Senior Research Specialist (Contractor) at YLabs – Remote Africa Research Jobs 2026 (USD 35,460–55,896)

Looking for Remote Africa Research Jobs 2026? The YLabs Senior Research Specialist (Contractor) opportunity is an excellent opportunity for experienced African researchers seeking international NGO research jobs, remote research consultant jobs, development research jobs, and youth research jobs in Africa.

This Senior Research Specialist at YLabs position is a fully remote consultancy role open to professionals based anywhere in Africa. The successful candidate will lead innovative research projects that support youth empowerment, economic opportunity, financial inclusion, and education across the continent.

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About YLabs

YLabs is a global design and research organization founded in 2014 at the Harvard Innovation Lab. The organization partners with young people to co-create digital products and services that improve health, economic opportunity, and climate resilience.

Operating from Rwanda and the United States, YLabs has implemented projects in over 18 countries across Africa and beyond. Their multidisciplinary team specializes in:

• Youth-centered design
• Digital innovation
• Behavioral science
• Public health research
• Climate resilience
• Economic development
• Entrepreneurship
• Epidemiology

The organization’s mission is to amplify youth agency through innovative research and human-centered design.

Senior Research Specialist (Contractor) Job Summary

The Senior Research Specialist at YLabs will lead large-scale research initiatives while providing strategic guidance for innovation projects across Africa.

This role is ideal for professionals with strong expertise in qualitative research, quantitative research, mixed-methods research, stakeholder engagement, project management, and evidence-based decision-making.

The successful candidate will work independently while collaborating with international teams and partners.

Job Details

Position: Senior Research Specialist (Contractor)

Organization: YLabs

Job Location: Remote – Anywhere in Africa

Job Type: Independent Contractor (Consultancy)

Contract Duration: Up to 12 Months

Expected Start Date: August 1, 2026

Salary: USD 35,460–55,896 annually (Gross)

Payment Schedule: Monthly upon approved deliverables

Travel Requirement: Field travel across Africa required

Senior Research Specialist Responsibilities

The successful applicant will perform a wide range of research and leadership responsibilities.

Research Strategy and Leadership

Responsibilities include:

• Leading large-scale research projects
• Designing innovative research methodologies
• Managing multidisciplinary research initiatives
• Collaborating with donors and regional partners
• Building research capacity across teams
• Delivering training and knowledge-sharing sessions

Quantitative and Qualitative Research

The Senior Research Specialist will:

• Conduct interviews
• Lead focus group discussions
• Perform stakeholder consultations
• Analyze quantitative datasets
• Carry out qualitative research analysis
• Generate evidence-based recommendations

Innovation and Research Insights

The role includes:

• Applying Human-Centered Design
• Using Participatory Action Research
• Identifying emerging development trends
• Supporting youth entrepreneurship research
• Producing strategic insights
• Developing user-centered solutions

Knowledge Management

Responsibilities include:

• Writing research reports
• Preparing policy briefs
• Creating presentations
• Managing institutional knowledge
• Sharing research findings
• Supporting organizational learning

Stakeholder Engagement

The selected candidate will:

• Collaborate with partner organizations
• Engage research institutions
• Build strategic partnerships
• Support donor reporting
• Communicate research impact effectively

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

Key duties include:

• Supporting MEL integration
• Improving research frameworks
• Applying project learning
• Strengthening monitoring systems

Project Management

Responsibilities also include:

• Managing timelines
• Coordinating research deliverables
• Tracking project progress
• Reporting to senior leadership

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants should:

• Be currently based in Africa
• Have experience working with youth
• Understand economic empowerment research
• Work independently with minimal supervision
• Collaborate across multicultural teams
• Adapt to rural field environments
• Communicate research clearly to non-technical audiences
• Be willing to travel throughout Africa

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Required Qualifications

To qualify for this Remote Africa Research Job, applicants should have:

• Minimum 5 years of research leadership experience
• Strong qualitative and mixed-methods research experience
• Experience conducting interviews and focus groups
• Experience with donor-funded projects
• Strong analytical and reporting skills
• Project management experience
• Participant recruitment experience
• Knowledge of SPSS, Stata, R, or NVivo
• Excellent English communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred candidates will have:

• Master’s degree or PhD in Development Studies, Economics, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, or related disciplines
• Youth economic empowerment research experience
• Community-based research experience
• Participatory research experience
• Human-centered design experience
• Co-design and rapid prototyping experience

Salary and Benefits

The YLabs Senior Research Specialist position offers:

• Annual salary of USD 35,460–55,896
• Fully remote work across Africa
• 12-month consultancy contract
• Monthly payments
• International research experience
• Opportunity to travel across Africa
• Collaboration with global experts
• High-impact development projects
• Flexible remote working environment
• Career growth in international development

Why Join YLabs?

Working at YLabs offers professionals an opportunity to contribute to innovative solutions that improve young people’s lives across Africa.

Employees and consultants work with international experts in research, design, digital innovation, public health, entrepreneurship, and climate resilience while helping build evidence-based programs with measurable impact.

This is an excellent opportunity for professionals seeking:

• Remote NGO Jobs Africa
• International Research Jobs
• Development Research Jobs
• Monitoring and Evaluation Jobs
• Research Consultant Jobs
• Youth Development Jobs
• Human-Centered Design Jobs
• Economic Development Jobs
• Financial Inclusion Jobs
• Remote Consultancy Jobs

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their applications through the official YLabs recruitment portal. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, so early submission is strongly encouraged.