Field Researcher at L-IFT BV

Category: Research and Development

Career Level: Junior level (1-2 years of experience)

Employment Type: Contract for- 12 months

Salary: As per the organization’s scale

L-IFT (Low Income Financial Transformation) is a Netherlands based Research Company specialized in diaries research and human centric program design. L-IFT is partnering with New York University to conduct a research project on small enterprises using a diaries methodology. The research is about understanding small firms, investigating their cash-flows, and finding out factors and impediments to their growth. In Nigeria, the study will be conducted in two different parts of Lagos, Kaduna (Kaduna North, Kaduna South & Kudenda) and Aba and/or Enugu.

For this project, we are looking for highly motivated, qualified, and capable professionals to fill the post of Field Researcher. There are in total 10 open positions, up to five in Lagos, three in Kaduna and three in Aba and/or Enugu.

Job Description

The Field Researchers’ main responsibility is to conduct interviews with small firms’ managers as well as some with employees, customers and suppliers in the assigned study area and provide daily reports including planning of the field work. The field researcher will be expected to adhere to all established ethical and survey protocols during the interviews and maintain excellent data quality.

The Field Researchers’ work will start by preparing a census of small firms according to specific criteria and in specific assigned locations. Based on the census, Field Researchers will conduct intake interviews on the basis of which the sample selection will be decided. Each field researcher is responsible for interviewing 12 to13 firms weekly. The complete sample of research participants will be interviewed weekly for an entire year. The field researchers will ensure data quality as well as strict compliances to all ethical and survey protocols during the interviews and subsequent data management.

The Field Researcher shall be directly supervised and work closely with the Field Supervisor and Field Manager.   

The specific responsibilities include:

• Attend training sessions organized by L-IFT
• Internalize methods and protocols of data collection, and fully understand all questionnaires prior to commencement of the actual interviews
• Travel weekly to all respondents in different locations in the assigned research area to interview all participants for the research. Follow the remote COVID-19 protocol when indicated.
• Strictly follow survey procedures, ethical standards; COVID-19 protocols through the process of data collection
• Document issues that arise during the field work and communicate them to the field manager and supervisor
• Safe handling of resources provided by the company (mobile phones and accessories) to protect them from any damage
• Report to the field supervisor on daily basis
• Actively exchange experiences and communicate observations in an exchange group of peers and supervisor
• Participate in two-weekly review meetings to address issues from the field and to get trained and practice new interview questions

Job Requirements

The following are ideal features that are considered for recruitment.

Profile of an ideal candidate for field researchers

• A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in field of economics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, development studies, psychology, entrepreneurship or a related field
• Proven experience in data collection
• Good understanding of how small business functions in the country (ideally comes from small business owner’s family)
• Young and energetic
• Able to relate easily to people and inspire trust (good verbal communication, good at encouraging people)
• Have good written communications
• Good command of English and Pigin. Good command of Yoruba is a plus/ optional for Lagos.
• Good command of English and Hausa. Good command of Pigin is a plus/ optional for Kaduna.
• Good command of English and Igbo. Good command of Pigin is a plus/ optional for Enugu and/or Aba.
• For all locations ability to speak informal, spoken as well as write and translate into commonly understood language.
• Have some computer and mobile-phone skills, command of Microsoft Office Suite and Android operating software
• Have some numerical and analytical skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Characteristics: Motivated/committed; Energetic/enthusiastic; Fast/pro-active (takes initiative to solve problems); Good with people (listener); Reliable/conscientious; Technology oriented; Interest in research; Good communicator; Modest; Non-judgmental; Organized/disciplined; Adoptable (Adjust easily with unpredictable situations), Inquisitive and curious.