Senior Technical Advisor in Democracy, Rights, and Governance (DRG) in the LAC region

Senior Technical Advisor in Democracy, Rights, and Governance (DRG) in the LAC region

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a political scientist to serve as a Senior Technical Advisor to a large analytic project focused on DRG topics in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The Senior Technical Advisor will bear primary responsibility for the technical aspects of the project’s analytical work, including ensuring the rigor and quality of methodological approaches, application of cutting-edge evidence and research to project activities, and providing technical leadership. The Senior Technical Advisor will also ensure that high-quality and experienced teams are in place with qualified research and DRG sector expertise for assessments, analyses, research, and strategy development. The Senior Technical Advisor may also serve as the leader for specific analytical activities.

Responsibilities:

• Participate in weekly coordination calls with partners and clients, and in ad hoc meetings with activity-specific technical counterparts and other stakeholders.
• Advise the project executive and client on technical and methodological issues across the project portfolio.
• Contribute to concept notes, work plans, design reports, data collection instruments, and other deliverables.
• Review and ensure the quality of concept notes, work plans, design reports, data collection instruments, and other deliverables written by other partners in the consortium.
• Provide technical advice or leadership for interventions that support transitional environments (technical assistance or rapid response)
• Lead specific activities such as assessments (e.g., DRG Assessments, Political Economy Analyses, and Conflict Assessments), subsector and technical analyses, interventions that support transitional environments (technical assistance or rapid response), special studies, and technical assistance to client operating units (program design, results management, and strategic planning).
• Provide technical advice on DRG and methodological issues to host country governments, the United States Government, and other stakeholders.
• Support the selection of grantees and management of grants and interactions with local and international partners.
• Contribute to the rapid response to requests received by the project’s Evidence Help Desk.

Required experience and qualifications:

• A Master’s Degree or Ph.D. in Public Policy, Political Science, International Affairs, or related discipline.
• At least 12 years of experience (or eight years’ experience with a Ph.D.) providing technical expertise across a range of DRG sectors, including rule of law and governance, civil society and media, elections, human rights, citizen security, and political transitions.
• At least 8 years’ experience working in Latin America at a senior level.
• Experience conducting complex DRG analytical tasks, such as assessments, political analyses, and research.
• Experience working in complex operating environments and on politically sensitive DRG activities, such as those where transition response activities will take place.
• Experience with DRG sector analytical and technical assistance program implementation, including the integration of DRG issues into other sectoral work (e.g., environment, health, and education).
• Strong understanding of both quantitative and qualitative methods, and advanced skills in at least one of the two.
• Strong command of political economy analysis as demonstrated by academic research or assessments, studies, and other analytical work conducted on behalf of donors or similar agencies.

Preferred qualifications:

• Spanish language proficiency is strongly preferred.
• French/Haitian Creole proficiency a plus.
• Demonstrated experience providing analytical and/or learning support to USAID operating units

Proposed Level of Effort (LoE)

This assignment will be a of at least 50% time for a period of about 18 months.

Application Instructions

To apply, please email a copy of your current CV attached to an email to pepitone-paige@norc.org with the subject line “DRG Senior Technical Advisor Application” by January 31, 2023.