Democracy International
Technical Specialist I, Social and Behavioral Science - United States
Democracy International, Bethesda, Maryland, us, 20811
Technical Specialist I, Social and Behavioral Science
Democracy International (DI) is seeking to hire a
Technical Specialist I, Social and Behavioral Science
to support the integration of behavioral insights into the design, implementation, and evaluation of its international development, democratization, and peacebuilding programs. The Technical Specialist will join the Social and Behavioral Science & Learning (SBS & Learning) Team, an innovative technical team based at DI's headquarters that integrates social and behavioral sciences and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) to support evidence-based and sustainable programs.
Reporting to the Director of Social and Behavioral Science & Learning, the Technical Specialist I will work with DI's headquarters and field office teams to help integrate behavioral science research and insights to DI's democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG), conflict mitigation, peacebuilding, and resilience programs. We will only consider applicants who are based in the Washington, DC area and are able to work in office on a hybrid schedule. The Technical Specialist will be expected to travel to DI field offices 15-20% of the time.
Essential Job Duties:
Support Strategy and Design of ProgramsApply insights from social and behavioral sciences to support designing and writing bids in the areas of democracy, peacebuilding, and learning for submission to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other sources. This work includes conducting research, writing concisely and engagingly about social and behavioral science evidence and concepts, and thinking creatively about how to apply evidence from the social and behavioral sciences to achieve development goals that advance democracy and peace.Support Project Implementation
Review and synthesize the latest research and findings on social and behavioral science interventions and behavioral measurement to support technical areas including politics, governance, peace and resilience, and learning. Research may originate from social psychology, behavioral economics, sociology, communications, public policy, and other disciplines.Assist program teams in integrating social and behavioral science evidence into activity design, implementation, and evaluation.Support design and implementation of DI's method for co-designing social and behavioral science-informed interventions with local communities in different country contexts, including by conducting desk research and co-facilitating in-country analytical workshops with local partners.Contribute to the design and implementation of programmatic assessments and evaluations, such as behavioral analyses, political economy analyses, gender and social inclusion analyses, internal formative evaluations, and other learning activities.Support design of behavioral interventions, behavioral measurement, and research methods to test interventions.Assist with data analysis and reporting of data collected testing the efficacy of behavioral interventions.Build DI Staff and Partner Capacity
Contribute to, and in some cases lead, development of DI internal trainings related to SBS topics.Support the development of intuitive toolkits and trainings that facilitate the uptake of behavioral insights and frameworks.Contribute to DI's Technical Leadership
Work with other DI staff to create information briefs, blog posts, and other written and visual material for public and funder consumption to explain and communicate the value of DI's SBS practice.Participate in professional and funder networks to position DI as thought leader for project implementation & business development.Attend and present at external conferences and other events on SBS and learning.Required Skills and Qualifications:
Effectively performing these core functions requires curiosity, an entrepreneurial mindset, a collaborative spirit, and a passion for learning through both successes and setbacks. The Social and Behavioral Science Technical Specialist I will be self-motivated and flexible, adept at both creative and analytical thinking, and have a strong desire to help disadvantaged and marginalized populations across the world.
