Senior Researcher - Stockholm International Peace Reseearch Institute

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an independent international institute whose core mission is to undertake research and activities on security, conflict and peace. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. SIPRI provides excellent opportunities for scientific and personal development. SIPRI is an equal opportunity employer.

SIPRI seeks a Senior Researcher and Activity Coordinator to work as part of the team on the project, “Building Sustainable Peace in Mali”. Funding for this project is provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

The main tasks of this position, working together with a partner organization in Mali, and under the guidance of the Head of Project are to:

• Support capacity-building of Malian civil society organizations to strengthen their abilities to contribute to policy development, including by engaging with the main stakeholders;
• Develop activities that address the safety of the population and security challenges in Mali;
• Develop and coordinate a framework for civil society monitoring and reporting on the safety and security challenges to improve peacebuilding policies in Mali;
• Undertake research on topics of relevance for the project, write-up and disseminate findings;
• The project requires fluency in written and spoken English and French. The position will involve frequent travel to Mali.

Main tasks and responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of approaches for civil society monitoring and reporting of safety and security at the community level in Mali;
• Contribute to the development of training modules for civil society organizations and of capacity-building modules for the population on safety and security issues;
• Design, support (including logistics and administration) and conduct tailored workshops in Mali and Sweden and large seminars in Mali;
• Initiate and conduct research and information gathering on issues of relevance to the project;
• Prepare fact sheets, background papers and academic articles on issues of relevance to the project;
• Write / contribute to the reporting of project findings to the sponsor of the project and other project stakeholders.

Requirements

The successful candidate will have:

• A PhD in a relevant discipline, or publications to a comparable level on themes that are relevant, for a project on post-conflict policies, peace, safety and security in the Sahel region and West African countries;
• An in-depth knowledge of francophone African history, economic, political, safety and security issues, and gender-related challenges (UNSCR 1325);
• Very good knowledge and experience of working with civil society organizations on capacity building in the field of peace, safety and security;
• A previous experience in supporting civil society organizations’ ‘Monitoring and Evaluation’ skills and in designing/conducting training modules for civil society actors;
• Fluency in written and spoken English and French;
• A proven track record in fund-raising, with proposal and grant writing skills;
• Previous experience in planning and organisation of high-level events in Europe and Africa;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Contract period

Starting from 1 March 2017, or as soon as possible thereafter.  The appointment will be, initially, for a two-year period, and renewable. The post is full-time and the successful applicant will be expected to reside in Stockholm with frequent travel in Mali. The salary package will be negotiated individually.

How to apply

If interested in applying for this position, please submit a one-page letter, both in English and French, detailing your qualifications and interests in the subject area, and a full CV in English with information about your educational background, relevant experience, skills, major publications and 2 writing samples (article, book chapter or substantial piece of writing up to 8000 words). Applications should be sent via email to: mali-2017-recruitment@sipri.org. Please state ‘Mali project-Senior Researcher’ as a reference in the subject line of your email with the application materials.

The initial closing date for applications is 30 January 2017.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please note that, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For further information about the Mali project, please contact SIPRI Mali Programme Coordinator Helen Palmgren, palmgren@sipri.org. For enquiries regarding the vacant position, contact SIPRI Mali Project Head, Dr Gregory Chauzal, gregory.chauzal@sipri.org.

The trade union contact persons at SIPRI are Pieter Wezeman for ST (pwezeman@sipri.org) and Annika Salisbury for Saco-S (salisbury@sipri.org).