Senior Conflict and Peacebuilding Researcher

Department: Conflict & Peacebuilding

Salary: £48,000 – £56,000

Contract Type: Full-Time

Contract Duration: Permanent

Location: Hybrid, London 2 Days at the office and 3 days remotely

Right to work: You must have the right to work in the UK

Closing: 16 June 2024, 23.59 BST

Job Description

About the role

Bodhi is looking for an experienced Senior Conflict Researcher to help deliver an exciting and growing portfolio of research and analysis projects. Sitting in our Conflict and Peacebuilding Team, the incumbent will be responsible for leading participatory peace and conflict analyses and evaluations to help inform and shape our clients’ policies and programmes in a number of complex conflict-affected contexts. The role will be based in the UK, and will be either hybrid or remote, depending on the candidate’s place of residence.

You would be ideal for this role if you:

• Have significant experience in leading research and analysis on topics related to conflict and peacebuilding, including stabilisation, preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE), climate security, and women, peace, and security (WPS)
• Are proactive – you anticipate problems and tasks, communicate them to the team, and propose solutions
• Are committed to, and have a track record in, producing sound, objective policy-oriented research and analysis outputs for humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding actors
• Have strong written and verbal communication skills

Working with Bodhi, you will:

• Have ample opportunity to develop your professional experience and interests across different thematic and geographic contexts, including the MENA, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia
• Be able to pursue your research interests, with the flexibility to propose research ideas and innovative approaches
• Collaborate with and influence the work of key international and national humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors, including donors, national governments, INGOs/NGOs, and civil society organisations
• Work closely with a team of energetic, dynamic, and expert researchers as well as local researchers and experts with a breadth of knowledge, experience, and expertise
• Have the opportunity to improve your foreign language skills and/or learn a new one

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Research

• Lead Conflict and Peacebuilding research and analysis projects, including project design, data collection, analysis, and reporting, ensuring that deliverables meet quality expectations and deadlines
• Manage multiple, concurrently-running projects, balancing competing deadlines and internal resource requirements
• Identifying appropriate research designs to understand questions of interest and developing tools and approaches
• Engage with, and adapt, new research practices and approaches, and participatory research tools and methods applied in development research

Business Development

• Support the identification of new business opportunities and the development of project proposals, including fostering partnerships with new and existing clients Build positive working relationships with external stakeholders, including potential partner organisations, senior members of academic institutions, and local CSOs, where necessary
• Assist in developing and standardising internal processes and procedures
• Assist in the development of internal knowledge and practices regarding conflict analysis and assessments, and write blog posts and website content

Person Specification

• Qualification and experience
• Masters degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, Development Studies, International Relations, or a related discipline
• Conceptual understanding and application of conflict and peacebuilding analytical frameworks and/or approaches, including conflict sensitivity, conflict prevention, conflict, transformation, mediation and dialogue, and stabilisation
• At least 7 years of experience delivering conflict analysis or other research on FCAS
• Demonstrated fieldwork experience in FCAS environments
• Good knowledge of data collection software and analysis packages (e.g., SPSS or NVivo) is desirable
• Fluency in English. Ability to speak and work in French and/or Arabic is desirable
• Experience of, or interest in, feminist research principles is desirable
• Ability to cope well under pressure, and to occasionally work irregular hours to meet tight deadlines

Core competencies

• Research skills: Advanced analytical and conceptual ability, ability to distil information for relevance and context, excellent report writing skills and ability to write in a lucid accessible style
• Attention to detail: A commitment to high quality deliverables and reports, meticulous in approach to research and report writing
• Initiative and flexibility: Must be able to work independently, show initiative towards completing goals and objectives, but also have the flexibility to adapt and answer to different demands necessary to fulfil assigned tasks
• Teamwork: Openness to ideas and input from others on the team, ability to work collaboratively, and strong listening and interpersonal skills
• Organised: Must have a systematic approach to work, with the ability to multitask and manage time efficiently, meeting deadlines under pressure
• Integrity: Must have a strong sense of research and professional ethics (including willingness to complete safeguarding training and checks, and knowledge of ‘no no harm’ principles), be conscientious in approach to work and be committed to Bodhi’s research standards
• Communication: Ability to communicate (verbal and written) confidently in English and to adapt to different audiences and cultural contexts

Benefits

• Work from Home Budget
• Access to WeWork Space
• 28 days of annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Training budget, including budget for learning a new language
• Exciting opportunities for travel to conduct fieldwork
• Comprehensive medical insurance, including dental and optical coverage
• Staff bonus scheme