Research Assistant in Wellbeing and Resilience

Do your research interests concern sustainable and resilient livelihoods? Are you skilled in mixed methods? Have you got experience in East Africa?

We are looking for an early career researcher to support the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) team for a USAID-funded development project in Ethiopia – Biodiversity and Community Resilience in the Omo Valley (BIOM). BIOM is a new $8.7 million project in the South Omo zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia. Over the next four years, BIOM will improve biodiversity, livelihoods, and human rights in Ethiopia's Lower Omo Zone through community-based conservation, ecotourism, sustainable livestock production, and political advocacy training.

This 50% FTE position is an unusual opportunity to gain experience in both academic and practitioner environments. The MERL team consists of staff from the University of Leeds, Durham University, King’s College London, and Arba Minch University, all affiliated with the Omo-Turkana Research Network (OTuRN). The BIOM team brings together OTuRN, communities from the Mursi, Bodi, Kwegu, and Aari politico-territorial groups, the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction, Cool Ground, the Ethiopian Institute of Peace, and private partners supporting the ecotourism. You will be based in the MERL team but work with our MERL leads to communicate findings across the collaboration.

You will have the opportunity to join data collection in communities (those directly, indirectly, and not participating in BIOM) regarding wellbeing and livelihoods, exploring the project’s impacts on food security, prosperity, and resilience. Data collection is mostly qualitative and mixed methods – we will be using participatory methods such as resource mapping, interviews and focus groups, and supplementing with some survey work. Your main task will be analysing this data and then disseminating the findings via reports to our implementing partners and USAID as well as via peer-reviewed publications.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:

Jennifer Hodbod, Lecturer in Environment and Development

Email: j.e.hodbod@leeds.ac.uk