Research Assistant

YLabs • San Francisco, CA

7d • Remote

About The Position

YLabs is a leading global design and research organization designing technologies that amplify youth power, agency, and opportunity. Founded in 2014 at the Harvard Innovation Lab, YLabs partners with young people to co-create inclusive digital products and services that improve their lives. Our design process opens spaces where young people’s ideas can become a reality – where they are the architects of the solutions to their most pressing challenges. YLabs multidisciplinary team delivers youth-driven innovation and impact at scale. Our team combines expertise in youth-driven design with adolescent health, climate, livelihoods, digital product design, behavioral science, and epidemiology. Based in Rwanda and the USA, we’ve worked in 18 countries to date on projects spanning three focus areas: optimum health and wellness, improved economic opportunity, and increased climate resilience. This role will support the Climate x SRHR project by conducting desk research, supporting stakeholder engagement, and contributing to research publications and dissemination materials.

Requirements

• Graduate-level training or equivalent experience in public health, social science, or a related field.
• Strong research and writing skills.
• Genuine interest in climate resilience and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
• Excellent writer.
• Detail oriented.
• Enthusiastic, curious, problem solver.
• Rigorous about sourcing, citations, and evidence quality.
• Great communicator - speaks up when uncertain.

Nice To Haves

• Graduate student in a relevant field.
• Experience with any quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis software.

Responsibilities

• Conduct desk research including literature reviews, policy analyses, and evidence summaries, plus citation management and maintenance of a shared evidence library.
• Support stakeholder engagement through note-taking, meeting preparation, and maintenance of stakeholder databases, including coordination support for convenings.
• Draft and/or review proposals, contributing to proposal writing and providing technical review as needed.
• Support data analysis by applying quantitative or qualitative analysis skills as relevant to project needs.
• Support research publications by drafting, proofreading, and formatting.
• Prepare dissemination materials such as decks, evidence briefs, and reports.
• Fact-check and QA to verify accuracy and quality of materials before they go external.

Benefits

• Competitive pay rate ($21 - $29 USD per hour).
• Possibility of contract extension.
• Opportunity to work on impactful projects related to climate resilience and SRHR.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree