Senior Research Specialist – Cape Town, Sweetwaters or Pretoria needed at HSRC

Minimum Requirements

• A PhD in Economics or Sociology or in a related social sciences and humanities field;
• Specialist interest and expertise in one of the EEE research foci areas, especially in higher education and graduate transitions, or food security;
• Between two and four years of research and management experience, preferably in a research institution or a university;
• At least seven (7) peer reviewed publications* (books, books chapters, journal articles), some of which should be sole or first authored;
• Excellent writing skills for drafting briefing papers, reports, academic publications and for wider public dissemination of research findings;
• Relevant quantitative and or qualitative research experience;
• Experience of securing funding for research (will be an advantage), or willingness to learn to do so;
• Research project management experience;
• Intellectual and personal integrity, imagination and drive;
• Enthusiasm to manage, mentor and train junior researchers; and
• Ability to work in a team on multidisciplinary research projects and to grow into a leadership role.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Identify key research areas in support of national, African and global South development agendas;
• Formulate targeted research proposals and secure funding on a sustainable basis to enable policy relevant, strategic research projects;
• Implement and manage high quality, large scale, long-term research studies with a focus on social impact;
• Deliver high-quality results and reports to budget and deadline;
• Stimulate public debate, civil society engagement, and develop communities of practice to ensure uptake of evidence to transform educational and economic outcomes;
• Produce high quality knowledge outputs through publishing in accredited refereed journals, books, and book chapters and with collaborators on the African continent;
• Ensure research impact through government and stakeholder engagement, policy briefs and research reviews;
• Communicate research findings across multiple media platforms and at academic conferences and forums; and
• Develop research skills and competencies through formal and informal training for self and others.