OPEN DATA WATCH HAS
Job Openings: Short-term Researchers
(full-time and part-time positions)
Open Data Watch (ODW) is a Washington, DC-based, nonprofit organization promoting open data and the improvement of development statistics in countries and international agencies. ODW is seeking dynamic and self-motivated research assistants to work closely with team members on one of our main research endeavors, the Open Data Inventory (ODIN). ODIN is an in-depth assessment of national statistical systems of 180 countries.
JOB SUMMARY AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The research assistant, otherwise known as an ODIN Assessor, is responsible for conducting assessments of the coverage and openness of the statistics contained in the websites of national statistics offices (NSOs) using the ODIN scoring methodology. ODIN Assessors report to the ODIN Project Manager and will attend a two-day training on June 5th and 6th prior to beginning work. Training will be paid, but travel expenses to the training are not covered.
Specific duties will include:
- Conduct assessments of a minimum of 25 countries for ODIN, as per our methodology.
- Identify relevant social, economic, and environmental statistical data sets within or connected to NSO websites.
- Provide support and documentation for statistical data coverage and openness via an online platform.
Selection Criteria:
- Academic coursework in international development, economics, statistics, government, public policy, or other related field.
- Familiarity with international development and open data issues.
- Able to meet deadlines and agreed-upon results with high quality and attention to detail.
- Can seek knowledge needed to complete assignments and share knowledge with others.
- Ability to analyze facts and data to support decisions regarding own and others’ work.
- Proficiency with MS Office (Word and Excel), Chrome, and Google Translate.
- Strong communication (reading, writing, speaking in English) skills.
- Some positions require high proficiency in reading languages other than English. We need French, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic readers. Other languages will also be considered.
- Applicants must be located in or near Washington, D.C. Researchers can conduct most work remotely, but initially we ask assessors to schedule a few days after training in our office near Thomas Circle for extra guidance.
Requirements:
- Must have a personal laptop to conduct work.
- Must be able to attend a two-day training session in our DC office.
- Demonstrated research experience.
This is a short-term contract position. Each ODIN Assessor, depending on their skillset, will work on a minimum of 25 countries. We need researchers who can work both full-time and part-time. Work will begin on June 5th (training) and be completed by August 31st. There may be an opportunity to continue work through September and possibly October.
Pay rate is $18/hour for English-readers and $20/hour for those who can read one of the languages listed above.
If interested, submit a cover letter (in the email body) and resume to the ODIN Project Manager, Jamison Crowell, at JamisonCrowell@opendatawatch.com by April 27th, 2018. Please put “ODIN Assessor Application” in the subject line. In your cover letter, please indicate what months you are available and your available hours of work per week, as well as any other overlapping obligations (classes, internships, other jobs, etc.).
