FCDO Is Hiring: Senior Research Analyst for Nigeria and Anglophone West Africa

Location

London, Milton Keynes or East Kilbride – You will be required to work from this location in line with FCDO policies on Hybrid Working (minimum 60% in the office).

Job summary

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office pursues our national interests and projects the UK’s role in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners. We employ more than 17,000 staff in 179 countries and territories, across our diplomatic and development offices worldwide, which consists of 282 officially designated Posts. Our UK-based staff work in King Charles Street, London, Abercrombie House in East Kilbride and in Milton Keynes.

This is an exciting specialist role working on an area of great strategic importance to the UK.  Research Analysts (RA) are subject matter experts in the FCDO and belong to the cross-government intelligence analysis profession. Our core function is to inform and improve HMG decision-making through providing timely analysis, policy challenge and acting as a bridge between policy makers and experts outside of government.

The Africa Research Group (AfRG) is a geographic-focused Research Group with analysts covering countries and themes of sub-Saharan Africa.  AfRG plays an important role in strengthening Africa expertise in FCDO.

The Research Analysts are a friendly, welcoming and inclusive team that invests in the development of its staff.  We recognise that great minds do not all think alike and that diverse perspectives are essential to the role we play in improving FCDO’s decision-making.  We have embraced hybrid working and welcome applications from candidates with flexible working needs and candidates who are disabled, neuro-divergent, or have a chronic illness or mental or physical health condition.

Job description

Roles and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

Analysis, advice and capability building (70%)

• Provide evidence-based policy-relevant research and analysis, through subject matter advice and comment, stand-alone research papers, expert seminars and briefings, for FCDO policy and programming in key/ strategic partner states in Anglophone West Africa (Nigeria and Ghana in particular), and related issues such as upstream threats (malign state influence, regional security issues including violent extremism); open society (e.g. elections, political parties, civil society); political economy; and effects of climate change.
• Provide knowledge-based input to a range of policy processes and projects relating to Anglophone West Africa, including external research commissions and demand led analysis.
• With necessary clearances, work with high-classified reporting and materials.

Outreach, engagement and knowledge management (30%)

• Grow and cultivate a network of leading external experts from academia, research centres, think tanks and journalism on West Africa for RA and the FCDO.
• Manage knowledge and information relevant to West Africa in the form of FCDO reporting, open-source resources and expert literature.
• Contribute to Africa Research Group’s and Research and Evidence Directorate’s wider corporate work and profile.

This role provides an excellent opportunity to become one of government’s leading experts on West Africa and to deploy those skills in a front-line capacity.

There will be the opportunity to travel in the region for the purpose of research, outreach and sometimes in order to support colleagues overseas.  There will also be opportunity to support government led exchanges with allies.  This will be subject to discussion with line managers.

The FCDO values foreign language skills and these are beneficial to research analyst roles. There will be an opportunity to learn or further develop relevant languages (e.g. French) through the FCDO language provider.

Person specification

It is essential in your application that you provide evidence and proven examples in each of the following Minimum Criteria and Behaviours as far as you are able to do so.  These responses will be further developed and discussed with those candidates invited for interview.

You must be a British Citizen at the time of application and, if invited to interview, you will need to bring proof of identity (British Passport/Driving Licence etc.) with you.

This role requires you to attain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance.

Minimum Criteria

• Relevant post-graduate qualification plus experience working on or in Anglophone West Africa e.g. in a multilateral organisation, an NGO or private sector organisation, think tank or academic institution OR an undergraduate degree with substantial experience on Nigeria and Anglophone West Africa.
• Proven research and analysis skills and experience, with sound judgement.
• Resilience to manage multiple workstreams concurrently in a fast-paced environment and deliver to tight deadlines.
• Readiness to take the lead on Anglophone West Africa research and analysis, and willingness to cover other geographies if required.
• Strong interpersonal skills for collaboration and team working.
• Excellent written and oral communication, particularly for a non-specialist audience.

Qualifications

Relevant post-graduate qualification plus experience working on or in Anglophone West Africa e.g. in a multilateral organisation, an NGO or private sector organisation, think tank or academic institution

OR an undergraduate degree with substantial experience on Nigeria and Anglophone West Africa

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• You will be required to give a Presentation on Anglophone West African politics at the Interview. The topic will be given to you 15 minutes before your Interview. You will also be asked other specialist questions on Anglophone West Africa.
• Motivation questions at interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,500, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £14,050 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• A Civil Service Pension.
• 25 days Annual Leave per annum.
• 9 days Public and Privilege holidays per annum.
• Learning and Development tailored to your role.

Click HERE to apply.