POLICY, ADVOCACY AND RESEARCH FELLOW (JUNIORRESEARCH FELLOW)

(T2 Post, until June 2026)
Centre for Social Science Research, Adolescent Accelerators
Research Hub
Faculty of Humanities

The purpose of this position is to support the policy and advocacy work of the Adolescent Accelerators Research Hub (AARHub) and subsequently the joint University of Cape Town and Oxford Universities research portfolios focusing on adolescents and youth. The post holder will support the synthesis of evidence, support projects to
develop new evidence, and encourage the use of existing evidence from our researchers for uptake among policymakers and implementers. With the support of their line manager and the Research Leaders, they will ensure information is communicated in a clear and compelling way with policy makers to improve wellbeing of
adolescents and children. The post holder will be expected to actively participate in information dissemination, including through publication in peer-reviewed journals, and leading trainings on policy engagement with early career researchers.

Requirements for the job:

• Masters’ Degree in social sciences, economics, public health, international development, social policy, or
  related fields with a strong result

And either

• A completed PhD in social sciences, economics, public health, international development, social policy, or
  related fields.
  or
• Equivalent research experience to a PhD in social sciences, economics, public health, international
  development, social policy, or related fields.

As well as:

• Knowledge of work on child/adolescent health (either public health, child protection, social work, violence
  against children and adolescents, education, or related fields)
• Experience of undertaking evidence reviews and synthesizing evidence for policy engagement.
• At least 2 years’ relevant experience in supporting evidence based policy engagement with non-academic
  partners
• Experience of policy engagement and advocacy in at least one country in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Experience of developing knowledge products, such as evidence briefs, PowerPoint presentations
• Sharing research findings through accessible non-academic outputs/ knowledge products (e.g.: podcasts,
  blogs, infographics, press releases)
• Computer literacy in MS Office suite and familiarity with filesharing platforms
• Strong organizational and project planning/management skills (e.g.: team coordination, contributing to
  funding application, external event management)
• Excellent oral and written English communication skills, including the ability to write for publications,
  present research findings, and interact with the wider academic, stakeholder, and policy communities.
• The ability to prioritize one’s workload and produce accurate, detailed work within tight deadlines.
• The ability to work at pace and independently and as part of a team, to multi-task, and to operate in a
  deadline driven environment.
• Understanding of the role and mandate of African institutions including AU, SADC, and EAC
• Commitment to principles of gender equality, social inclusion, and non-discrimination

The following will be advantageous:

• Experience working with regional bodies and governments in African region e.g. AU, SADC, EAC
• Experience of working with civil society organizations
• Experience working in an African country that is not South Africa
• Experience working with adolescents including youth led advocacy organizations.
• Publication track record in reputable journals or major presses, commensurate with the career stage
• Experience in using online platforms including web platforms (e.g.: Twitter, Canva, WordPress/Drupal or
  other web development platforms)
• Fluency in French and/or Portuguese

Responsibilities:

• Knowledge building: Reviewing and synthesizing research findings
• Implementation: External stakeholder co-ordination and engagement
• Communications for policy influencing.
• Donor engagement and reporting
• Ad hoc tasks as requested, such as supporting the development of high impact presentations for external
  policy engagement events.

The annual cost of employment, including benefits (where applicable), is between R 544 062 to R753 904.

To apply, please e-mail the below documents in a single pdf file to Ian Peterson at recruitment02@uct.ac.za

• UCT Application Form (download at http://forms.uct.ac.za/hr201.doc)
• Cover letter, and
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Please ensure the title and reference number are indicated in the subject line.
An application which does not comply with the above requirements will be regarded as incomplete.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and may be required to undergo an assessment.

Reference number: E230338 Closing date: 13 October 2023

“UCT is a designated employer and is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity, and redress in achieving its
equity targets in accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals
and targets. Preference will be given to candidates from the under-represented designated groups. Our
Employment Equity Policy is available at www.uct.ac.za/downloads/uct.ac.za/about/policies/eepolicy.pdf. “
UCT reserves the right not to appoint.

All the best with your applications