Research Officer

University of Toronto • Toronto, ON

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs. We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world. The Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy offers world class multidisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs. We are home to exceptional faculty, experts and researchers from around the globe, and more than 50 academic centres, labs and programs. Our goal is to build a unique, world-renowned research, teaching and public engagement hub that shapes the contemporary fields of global affairs and public policy from within Canada. Our School brings together those who are passionate about global affairs and public policy to research, discuss and address the problems of a fast-changing world. The Research Officer reports to the Program Director of the Local Government Revenue Initiative (LoGRI). Based at the Munk School, LoGRI is an initiative of ICTD with a mandate to develop policy- relevant research, knowledge, expertise, and tools to support local governments in lower-income countries in Africa and South Asia. LoGRI also works directly with government partners to successfully implement innovative reform strategies informed by research. The Research Officer will play a key role supporting in-country research and reform projects, and will also work with LoGRI's research and program teams to manage key stakeholders and translate knowledge to wider audiences. The Research Officer will support LoGRI’s partnership with the African Mayoral Leadership Initiative, a program focused on providing tailored support to city leaders through engagement and advisory with government partners and support research.

Requirements

• Master's Degree in Political Science, Global Affairs, Public Policy, Economics or related field or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum three years of recent and related experience providing support to research- focused tax, development, and/or informal economy in Africa, ideally in one of the ICTD's priority countries (e.g., Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Morocco, and Egypt).
• Experience writing and editing papers, policy briefs, and other written reports related to research in Africa
• Experience conducting primary research, collecting and analyzing data
• Experience conducting qualitative or quantitative research and policy analysis, including jurisdictional/environmental scans and/or statistical analysis
• Experience working in Africa, ideally including engagement with policymakers, non-profit organizations, civil society and/or public administration.
• Experience fostering positive relationships with project partners
• Experience supporting research outreach, engagement, or dissemination with local, regional or international stakeholders
• Fluent in French and English with professional proficiency in written and oral communication in both languages
• Experience conducting systematic literature reviews, supporting write up of research findings.
• Ability to work well autonomously with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work independently, organize critical tasks, meet deadlines, take initiative and work flexibly to manage multiple and changing priorities.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to collaborate with people from all cultures, across time zones, in a virtual team environment.
• Knowledge of or willingness to learn about tax and development.
• Proficient project and research management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of other languages widely spoken in Africa is an asset.
• Experience working with a non-profit organization or a civil society organization is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Scheduling day-to-day project activities and maintaining project records.
• Resolving issues within the scope of the role and escalating problems as required.
• Coordinating meeting schedules, agendas, materials, action and follow-up items
• Conducting systematic literature reviews
• Implementing and executing qualitative and/or quantitative methods, and synthesizing technical, qualitative and contextual research data.
• Analyzing data and generating reports, and formatting research results to be presentable and easily comprehensible
• Contributing to research findings that are published in academic journals

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level