Job Description

Research Analyst

Freetown, Sierra Leone | $2,764 monthly gross salary | indefinite contract

Laterite is looking for a new Research Analyst with an understanding of data analysis and a strong motivation to work in social and economic research to join our office in Sierra Leone. This role combines research design, data analysis, project management support, and fieldwork coordination in a collaborative and fast-paced environment.

Who We Are

Laterite is a data, research, and analytics firm working on complex development challenges. We partner with universities, global think tanks, international NGOs, multilateral donors, and government ministries. Our clients include the World Bank, TechnoServe, the Mastercard Foundation, and others.

We operate across the Netherlands, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Peru, with 90+ full-time staff and more than 2,000 enumerators. We believe meaningful impact requires being on the ground, building local teams, and establishing long-term trust. Our office culture is collaborative and gives people autonomy to grow into their roles.

The Environment You're Stepping Into

You will join our Sierra Leone team in a high-trust environment. We are low on bureaucracy but high on individual accountability. You won't be micromanaged here—we want you to use your judgment to solve problems, support our fast-paced field teams, and actively improve the systems you work with.

Laterite Sierra Leone started operations in 2023. Our office in Freetown is Laterite’s first step in West Africa and will build on our 12+ years of experience of research and data collection. Since then, our Freetown office has been using innovative techniques to study education outcomes in the region. Our team in Freetown currently consists of four team members.

How You'll Make an Impact

1. Supporting Research Projects

• Support the ethical approval process, research design, and development of research instruments.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Draft sections of reports and presentations for clients.
• Support communication with clients and internal project teams on project progress.

2. Contributing to Data Collection

• Code survey instruments using SurveyCTO and other ODK-based platforms.
• Collaborate with field teams to develop training materials and support enumerator trainings.
• Participate in field visits to understand and improve data collection processes.

3. Strengthening Data Quality and Analysis

• Monitor, clean, and validate incoming survey data.
• Work closely with field teams to resolve data quality issues.
• Support statistical analysis and interpretation of findings.
• Contribute to consultancy-quality reports and data-driven insights.

Requirements

What You Bring

• We are looking for a colleague with strong quantitative data analysis skills and a motivation to work on socio-economic development research. Specifically, you have:
• A completed Master’s degree in Economics, Public Health, Development or related fields
• One year of professional experience with similar tasks. (We are happy to consider internships, work on dissertations or within an academic research group for this, if you can show us how your experience meets what we are looking for)
• Strong quantitative data analysis skills and proficiency in Stata
• Experience working with ODK-based platforms (e.g., SurveyCTO)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English

• In addition, we welcome:
• Previous work experience in West Africa
• Organizational and interpersonal skills, self-motivation and drive to work in a collaborative environment.

What You'll Learn and Develop

• Technical research design, including sampling and impact evaluation methodologies.
• Project management and client communication.
• Advanced data analysis, statistical techniques, and coding skills.
• Report writing and presentation of findings in a consultancy-quality format.

Benefits

What's In It for You?

• Competitive compensation: $2,764 gross monthly salary (exact grade determined by experience/interviews), medical insurance, pension contribution, and 21 days of annual leave.

• Professional Growth: We are also committed to supporting our staff’s learning, providing an annual learning budget of up to $1,000 per person and 10 days of time off for professional learning each year.
• Flexibility: We also provide remote work options in accordance with Laterite's remote work policy.

Ready to Build with Us? Next Steps

1. Online assessment: The first step is to complete a 30-minute verbal reasoning and quantitative assessment for which no special preparation is needed. Link to the assessment: https://form.jotform.com/260122523539552
2. Submit application: Successful candidates will then be invited to upload their CV and cover letter via our online application system.
3. Analytical assessment Selected candidates will complete a technical exercise involving statistical analysis using STATA, R, or Python.
4. Interviews: Successful candidates will then be invited to a first interview. The interview stage will consist of three rounds of interviews.