Research Assistant needed for the Refugee Research and Policy in the Arab World Program

Refugee Research and Policy in the Arab World Program

The Refugee Research and Policy in the Arab World Program aims to collect, support and initiate research relevant to refugees – whether Syrian, Palestinian, Iraqi, or others. The program bridges existing knowledge gaps about refugee issues in the Arab world by disseminating the regional experiences of Middle Eastern governments and addressing policy problems within their regional and global context. Thus, the objective of this program is to strengthen research, analysis and information sharing from a local, regional and global perspective, particularly with respect to issues surrounding refugees and internally displaced persons.

About the Project

This research position will primarily involve work on a project in joint collaboration with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to study and examine several aspects related to the funding landscape of different international agreements between the European Union (EU) and countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, namely Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis.

The Research Assistant will be actively involved in research, field work, coordinating events and meetings, as well as other administrative activities under the supervision and support of the Project Coordinator.

Principal Responsibilities:

The principal responsibilities of the Research Assistant will be to:

1. Assist in desktop research and literature reviews related to the project;
2. Assist with the identification of key stakeholders in Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey to conduct interviews with;
3. Conduct interviews, in Arabic or English, with identified stakeholders in Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey;
4. Assist in data entry, including transcription, translation (from Arabic to English) in a timely manner;
5. Assist research team in data analysis;
6. Assist with the organization of meetings, workshops, lectures, and conferences related to the project;
7. Keep records of all relevant documents (hard and soft copies);
8. Assist the lead investigator and project coordinator in other relevant tasks, including providing administrative support when necessary.

Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree in social sciences or a relevant field. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree with relevant research experience will also be considered.
2. 1 to 3 years work experience preferable.
3. Excellent command of English and Arabic is a must (spoken, read and written). Prior research experience in Arabic is a plus.
4. Good administrative and organizational skills.
5. Ability to work pro-actively, independently and efficiently.
6. Easy mobility in all regions across Lebanon.
7. Experience using NVivo or other qualitative analysis software.

The American University of Beirut is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.

Application Procedures:

Applicants must send a cover letter, a CV, and the names of two references with full contact information to the project coordinator, Rawya Khodor, at [email protected], no later than July 15, 2018, with the subject, “Research Assistant - Refugee Research and Policy in the Arab World Program”.

Kindly note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.