Research Associate/ Assistant (Renewable 1 year contract)

Short Description

Research Associate / Assistant

The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) seeks candidates for a renewable contract appointment as a Research Associate / Assistant.

Project Summary

The Research Associate / Assistant will support a Programme Evaluation study of ComLink+ Progress Packages, a large-scale Government funded social programme that aims to help lower-income families in Singapore achieve stability, self-reliance, and social mobility. The Programme provides Family Coaches to help families co-develop personalised action plans, and conditional financial transfers when families take steps to improve children’s education, employment, clear debts, and save for home ownership.

The study will use administrative data and a longitudinal panel survey to:

• Assess the effectiveness of the Programme in supporting families to improve short-term outcomes relating to education, employment, and household finances;
• Assess the potential impact of the Programme in supporting families to set goals and build capabilities towards long-term outcomes of stability, self-reliance, and social mobility;
• Assess other impacts of the Programme on families' financial and consumption behaviours, social and family relations, and mental well-being.

The study will start immediately and is projected to end in June 2028, with a possible one-year extension.

The Research Associate / Assistant will work with a small team of economists consisting of the Principal Investigator, supported by consultants and a Research Fellow. The Research Associate / Assistant will interact with an NUS research team working with qualitative methods, and partners including the Government agency and third party survey vendors.

The position is funded for up to 5 years. A candidate should preferably commit at least for the first two years of the project. We will consider candidates who request a shorter duration position, and candidates who request fractional appointments (e.g. half-time), on a case by case basis.

Job Description

Job Scope

Working with the Principal Investigator, Research Fellow and consultant economists, the Research Associate / Assistant will:

• Support the development of the overall quantitative Programme Evaluation study research design.
• Support development of the quantitative survey instruments, including an interviewer-administered annual survey, and a self-administered high frequency data collection platform.
• Code and implement the empirical research strategy to identify Programme causal effects using administrative data.
• Support analysis of quantitative data and draft study reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Liaise and monitor the survey fieldwork vendor / fieldwork research team.
• Assist in overall study administration, including IRB, budget management, and reporting to internal and external stakeholders.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary is based on the qualifications and experience of the candidate, and is benchmarked to equivalent entry-level Research Associate / Assistant positions in Singapore.

Flexible work arrangements are offered. The position is based at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore. The Research Associate / Assistant is required to work from the office / data access site in Singapore during office hours when necessary due to data access restrictions, but may otherwise work flexibly.

Job Requirements

Qualifications / Experience Required:

• An Undergraduate or Master's Degree in Economics, Public Policy, or a related quantitative social science discipline, or must be on track to be awarded such a degree without further full-time study within six months of the start of the appointment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary applied microeconomics research methods, including randomized controlled trials, and quasi-experimental causal identification methods. A research thesis showing these skills will be an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to code and analyse large-scale data with at least one common econometrics/statistics software system, such as STATA, or R.

Applications should be made to:

The Principal Investigator, A/P Walter Theseira (email: waltertheseira@suss.edu.sg), at the SUSS School of Business, Singapore University of Social Sciences, 463 Clementi Road, Singapore. Please include:

• Brief cover note in your email highlighting any relevant experience, research projects, or research interests.
• CV
• Academic transcript (may be unofficial / non-certified; please highlight in your cover note relevant coursework, or provide explanations as necessary)
• Your undergraduate/master's thesis, or other evidence showing relevant research skills.
• An academic letter of reference highlighting your research skills will be an advantage, but is not required. A generic letter of reference for graduate school will be suitable.