Our ideal candidate will meet the following criteria:
MA/MS in behavioral economics, social or cognitive psychology, political science or a field in the family of behavioral sciences with minimum 2 years of relevant experience in an academic or other professional industry setting or BA with at least 4 years of relevant experienceWorking knowledge of and experience using quantitative and/or qualitative research methods in the social and behavioral sciencesStrong analytical skills and working knowledge of statisticsExcellent written, verbal, and visual communication skillsStrong organizational and time-management skillsAbility to work both independently and in close collaboration with stakeholders in the Washington, D.C. area and DI's offices around the worldExperience with field-focused and applied research preferable, especially in low- and middle-income settingsProficiency with programs for qualitative and quantitative data analysis (e.g., R,Stata, NVIVO) and visualization (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative style with the ability to inspire engagement and drive diverse stakeholders to a common solutionClear interest in democracy, peacebuilding, international development, or related alignment with DI's workReporting:
This position reports to the Director of Social and Behavioral Science & LearningEnvironmental Conditions:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Moderate noise (i.e. business office with computers, phone, printers, and moderate traffic).Ability to work in a confined office space/area.Ability to sit and/or stand at a computer desk for an extended period of time.Ability to travel on long plane flights across several time zones and at irregular hours.Physical Requirements Required to Perform Essential Responsibilities:
While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to;
Stand, sit; talk, hear, use of hands and fingers, and perform repetitive motions to operate a computer and telephone keyboard.Reach, stoop, or kneel, to adjust computer and/or telephone equipment.Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work.Hearing abilities required due to telephone.Light to moderate lifting is possible.Travel will require moderate lifting, sitting for extended periods of time, overnight flights across multiple time zones;Regular, predictable attendance is required; as business demands dictate.
Democracy International is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its employment process for individuals with disabilities to meet any and all physical requirements of our jobs.
Application Process:
Interested applicants
must submit a cover letter and CV . Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will be filled as soon as a qualified candidate is identified. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The starting salary range for the position is $80,000 - $95,000. DI will only contact candidates of interest.
All interested applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of application. DI will not sponsor applicants for work Visa.
Democracy International maintains the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.
About the Organization:
DI provides technical assistance, analytical services and project implementation for democracy, human rights, governance and conflict mitigation programs worldwide for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department and other development partners. Since its founding in 2003, Democracy International has worked with civil society organizations, political parties, election-management bodies, government agencies, legislatures, justice-sector institutions, and others in 70+ countries.
DI welcomes and supports a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities (EEO) for all applicants seeking employment and for DI employees. DI makes employment decisions based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, personal appearance, military status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, political affiliation, educational status, unemployment status, place of residence or business, source of income, or reproductive health decision making. Additionally, harassment or discrimination based on these characteristics will not be tolerated at DI. To perform the essential functions of this position, reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities.
Democracy International (DI) is seeking to hire a
Technical Specialist I, Social and Behavioral Science
to support the integration of behavioral insights into the design, implementation, and evaluation of its international development, democratization, and peacebuilding programs. The Technical Specialist will join the Social and Behavioral Science & Learning (SBS & Learning) Team, an innovative technical team based at DI's headquarters that integrates social and behavioral sciences and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) to support evidence-based and sustainable programs.
Reporting to the Director of Social and Behavioral Science & Learning, the Technical Specialist I will work with DI's headquarters and field office teams to help integrate behavioral science research and insights to DI's democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG), conflict mitigation, peacebuilding, and resilience programs. We will only consider applicants who are based in the Washington, DC area and are able to work in office on a hybrid schedule. The Technical Specialist will be expected to travel to DI field offices 15-20% of the time.
