Research Assistant Full-Time

Lessitala Consultoria e Servicios is seeking a full-time Research Assistant position to work on studies of the Economics of Health Decision-Making in Mozambique. Lessitala Consultoria e Servicios 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 and COVID-19. Successful applicants will also collaborate on new research on health and economic development that stem from the ongoing research.

Description

The Research Assistant will play a key role on all aspects of our field research, data analysis, and writing. The work will include using project and field team management, data management, analysis of data, and writing and development of manuscripts for publication. This position can serve as a bridge towards further graduate studies, such as a 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 with 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.

Required

Qualifications and Skills

• 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.

Desired Qualifications (preferred but not required):

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field (economics or related social science disciplines) is preferred;
• Experience conducting and managing fieldwork and/or field surveys (ideally related to international development);
• Knowledge and understanding of data science, field experiments, or research literatures in development economics relating to health, education, or natural disasters.

Additional Information

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

To Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration of this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume/CV. 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. Additionally, the applicant should submit his/her bachelor diploma/certificate in the original language.

After applicants submit their cover letter and resume, select candidates will be asked to complete an empirical exercise to demonstrate their knowledge and familiarity of coding in Stata. Successful performance on the coding examination will result in follow up interviews with the research team.

Applications should be submitted to Ryan McWay at rmcway@umich.edu with the subject line “Application – Research Assistant” by 27th November 2021.