reality or imagined outcome into a codified set of steps, actions, and goals on paper, and to execute those steps. 

• Self-starter: the individual should be a highly motivated and driven self-starter who can push for the delivery of activities in a fast-paced environment, seeking clarity when needed​

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Time period: 2-year, with potential for extension pending performance. 

 

Location: This position is only open to individuals who are legally able to work in Botswana. The Youth Impact office is in Gaborone and staff are required to work in the office several days a week.  

 

Individuals with current or prior Youth Impact experience are strongly encouraged to apply.    

 

Benefits: Generous annual leave, sick leave, an annual professional development stipend, professional development opportunities, access to our amazing global networks, and much more. 

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To apply visit www.youth-impact.org/join-our-team. You will be asked to:  

1. Answer the following 

   • Why are you applying to join Youth Impact? (Limit 150 words)

   • Discuss your research experience and how it prepared you to thrive in this role. (Limit 150 words) 

   • Briefly describe your experience working with Excel/Google sheets, Stata, R, and/or Python, such as details about cleaning and/or analysis you have done with one of these programs. (Limit 100 words) 

   • Have you used SurveyCTO or related software? If yes, describe your experience. (Limit 50 words)

   • Are you currently living in or do you soon plan to live in or around Gaborone? (Yes/No)

2. Complete Excel task linked below, "Coding Deliverable". Upload your response in the online form. Please include your name in the file name.

3. Submit 1-2 samples of your previous work (in an academic or professional setting) that demonstrate your analytical skills.

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Deadline: Early bird deadline 29 November. Application will remain open until position is filled.