Senior Visiting Scholar

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a leading African-based, African-led international research institution headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with a Regional Office in Dakar, Senegal. APHRC conducts policy-relevant research on population, health, education, urbanization and related development issues in sub-Saharan Africa.

APHRC seeks to recruit a Senior Visiting Scholar to be based at our West Africa Regional Office (WARO) to support the development of a Research Group on Demographic Transition, Fertility, Urbanization, and Migration (DTFUM) issues in sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on West and Central Africa regions.

Roles

• Lead the development of a demographic research group with a focus on West and Central Africa regions.
• Provide leadership to demographic research, explore and analyze demographic data within the region, including but not limited to fertility, mortality, urbanization, demographic dividend, population projections, and other human population changes.
• Lead a comprehensive scoping review on the topics to highlight the critical research gaps in the region and main areas of focus for the research group in the next three to five years.
• Collaborate with resident researchers on ongoing projects, bringing expertise and fresh perspectives to the research.
• Mentor junior researchers and postdoctoral fellows, providing guidance and support in their academic and research pursuits.
• Facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas between the home institution and the Center, fostering international collaboration and academic networking.
• Contribute to academic publications, journals, and books, and share research findings with the broader academic community.
• Give seminars, lectures, or workshops on one’s area of expertise, enriching the Center’s academic environment.
• Lead the development of grant proposals, leveraging one’s experience to secure funding for research projects within the Center.
• Engage in networking activities, forging connections with other researchers and institutions, which can lead to future collaborative opportunities.

Expected outcomes.

• DTFUM research group fully set with at least one tangible research project.
• Full concept highlighting DTFUM research group focus, critical research gaps and questions, pathways to impact, and list of potential funders.
• At least two APHRC researchers (junior/mid-level) capacitated to take leadership for DTFUM work within the Center.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• PhD in Demography, Population Studies, Public Health, Sociology, Statistics, Economics, or equivalent in related disciplines.
• Have at least 15 years of relevant post-doctoral experience working on related issues.
• Strong writing skills and a good record of publications, which utilize defined analytical methodologies.
• Wide experience in developing proposals. Evidence of previous successful grants will be required.
• Demonstrated experience in managing research projects, including experience in conducting, coordinating, and managing surveys.
• Strong quantitative skills (managing, analyzing and interpreting data), with good familiarity with quantitative statistical packages (e.g. STATA, R).
• Expertise in political economy research or qualitative methods, including familiarity with qualitative analysis software packages (e.g. NVivo)
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills and ability to work in a culturally diverse team.
• Proficient communication (oral and written) in both French and English.
• Experience working in Francophone West Africa would be an advantage.

 Conditions

• Duration of the engagement is a maximum of one (1) year. Intermittent virtual engagement can be considered, but a minimum of six (6) months of physical presence in WARO would be required.
• Housing and transport arrangements would be covered by APHRC during physical presence in WARO.

Interested individuals are invited to submit their application in English and include the following in a single document:

1. A letter of application;
2. A statement of research interests and goals (1-2 pages); and
3. CV with contact details of three referees

via email to jobs@aphrc.org by March 31, 2024, indicating the title ‘Senior Visiting Scholar, WARO’ as the subject of the email. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Special Notice

APHRC is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.