Research Assistant

London School of Economics and Political Science; Greater London; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Pension scheme

Training and development opportunities

Generous annual leave

Job summary

LSE in London is seeking a fixed-term researcher to support a programme led by Dr. Raúl Sánchez De La Sierra in the Department of Management. The role is field-intensive, with roughly half the year spent in North and South Kivu, in remote artisanal mining areas reached by motorbike or on foot.

You will identify methods, convey complex ideas, interpret data patterns, and manage large databases. A Master or Bachelor’s in economics or related quantitative discipline is required, with econometrics

Qualifications

• Master's or Bachelor’s degree in economics or related quantitative discipline.
• Graduate degree including econometrics and political economy coursework.
• Knowledge of the political economy of conflict and armed group governance.
• Experience cleaning and managing large survey and administrative datasets.
• Proficiency in Stata, R, or Python.
• Resilience to work for extended periods in a remote insecure setting.

Responsibilities

• Identify appropriate methods of investigation or analysis according to data and objectives.
• Convey complex conceptual ideas or highly detailed information.
• Interpret and analyse patterns or trends in data.
• Manage large scale databases.

Skills

Econometrics

Stata/R/Python

Data cleaning

Quantitative analysis

Education

Master's or Bachelor's in economics or related quantitative discipline

Tools

Stata

R

Python

Job description

LSE is committed to building a diverse, equitable and truly inclusive university

Salary from £36,513 to £41,565 pa inclusive with potential to progress to £44,468 pa inclusive of London allowance

Funding is available to support this position for 12 months

The post supports a research programme lead by Dr. Raúl Sánchez De La Sierra from LSE’s Department of Management. The research programme concerns armed groups, state formation, and governance in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This is a field-intensive post. The post holder will spend roughly half of each year in North and South Kivu, including in remote artisanal mining areas several hours or days from the nearest town, reached by motorbike or on foot.

Main duties and responsibilities include identifying appropriate methods of investigation or analysis according to data and objectives; conveying complex conceptual ideas or complex information which may be highly detailed, technical or specialist; interpreting and analysing patterns or trends in data; managing large scale databases.

Candidates should have a completed Master or Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in economics or other closely related quantitative discipline; graduate degree in economics or public policy that includes graduate level coursework in econometrics as well as in political economy, or Maters-level economics research training; knowledge of the research literature on the political economy of conflict and armed group governance; experience in cleaning and managing large survey and administrative datasets; proficiency in Stata, R, or Python; resilience to work for extended periods in a remote insecure setting.

We offer an occupational pension scheme, generous annual leave, hybrid working, and excellent training and development opportunities.

Should you have any queries about the role, please email [e-mail].

The closing date for receipt of applications is 21 October 2026 (23.59 UK time). Regrettably, we are unable to accept any late applications.