Organization: BIRD Lab, School of Public Health
Position: Qualitative Data Collector
Location: Afar, Amhara, and Tigray Regions, Ethiopia
Employment Type: Short-term Contract
Deadline: July 29, 2025
Duration of task: one month
Number of Positions: six
Organizational Background & Project Description
The Behavioral Insight Research and Design (BIRD) Lab is hosted at Addis Ababa University, School of Public Health. BIRD Lab and works in partnership with UNICEF and national stakeholders to generate behavioral evidence that informs policy and programme design.
In partnership with UNICEF and with support from the Mastercard Foundation, BIRD Lab is planning to implement a study under the Biqu Wetat (ብቁ ወጣት) Programme titled:“Behavioral Insights Study on Barriers to and Facilitators of Youth Employment, Education, Mental Health, Aspirations, and Skill Acquisition.”
The study will be conducted across Afar Region: Amibara Woreda Amhara Region: Gondar City and surrounding kebeles and Tigray Region: Hawzen Woreda of Ethiopia and aims to identify key behavioral barriers and enablers and inform the design of evidence-based behavioral solutions to improve youth engagement in employment, continued education, and skills development.
Job Summary and Key Responsibilities
The Qualitative Data Collectors will be expected to:
- Participate in pre-fieldwork training on qualitative data collection tools, behavioral frameworks, and ethical research standards.
- Obtain informed consent from all study participants prior to data collection.
- Conduct focus group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews (IDIs), and key informant interviews (KIIs) in a professional, ethical, and culturally sensitive manner.
- Audio-record interviews and discussions and take clear, detailed field notes.
- Complete structured session checklists and observation tools.
- Ensure completeness, accuracy, and confidentiality of all collected qualitative data.
- Provide daily field progress updates and report any challenges encountered during data collection.
- Work closely with the BIRD Lab School of Public Health research team to ensure adherence to study protocols and timelines.
- Transcribe and translate qualitative audio data accurately and submit outputs within agreed deadlines.
- Adhere to all ethical standards, safeguarding requirements, and project guidelines throughout the assignment.
- Demonstrate flexibility and willingness to take on additional responsibilities as needed to support successful completion of data collection.
Required Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, or a related discipline.
- Minimum of two years of experience in qualitative data collection.
- Demonstrated experience conducting FGDs, IDIs, and KIIs, preferably with youth populations.
- Experience in transcription and translation of qualitative data.
- Strong understanding of ethical research practices and participant protection.
- Strong communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.
- Strong probing, listening, and note-taking abilities.
- Good organizational and time management skills.
- Ability to work independently and meet deadlines in field settings.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates are invited to submit their applications via email to: birdlabeth@gmail.com Applications must be submitted within seven (7) working days from the date of publication of this announcement.
Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
BIRD Lab, School of Public Health maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA). All staff and data collectors are required to comply with BIRD Lab’s PSEA Policy and uphold the highest standards of professional conduct.