West Africa Observatory Research Associate (Mentorship Track)

Application deadline: 15 July 2026

Start date: 1 September 2026

Place of work: Remote

Position grant : Dependent on location and experience

Duration: 6 months after start date, with possibility of extension

Time commitment: 60-100%, depending on profile and other professional commitments

Background

The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime is a network of prominent law enforcement, governance and development practitioners who are dedicated to seeking new and innovative strategies and responses to organized crime. Over the past decade, the GI-TOC has sought to enhance analysis of, encourage action against, and support resilience to organized crime in order to reduce its negative impact on people, the environment, businesses and states. For more information, please see our website at http://www.globalinitiative.net.

The West Africa Observatory is coordinating a range of programming activities in the region exploring the roles of illicit markets, including their relationship with stability or instability in the West Africa region. Programming activities include research, capacity building, network building and provision of support to civil society stakeholders under the Resilience Fund.

The GI-TOC works to:

1. connect and empower civil-society actors across the region who are working on issues related to organized crime and corruption, and their links to instability and conflict;
2. identify, analyse and map criminal trends and shifts in regional instability, and their impact on illicit flows, governance, development, inter-ethnic relations, security, conflict and the rule of law; and
3. support local stakeholders/actors in their monitoring of national dynamics and wider regional and international organized-crime and insecurity trends.

Summary of role

The Observatory Research Associate position offers a selective six-month mentorship and applied research opportunity for exceptional early-career researchers and analysts seeking experience conducting policy-relevant field and desk research on organized crime, illicit economies and security dynamics in West Africa. Working directly with senior analysts and regional experts, the Research Associate will contribute to innovative and in-depth research on criminal networks, illicit economies and security dynamics in West Africa. This role provides practical experience in applied policy research, OSINT methodologies, quantitative analysis and publication development, while offering structured mentorship from leading practitioners in the field. The Research Associate would contribute across a broad range of WEA Observatory analysis, which can be found on the Observatory website here.

What the Research Associate will gain :

• Direct mentorship from senior GI-TOC researchers and practitioners.
• Experience contributing to research with real-world policy implications focussing on illicit economies and their intersections with conflict and instability, organized crime actors and modus operandi, and West Africa’s evolving cocaine and synthetic drug markets.
• Exposure to advanced OSINT and analytical methodologies.
• Opportunities to contribute to published outputs focussing on illicit economies, conflict, and criminal networks in West Africa.
• Experience working within an international research network.
• Professional development and networking opportunities across the GI-TOC community.

Where practicable (depending on the location of the Research Associate), the Research Associate will be invited to participate in in-person meetings and networking opportunities.

The Research Associate will:

• draft short pieces for publication, and contribute to longer analytical pieces
• support the West Africa Observatory with secondary data collection and analysis including literature reviews;
• conduct OSINT on identified leads or thematic priorities, including through the use of AI tools, monitor social media accounts, and assessing vessel movements and corporate registry structures;
• compile datasets, analyse trends and correlations, develop write-ups of findings;
• participate in and contribute to team meetings, methodological development discussions and, where feasible, interviews and external-facing meetings.

The Research Associate will be granted access to the GI-TOC’s email and data storage systems, and will operate in line with the GI-TOC’s ethics, security and data management policies.

Required skills and experience:

Experience should include:

• undergraduate degree in a relevant subject (international relations, conflict, security, economics or similar);
• ongoing or completed masters or PhD in subject relevant to organized crime and/or conflict;
• demonstrated research experience on organized crime, illicit economies, conflict, governance or security issues, preferably with a focus on West Africa, and applying political economy approaches; and
• proficiency in French and English.

Desirable skill sets, which would also be developed throughout the opportunity, include:

• strong excel skills and proven experience building and analysing quantitative datasets;
• experience in applying OSINT methodologies and tools as part of research (including social media analysis, corporate structure tracking and vessel tracking);
• proficiency using AI tools in research and analysis

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

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