Busara Center for Behavioral Economics logo
1 day ago
Full-time
On-site
Nairobi

Busara's FaRM team applies behavioral science to complex challenges in food systems, agriculture, and climate resilience across the Global South. As an Associate, you will work alongside the Senior Associate and Engagement Director to lead the planning, execution, and day-to-day management of research and advisory projects for donors, governments, NGOs, and private sector clients.

As primary project manager for all external Busara projects, you are the engine of project delivery. You quickly develop a deep understanding of the problem at hand and use every tool available, within and outside Busara, to execute engagements to the highest standard, with careful attention to timing and budget. You develop creative and rigorous solutions to client and partner needs and manage internal and external relationships with energy, enthusiasm, and professionalism.

You are self-directed and delivery-oriented, someone who can own smaller workstreams independently while contributing meaningfully to larger engagements. You are intellectually curious, detail-oriented, and comfortable moving between fieldwork, analysis, and client-ready outputs. You directly manage project staff on your engagements and coordinate effectively across Busara's internal teams to keep things moving.

This is a role for someone building toward a client-facing advisory career and eager to grow quickly in a small, ambitious team working on problems that matter.



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Project Delivery

  • Engage in multiple large-scale research and advisory projects simultaneously, managing competing priorities with professionalism and focus.

  • Plan, manage, and execute external and internal engagements independently from start to finish, with limited supervision.

  • Incorporate the latest thinking in quantitative and qualitative methods, behavioral science, psychology, economics, and development to deliver creative, rigorous solutions to client problems.

  • Design, launch, and analyze effective quantitative and qualitative survey instruments in coordination with Analysts, Data, Programming, and Operations teams.

  • Manage and conduct qualitative research — IDIs, FGDs, and observation — and quantitative data collection and analysis, integrating findings into coherent, actionable outputs.

  • Own project timelines, deliverables, reports, and staffing — flagging risks early and managing scope proactively.

  • Participate in fieldwork for assigned projects as required.

  • Contribute to the design, execution, and dissemination of Busara's internal research projects.


Client & Stakeholder Management

  • Serve as a primary point of contact for clients and partners on active engagements; manage stakeholder needs through proactive communication and troubleshooting.

  • Work directly with academic researchers and advisory clients across a range of food systems, agriculture, and climate resilience contexts.

  • Contribute to proposals, concept notes, and pitch decks for new business opportunities and knowledge sharing.

  • Present findings at conferences, networking events, and client meetings.

  • Develop working relationships with implementing partners, field teams, and other external stakeholders.


People & Knowledge Management

  • Directly manage and provide constructive feedback to the Analyst on your engagements.

  • Work closely with and support other colleagues to fulfill engagement requirements.

  • Contribute to project onboarding and offboarding processes for knowledge management.


Organizational Contribution

  • Participate in goal-setting exercises, OKRs, and team building activities with the broader Associate team.

  • Contribute to skills-building workshops and internal learning initiatives.

  • Support internal initiatives where needed.


Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

  • 4–6 years of experience in research, advisory, or program roles with exposure to food systems, agriculture, or climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa or comparable contexts.

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (Economics, Statistics, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Agricultural Economics, Public Policy, or related). A Master's Degree in any of the above fields will be an added advantage.

  • Strong quantitative research skills, proficiency in Stata, R, and Python is non-negotiable; comfortable with data cleaning, analysis, and interpretation independently.

  • Solid qualitative research skills, experienced in IDIs, FGDs, and thematic analysis, with fieldwork experience in low-resource settings.

  • Demonstrated ability to integrate quantitative and qualitative evidence into coherent, actionable findings.

  • Strong project management skills — able to own workplans, budgets, and timelines independently and communicate progress clearly.

  • Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating project staff.

  • Clear, confident written and verbal communication in English; able to produce clean, well-structured outputs for client audiences.

  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and tight deadlines.


Desired Qualifications

 

  • Experience managing or mentoring staff.

  • Familiarity with randomized controlled trials and/or quasi-experimental designs

  • Technical understanding of qualitative and quantitative research techniques.

  • Strong academic behavioral science background.

  • Knowledge of the application of behavioral science to real-world problems.

  • Proficiency in Stata, R, or Python

  • Experience with experimental or quasi-experimental research designs — RCTs, difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity.

  • Exposure to behavioral science concepts, formally or in practice.

  • Prior experience in a consulting, advisory, or research firm setting.


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As applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.