Job Description
TITLE: Post-doctoral Fellow, Gender and Education Initiative
REPORTING TO: Education Portfolio Lead and Senior Associate
LOCATION: New York, NY, Washington, DC, or any of the 12 locations outside of the US where the Population Council has an office (Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, and Zambia)
ASSIGNMENT LENGTH: 2 years, renewable by mutual consent and funding availability
FELLOWSHIP SUMMARY: The Population Council is seeking a Post-doctoral Fellow focused on education research. The Council is embarking on a bold new Strategic Plan and global research agenda that aims to improve health and development outcomes by asking and answering strategic research questions to tackle pressing social, economic, health, and climate issues worldwide. The Council’s global and interdisciplinary research brings expertise in demography, epidemiology, biomedical research and product development, economics, public health, sociology, and science communications working across sexual, reproductive health, rights and choice, adolescent health and wellbeing, gender equality, and climate and environmental justice. Colleagues across the Council conduct rigorous science, generate high quality evidence and innovative data products, and communicate evidence strategically to influence social, economic and health policies and investments at national and global levels.
The Population Council’s education initiative aims to increase gender equality and equity in education, and foster equality and empowerment through education, including through safe and equitable learning environments. The Post-doctoral Fellow will have an excellent opportunity to gain exposure, learn and engage in an international NGO setting. They will conduct innovative, rigorous, and relevant research to fill gaps in data and evidence, and to inform decision makers on what works to improve education and gender equality and how. The Fellow will be mentored by the senior associate directing the Council’s education work and have an opportunity to collaborate with other researchers to support the Council’s growing research agenda on education. The Fellow will also be responsible for disseminating research findings, project development and management, and contributing to or leading fundraising efforts.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Contribute to the Council’s innovative and policy/program-relevant research agenda:
1. Work with the education lead to define, lead, conduct, and manage research on priority topics, including foundational literacy and numeracy, secondary school completion, life skills, gender transformative education, gender-related barriers to education, and violence in and around schools.
2. Assess the current research gaps on priority research areas and conduct research to address these issues through various techniques (e.g., systematic reviews/meta-analysis and secondary analyses of existing data sets, including from experimental studies).
3. Serve as co- investigator/lead researcher together with collaborating researchers to develop and execute research that aligns with Council priorities.
Contribute to the development of the Council’s growing research program in education:
4. Establish equal partnerships with global South-based researchers, feminist-led advocates and practitioners, including staff from Council country offices, to increase global South voices and perspectives in global discourse and peer-reviewed journals, facilitate connections, and build capacity of junior researchers.
5. Produce academic and non-academic publications that effectively communicate the Council’s research to diverse audiences.
6. Assist with writing donor reports and reviewing and revising draft manuscripts and other written products.
7. Integrate and translate evidence into digital and web-based tools, where applicable.
8. Support or lead applications for research grants, including identifying and liaising with donors and contributing to proposal development.
9. Represent the Council at external meetings and conferences.
10. Manage and organize events, such as webinars and in-person panels.
11. Perform related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
We understand that there are many paths to acquiring expertise and experience and strong candidates may not have every qualification listed here. We encourage applications from individuals with diverse and/or nontraditional backgrounds who bring passion, skills, and experience in many or most of these areas.
Qualifications:
1. PhD in education, economics, demography, sociology or other social sciences/relevant disciplines
2. 3-5 years pre-doctoral work experience in a research organization
3. Track record as lead writer and/or co-author on scientific publications and grant applications (regarding education preferred)
Experience:
4. Fluency in quantitative data management and analysis (using STATA or other data analysis software) and demonstrated analytic capability using large, complex, and multiple datasets, including comparative analyses
5. Strong knowledge and application of quantitative research design and methodology
6. Experience in supporting or writing research grants and proposals (track record of winning research grants is desirable)
7. Experience conducting own research studies and managing project from start to completion
8. Experience in interacting with external partners (e.g., policy makers, researchers, advocates, donors, practitioners) to use data and evidence to effect change
9. Experience working with under-resourced populations, especially marginalized women and girls
10. Experience conducting research on FLN, literacy, numeracy, and enrollment/attainment
Skills:
11. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, including ability to effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders (strong record of scientific writing/publications is desirable)
12. Excellent time management and organizational skills
13. Highly developed skills to influence and persuade; ability to quickly and effectively build relationships with team members and stakeholders
14. Excellent computer proficiency (e.g., MS Office – Word, Excel and Outlook, other software)
15. Must be able to work under pressure and meet deadlines while maintaining a positive attitude and providing exemplary assistance to internal and external stakeholders
16. Ability to work independently and to carry out assignments within given parameters
17. Strong attention to detail, with a proven ability to handle multiple responsibilities at one time, successfully prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
Other:
18. Flexible, self-motivating with a team player attitude
19. A strong interest in building capacity of research staff
20. Result-oriented and committed to excellence
21. French language skills a plus
TERMS:
Fellowships based in the U.S include a monthly stipend to cover cost of living expenses, reimbursements for round trip travel to and from the fellow’s home country (as applicable), J-1 visa sponsorship (as applicable), and individual health insurance coverage. Fellows will be provided with office space and use of a computer.
For fellowships based outside of the United States, compensation and benefits will be in accordance with local country office best practices and legal requirements in the relevant Council international office.
TO APPLY:
Please include a brief description of your academic and professional qualifications and goals, a short statement about your research interests and a copy of your CV. International applicants are encouraged to apply.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 14, 2023
The Council requires all U.S. based staff, interns and fellows to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. New staff members must verify vaccination at the time of hire. Exemptions will only be considered for medical reasons and sincerely held religious beliefs. Exemptions are not guaranteed and must be discussed with Human Resources.
The Population Council is an international, nonprofit, nongovernmental institution that seeks to improve the well-being and reproductive health of current and future generations around the world and to help achieve a humane, equitable, and sustainable balance between people and resources. The Council conducts biomedical, social science, and public health research and helps build research capacities in developing countries. Established in 1952, the Council is governed by an international board of trustees. Its New York headquarters supports a global network of country offices. We are seeking an individual to fill the position described. If you know of a qualified candidate or are interested in this position, please apply at: http://www.popcouncil.org/employment/index.asp.
The Population Council provides equal opportunity; it does not discriminate against any person with regard to age, color, creed, national origin, disability, political belief, veteran status, religion, marital status, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Decisions on employment are based on an individual’s qualifications as related to the position for which they are being considered. The Council especially encourages applications from members of underrepresented groups including but not limited to Black people and people of African descent, Indigenous people, people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, including people who identify as transgender, non-binary, or gender expansive, people with disabilities, first-generation college graduates, and those from communities with the most to gain from expanded access to sexual and reproductive health services and information. The Population Council is international in the composition of its board of trustees and its staff, as well as in the nature and deployment of its activities.