Research Officer – Sahel-Sahara Corridor Project

About the role

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is recruiting a full-time Research Officer to support the scientific and operational implementation of its 36-month Carnegie-funded project on non-state actors' influence on peace, health and stability along the Sahel-Sahara corridor. Based in Dakar, the postholder works under the Project Implementation Lead, alongside the Postdoctoral Research Scientist, work package leads, partners and country focal points, contributing to data quality, fieldwork coordination, analyses and deliverables while respecting ethical and conflict-sensitive research principles.

Key responsibilities

• Support planning and monitoring of research activities, milestones and deliverables, and maintain monitoring and documentation tools.
• Review scientific and grey literature, carry out document analysis and syntheses on mobility, displacement, governance, non-state actors, protection and access to services.
• Help inventory data sources, technical documents and information on stakeholders and study sites.
• Contribute to research protocols, sampling plans, interview and discussion guides, participatory mapping tools, field manuals and training materials.
• Support actor and systems mapping (WP1), including key informant interviews, participatory exercises and validation activities.
• Coordinate community case studies (WP2) with partners, country focal points and field teams.
• Take part in qualitative interviews, focus group discussions, community mapping and analysis of mobility pathways.
• Monitor data quality and help manage, clean, code, anonymize and analyse quantitative and qualitative data.
• Contribute to thematic, comparative and integrated analyses covering gender, youth, vulnerability, displacement and access to services.
• Support ethical and administrative approvals, data protection, informed consent, confidentiality, safeguarding and risk prevention; no direct contact with active armed or criminal groups.
• Prepare meeting notes, field reports, technical notes, donor reports, publications and dissemination materials, and help prepare documents in French and English.

Required profile

• Master's degree in Demography, Population Studies, Public Health, Sociology, Geography, Political Science, Governance, Development Studies, Statistics or a related field.
• At least three years of relevant professional experience after the Master's, preferably in a research institution or multi-country programme.
• Demonstrated field research experience with qualitative and quantitative methods, able to coordinate or supervise data collection teams.
• Experience designing data collection tools, checking data quality and preparing scientific or technical reports.
• Knowledge of research ethics and data protection; experience with participatory research, GIS or mobility/public service data is an asset.
• Experience in Francophone West Africa and/or multi-country projects is desirable.
• Excellent written and spoken French; ability to read and prepare technical documents in English is desirable.

Required skills

• Good command of quantitative analysis software (Stata, R or equivalent).
• Experience with qualitative analysis software (NVivo, ATLAS.ti, MAXQDA or equivalent) is an asset.
• Organizational, analytical, writing and teamwork skills in multidisciplinary, multicultural teams.

To apply, submit a cover letter addressed to the Director of the West Africa Regional Office, an up-to-date CV and the contact details of three professional referees through the online application portal. The deadline is 4 November 2026; only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.