Research Assistant – Natural Resource Management

Feb 4, 2014 | Center for Global Development

The Center for Global Development, an independent, non-partisan research organization in Washington, DC, seeks a Research Assistant to support the work of a fellow on extractive industries governance and natural resource management. The successful candidate will have experience with research in economics, public policy, political science or a related field. The RA must demonstrate strong writing, analytical and communications skills.

The successful candidate will perform a range of project research, policy analysis and other duties including, but not limited to, the following:

• Conduct literature and data searches for ongoing research projects. Potential areas of focus include natural resource management and governance.
• Develop drafts of background materials and policy briefs, and assist with editing papers and other written products.
• Conduct statistical analyses using Excel, Stata, or other software tools, and prepare tables and graphs to convey those results.
• Organize and attend meetings/conferences related to research priorities.
• Perform other research tasks or administrative as necessary in support of Senior Research staff.

The successful candidate will have the following qualifications and skills:

• Undergraduate degree in a related field.
• 1-2 years' experience in international development is preferred but not required.
• Essential software skills: Stata for the descriptive and econometric analysis of cross-section and panel data. MS Excel to construct spreadsheet models and generate publication quality graphics.
• Outstanding communications and writing skills in English.
• Confidence and can-do attitude; ability to advance projects with hands-off supervision.
• Comfort working independently, with small groups and interacting with senior staff.
• Good humor and collegiality are essential.

How to apply

Applicants for this vacancy should send a short cover letter, a CV, a short writing sample (preferably a piece of original research) and a sample Stata .do file which displays knowledge of Stata and of some basic econometric applications to jobs@cgdev.org. Please use the title "Research Assistant – Natural Resource Management" in all e-mail correspondences. No phone calls please.

CGD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age or sexual orientation shall have equal access to positions, limited only by their ability to do the job. Finalists for the position may be subject to a pre-employment background screening.