Research Officer (Behavioral Research and Economics)

About this role

Extension Africa is seeking a Research Officer in Behavioral Research and Economics to embed behavioural science into how it designs advisory and business services for farmers, agents and vendors. The role, based in Kano or Abuja, leads behavioural inquiries and translates findings into product, service and commercial decisions. It sits in the Research & Evaluation department and is a 12-month contract renewable subject to performance and funding, with up to 20% field travel. The organisation aims to provide data-driven, market-led extension services across Africa and improve smallholder access to resources and opportunities. Applicants should have a strong background in behavioural or economic research and be prepared for fieldwork in rural communities.

What you would do

• Lead behavioural research to inform product, service and commercial decisions
• Design and implement experiments and field studies
• Analyze data using statistical methods and causal inference techniques
• Translate research findings into actionable recommendations for products and services
• Collaborate with the Research & Evaluation team to contribute to the research portfolio
• Conduct qualitative research such as interviews and focus groups
• Prepare clear written outputs including reports and potentially publications
• Support fieldwork in rural communities
• Work with stakeholders to ensure research insights are applied
• Maintain rigorous documentation and coding for qualitative data

What they are asking for

• Master's degree in Behavioral Science, Behavioral or Applied Economics, Agricultural Economics, Economics, Psychology, Sociology or a related field
• Publication record in peer-reviewed journals or working paper series is an advantage
• Competence in qualitative methods (in-depth interviews, focus groups, observation, coding)
• Strong writing ability and ability to produce clear writing samples
• Willingness to conduct fieldwork in rural communities
• Working proficiency in Hausa or another relevant Nigerian language is an advantage
• Experience designing and analysing experiments (randomized trials, A/B tests, lab-in-the-field, or discrete choice experiments)
• 3–5 years of applied research experience with demonstrable behavioural or experimental work
• Strong quantitative skills with experience in regression analysis and causal inference using Stata, R or Python
• PhD or advanced training in a behavioural or economic discipline is an advantage

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