Research Associate – Mentorship Track

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Switzerland.

📋 Description

• Compose concise articles for publication and assist in the creation of more extensive analytical reports.

• Aid the West Africa Observatory by gathering and analyzing secondary data, including conducting literature reviews.

• Perform Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) on specified leads or thematic areas, utilizing AI tools, monitoring social media platforms, and evaluating vessel movements and corporate registry frameworks.

• Assemble datasets, analyze trends and correlations, and prepare written reports of findings.

• Engage in team meetings, contribute to discussions on methodological development, and, when possible, participate in interviews and external meetings.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (such as international relations, conflict, security, economics, or a similar discipline).

• Current enrollment in or completion of a master's or PhD program in a subject related to organized crime and/or conflict.

• Proven research experience in organized crime, illicit economies, conflict, governance, or security issues, ideally with a focus on West Africa, utilizing political economy frameworks.

• Bilingual proficiency in French and English.

• Strong skills in Excel and demonstrated experience in constructing and analyzing quantitative datasets.

• Experience employing OSINT methodologies and tools in research, including social media analysis, corporate structure tracking, and vessel tracking.

• Proficiency in utilizing AI tools for research and analytical purposes.

🏝️ Benefits

• Direct mentorship from experienced GI-TOC researchers and practitioners.

• Opportunity to contribute to research with significant policy implications, focusing on illicit economies and their connections to conflict and instability, as well as organized crime actors and their methods, and the evolving cocaine and synthetic drug markets in West Africa.

• Access to advanced OSINT and analytical methodologies.

• Opportunities to assist in published works centered on illicit economies, conflict, and criminal networks in West Africa.

• Experience being part of an international research network.

• Professional development and networking opportunities within the GI-TOC community.

• Participation in in-person meetings and networking events when feasible.