The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Malawi, is seeking a qualified candidate to serve as a Research Analyst. The position will be attached to IFPRI’s Malawi Strategy Support Program based in Lilongwe. Initial contract will be for a period of one year.
Essential Duties:
This is primarily a research position, requiring a good understanding of agriculture and rural development, solid theoretical foundations in micro- and macroeconomics, and experience with quantitative methods including econometric analysis of time series and management of large data sets. The position will provide analytical support primarily to IFPRI Malawi’s research theme on Strengthening Agricultural Markets and Institutions and to ongoing macroeconomic modeling work, but also to other IFPRI research activities in Malawi as required.
The specific duties of the post holders will include:
- Data cleaning and management.
- Designing data collection instruments/protocols and training/supervision of enumerators, sometimes outside of Lilongwe.
- Statistical analysis of household and trader surveys.
- Econometric analysis of agricultural prices involving time series analysis.
- Assisting in the development and maintenance of macroeconomic models of Malawi’s economy.
- Writing and editing of research reports, policy notes, academic papers and other documents.
- Liaising with GoM and development partner offices to maintain up to date data files and summary statistics.
- Interacting with officials from the GoM, civil society and the development partners on topical issues related to agriculture, food security and poverty reduction in Malawi.
- Responding to urgent requests for rapid analytics by government, donors and other stakeholders.
Required Qualifications and Skills:
- Master’s degree in Economics or a related field
- 1-2 years’ work experience or demonstrated excellence in research.
- Demonstrated capacity to analyze and utilize policy-relevant information from a broad range of sources on agricultural production and marketing.
- Experience using statistical packages such as Stata and eViews.
- Familiarity with theoretical and technical issues related to agriculture, economic development, poverty, food security, and/or nutrition in Malawi.
Desired Qualifications and Skills:
- Excellent English writing skills, especially technical and academic writing.
- Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills.
- Excellent presentation skills in seminars and workshops.
- Experience with the analysis of commodity prices using time series methods.
- Experience with macroeconomic modeling.
- Experience with GAMS programming.
- Work experience with a reputable research, government or non-governmental institution working in the fields of agricultural, development or macroeconomic policy.
- Published research outputs in peer reviewed journals or high-quality discussion papers or policy briefs/notes.
Disclaimer:
This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, competencies, duties and responsibilities associated with the position.
The position will be recruited under the IITA national staff category on Pay Grade 8.
Download the job description here. (PDF 118 KB)
To Apply
Applications should be submitted by email to IITA-Malawi@cgiar.org with copy to IFPRI-Lilongwe@cgiar.org -no later than 25th March 2021. In the subject of your email, please specify the subject “Application for Research Analyst - IFPRI”. Applicants should provide a CV, including the names and contact details (address, phone numbers, and emails) of three referees, and a cover letter addressing the selection criteria.