Essential Job Duties:
Support Strategy and Design of ProgramsApply insights from social and behavioral sciences to support designing and writing bids in the areas of democracy, peacebuilding, and learning for submission to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other sources. This work includes conducting research, writing concisely and engagingly about social and behavioral science evidence and concepts, and thinking creatively about how to apply evidence from the social and behavioral sciences to achieve development goals that advance democracy and peace.Support Project Implementation
Review and synthesize the latest research and findings on social and behavioral science interventions and behavioral measurement to support technical areas including politics, governance, peace and resilience, and learning. Research may originate from social psychology, behavioral economics, sociology, communications, public policy, and other disciplines.Assist program teams in integrating social and behavioral science evidence into activity design, implementation, and evaluation.Support design and implementation of DI's method for co-designing social and behavioral science-informed interventions with local communities in different country contexts, including by conducting desk research and co-facilitating in-country analytical workshops with local partners.Contribute to the design and implementation of programmatic assessments and evaluations, such as behavioral analyses, political economy analyses, gender and social inclusion analyses, internal formative evaluations, and other learning activities.Support design of behavioral interventions, behavioral measurement, and research methods to test interventions.Assist with data analysis and reporting of data collected testing the efficacy of behavioral interventions.Build DI Staff and Partner Capacity
Contribute to, and in some cases lead, development of DI internal trainings related to SBS topics.Support the development of intuitive toolkits and trainings that facilitate the uptake of behavioral insights and frameworks.Contribute to DI's Technical Leadership
Work with other DI staff to create information briefs, blog posts, and other written and visual material for public and funder consumption to explain and communicate the value of DI's SBS practice.Participate in professional and funder networks to position DI as thought leader for project implementation & business development.Attend and present at external conferences and other events on SBS and learning.Required Skills and Qualifications:
Effectively performing these core functions requires curiosity, an entrepreneurial mindset, a collaborative spirit, and a passion for learning through both successes and setbacks. The Social and Behavioral Science Technical Specialist I will be self-motivated and flexible, adept at both creative and analytical thinking, and have a strong desire to help disadvantaged and marginalized populations across the world.
Our ideal candidate will meet the following criteria:
MA/MS in behavioral economics, social or cognitive psychology, political science or a field in the family of behavioral sciences with minimum 2 years of relevant experience in an academic or other professional industry setting or BA with at least 4 years of relevant experienceWorking knowledge of and experience using quantitative and/or qualitative research methods in the social and behavioral sciencesStrong analytical skills and working knowledge of statisticsExcellent written, verbal, and visual communication skillsStrong organizational and time-management skillsAbility to work both independently and in close collaboration with stakeholders in the Washington, D.C. area and DI's offices around the worldExperience with field-focused and applied research preferable, especially in low- and middle-income settingsProficiency with programs for qualitative and quantitative data analysis (e.g., R,Stata, NVIVO) and visualization (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative style with the ability to inspire engagement and drive diverse stakeholders to a common solutionClear interest in democracy, peacebuilding, international development, or related alignment with DI's workReporting:
This position reports to the Director of Social and Behavioral Science & LearningEnvironmental Conditions:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Moderate noise (i.e. business office with computers, phone, printers, and moderate traffic).Ability to work in a confined office space/area.Ability to sit and/or stand at a computer desk for an extended period of time.Ability to travel on long plane flights across several time zones and at irregular hours.Physical Requirements Required to Perform Essential Responsibilities:
While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to;
Stand, sit; talk, hear, use of hands and fingers, and perform repetitive motions to operate a computer and telephone keyboard.Reach, stoop, or kneel, to adjust computer and/or telephone equipment.Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work.Hearing abilities required due to telephone.Light to moderate lifting is possible.Travel will require moderate lifting, sitting for extended periods of time, overnight flights across multiple time zones;Regular, predictable attendance is required; as business demands dictate.
Democracy International is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its employment process for individuals with disabilities to meet any and all physical requirements of our jobs.
Application Process:
Interested applicants
must submit a cover letter and CV . Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will be filled as soon as a qualified candidate is identified. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The starting salary range for the position is $80,000 - $95,000. DI will only contact candidates of interest.
All interested applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of application. DI will not sponsor applicants for work Visa.
Democracy International maintains the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.
About the Organization:
DI provides technical assistance, analytical services and project implementation for democracy, human rights, governance and conflict mitigation programs worldwide for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department and other development partners. Since its founding in 2003, Democracy International has worked with civil society organizations, political parties, election-management bodies, government agencies, legislatures, justice-sector institutions, and others in 70+ countries.
DI welcomes and supports a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities (EEO) for all applicants seeking employment and for DI employees. DI makes employment decisions based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, personal appearance, military status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, political affiliation, educational status, unemployment status, place of residence or business, source of income, or reproductive health decision making. Additionally, harassment or discrimination based on these characteristics will not be tolerated at DI. To perform the essential functions of this position, reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities.