Research Assistant
Organizational Context
The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), part of the UN Secretariat, supports 21 Arab countries in Western Asia and North Africa. It provides a framework for policy harmonization, coordination, and knowledge sharing. This temporary Research Assistant role is within the Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability Cluster in Beirut, reporting to a Senior Programme Officer under the Cluster Lead.
Job Purpose
The Research Assistant will support the Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability Cluster by conducting research, data collection, and analysis on climate change, agriculture, food systems, and environmental subjects. This role involves compiling and processing technical data, including geospatial information, and maintaining relevant databases. The position contributes to monitoring developments, preparing reports and presentations, and supporting meetings and consultations. The aim is to provide essential data and analysis for informed decision-making, knowledge management, and the dissemination of information within ESCWA and its member countries.
Responsibilities
The Research Assistant will research and compile information on climate change, agriculture, food systems, and environmental projects. Duties include sorting, consolidating, and processing data, including geospatial data, and entering it into databases. The role involves monitoring relevant developments by collecting and analyzing materials from various sources. Responsibilities also include assembling statistical data, adjusting reported data, and loading it into systems. The assistant will help evaluate data sets for accuracy and maintain databases. Additionally, the role requires preparing reports, presentations, tables, and graphs, as well as drafting meeting summaries and disseminating information. Support for organizing meetings, preparing reports, and updating information materials like web pages is also expected.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of experience in collecting and researching data on sustainable development and the environment is required. This requirement is reduced to three years for candidates with a first-level university degree or higher. One year of data analytics experience related to climate change or food systems is desirable. Experience with ArcGIS or QGIS tools is mandatory, and experience in the Arab region is preferred.
Skills
Professionalism, Teamwork, Planning & Organizing, data research and analysis, geospatial data analysis, knowledge of climate change and resilient food systems, database management, report preparation, meeting support, information dissemination.