Associate Researcher; Managing Exits from Armed Conflict

Location Remote

Contract Temporary

• Position Title:
  
  Associate Researcher (Resident)
• Starting date:
  As soon as possible
• Occupational rate: 100% (Full-time)
• Duration: 5 months, with the possibility of extension
• Remuneration: ics-9: lica-9/iica-1 (depending on location)

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) is a voluntarily funded, autonomous institution within the United Nations. One of the few policy institutes worldwide focusing on disarmament, UNIDIR generates knowledge and promotes dialogue and action on disarmament and security. Based in Geneva, UNIDIR assists the international community to develop the practical, innovative ideas needed to find solutions to critical security problems.

UNIDIR’s Managing Exits from Armed Conflict Project seeks to understand how and why people enter and exit armed groups, disarm and transition fully and sustainably into civilian life. The project generates evidence to inform policies and interventions that prevent recruitment, support reintegration and promote micro‑disarmament.

The objective of this position is to conduct research and support the coordination of the project’s activities in the Lake Chad Basin.

Under the supervision of the Senior Researcher and the Head of Project, the Associate Researcher will be responsible for the following duties:

Coordinate research activities in the Lake Chad Basin region, conduct research and contribute to the development of a range of analytical outputs to share the research findings of these studies:

• Help finalize the surveys for the Lake Chad Basin and North West Nigeria.
• Work with local research partners and the project’s management to design and oversee the research plans.
• Coordinate with, and support, local research partners.
• Build and nurture relationships with government, research, local and UN partners in the region working on conflict transitions and conduct related outreach.
• Help design, stand up and oversee a data collection in the region, including supporting enumerator training design and performing data monitoring functions.
• As needed, conduct interviews and focus groups, and assist with survey rollout across the region.
• Produce transcripts and review those produced by other researchers.
• Contribute to cross‑case analyses for the project and its other strategic products.
• Document project rollout in Lake Chad Basin countries for use in guidance for the project’s tools.
• Produce findings reports and other analytical products (and oversee their translation and design) for a variety of practitioner, policymaker and general audiences.
• Help develop different ways to message the project’s findings in the Lake Chad Basin region, including through social media, and feedback loop closure activities with study respondents.
• Present research findings and help practitioners work through their programmatic implications at dissemination events.
• Keep abreast of relevant external research, publications and events in the conflict reintegration space.
• Lead the finalization of the Lake Chad Basin surveys, codebooks and de‑identified data for sharing as a public good.

A workplan for the duration of the contract will be established within the first two weeks of the contract. The Associate Researcher will have regular communication with the Head of Project and Senior Researcher in order to set assignments within the workplan and monitor progress. S/he will proactively inform the Head of Project if there are any issues concerning meeting agreed deliverables and deadlines.

The Associate Researcher will be evaluated at the end of the contract. Performance indicators include:

• Assignments are completed on…