RESEARCH OFFICER
- Deadline: November 4, 2026
- Senegal
The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is an Africa-based, African-led international research institution headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. Its West Africa Regional Office (WARO), based in Dakar, Senegal, conducts research to inform public policy in population, health, urbanization and development in sub-Saharan Africa.
APHRC is implementing a 36-month project funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, entitled “Examining the Role of Non-State Actors in Influencing Peace, Health, and Stability along the Sahel Sahara Corridor in West Africa.” Centred on the Dakar–Agadez corridor, with a link to Kano and Katsina (Nigeria), the project examines interactions between mobility, governance, non-state actors (NSAs), access to health and social services, social cohesion and stability. It combines desk-based and spatial analyses, actor mapping, community case studies in Dakar and Niamey, and dialogue with decision makers.
Position Purpose
APHRC is recruiting a full-time Research Officer to support the scientific and operational implementation of the project. Under the coordination of the Project Implementation Lead, the postholder will work closely with the Postdoctoral Research Scientist, work package leads, partners and country focal points. The postholder will contribute to data quality, fieldwork coordination, analyses and the production of deliverables, while upholding ethical requirements and conflict sensitive research principles.
Key Responsibilities
• Support the planning and monitoring of research activities, milestones and deliverables, and maintain the project’s monitoring and documentation tools.
• Conduct reviews of scientific and grey literature, document analysis and syntheses on mobility, displacement, governance, NSAs, protection and access to services.
• Contribute to the inventory and organization of data sources, technical documents and information on stakeholders and study sites.
• Participate in the development of research protocols, sampling plans, interview and discussion guides, participatory mapping tools, field manuals and training materials.
• Support actor and systems mapping (WP1), including interviews with key informants, participatory exercises and preparation of validation activities.
• Coordinate, under the supervision of the relevant leads, the preparation and monitoring of community case studies (WP2), liaising with partners, country focal points and field teams.
• Participate in qualitative interviews, focus group discussions, community mapping exercises and analysis of mobility pathways, in accordance with approved protocols.
• Monitor data quality and contribute to quantitative and qualitative data management, cleaning, coding, anonymization, documentation and analysis using appropriate software.
• Contribute to thematic, comparative and integrated analyses, incorporating gender, youth, vulnerability, displacement and access-to-services dimensions.
• Support ethical and administrative approvals, data protection and the application of informed consent, confidentiality, safeguarding and risk-prevention requirements. No direct contact with active armed or criminal groups will be undertaken as part of the research.
• Prepare meeting notes, field reports, technical notes and contributions to donor reports, scientific publications and research dissemination materials.
• Participate in coordination meetings, stakeholder validation and dissemination activities, and help prepare documents in French and English as needed.
Required Qualifications and Experience
• Master’s degree in Demography, Population Studies, Public Health, Sociology, Geography, Political Science, Governance, Development Studies, Statistics or a related field.
• At least three (3) years of relevant professional experience after obtaining the Master’s degree, preferably in a research institution or a multi-country research programme.
• Demonstrated field research experience using qualitative and quantitative methods, with the ability to coordinate or supervise data collection teams.
• Good command of quantitative analysis software (Stata, R or equivalent); experience using qualitative analysis software (NVivo, ATLAS.ti, MAXQDA or equivalent) is an asset.
• Experience designing data collection tools, conducting data quality checks and preparing scientific or technical reports and documents.
• Knowledge of research ethics and data protection procedures; experience with participatory research, geographic information systems or data on mobility and public services is an asset.
• Experience working in Francophone West Africa and/or on multi-country research projects is desirable.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, writing and teamwork skills, with the ability to collaborate in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
Language Requirements
• Excellent written and spoken French is required.
• Ability to work in English, particularly to read and prepare technical documents, is desirable.
Application Process
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter addressed to the Director of the West Africa Regional Office, an up-to-date CV and the contact details of three professional referees.
Here is the Application link https://www.rmo-jobcenter.com/fr/senegal/offres-emploi/administration-ong-services/4175-charge-recherche.html
Application deadline: 4 November 2026. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Equal Opportunity Notice
APHRC is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Recruitment decisions are based on qualifications and organizational needs. Reasonable accommodations may be provided upon request to applicants with disabilities to facilitate participation in the selection process.