Africa Initiative - Postdoctoral Position Senior analyst foresight and technology horizon scanning

 About UM6P

Located in the heart of the future Mohammed VI Green City in Benguerir, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), an internationally recognized institution of higher education, is established to serve Morocco and the African continent. Its vision revolves around research and innovation in service of education and development. This unique emerging university, with its cutting-edge campuses and infrastructure, emphasizes learning by doing and has built a strong network in academia and research. As it strives to link innovation to market, it has set up an ecosystem to accommodate this aim accompanying university graduates and professors and innovators from outside the university and who are willing to engage in entrepreneurship all the way from ideation to venturing depending on their specific needs. The university’s recruitment process seeks high-quality academics, professionals and students to enhance its quality-focused research and technology creation environment in area of Marrakech.

Africa initiative’s mission is to initiate, develop, oversee, and contribute to the management of strategic partnerships and collaborations with Higher Education Science Technology and Innovation (HESTI) institutions across Africa. We work collaboratively with relevant teams and entities to create synergies while enhancing the visibility of UM6P. To address its mission, Africa Initiative manages four workstreams: 1. Envisioning the African futures in science, technology, and education; 2. Exploring R4D frontiers towards SDG; 3. Fostering academic excellence; 4. Harnessing the power of partnerships and networking driven by benchmarking analysis and due diligence; and 5. Connecting innovation to entrepreneurship.   

To strengthen its teams, Africa Initiative is recruiting a Postdoctoral:

Responsibilities:

The main role of the Post-doc is to assist the Director of Africa Initiative (IA) in accomplishing its mission, with a focus on foresight and technology horizon scanning. The candidate is expected to work with the entire AI team when executing the tasks listed below. He or she is expected to take the lead in initiating analytical studies, coaching team members during implementation and advising the Director on current and emerging operational and strategic issues. The following is the list of tasks to be executed by the candidate.

Research and analytics:

• Identify problems and formulate relevant research questions pertaining to the current and future trends in science and technology applications in education, research, development, and innovation in Africa. 
• Desing research methodologies and protocols to address the research questions. 
• Organize, plan and contribute to the data collection of primary and secondary data to operationalize the research.
• Design, populate and maintain a comprehensive database of collaborations and partnerships between UM6P and African universities and research centers on technology foresight.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses, communicate findings as publications, policy briefs and executive summaries.
• Contribute actively as a team member to the design, planning and implementation of the various workstreams and tasks such as Envisioning the Africa futures in science, technology and education, Exploring R4D frontiers towards SDGs, Linking Innovation to entrepreneurship, etc.

Collaboration and insight generation:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define data requirements and the objectives for sustainable development projects at UM6P and across Africa.
• Contribute to the collection, cleaning, and analysis of diverse datasets to derive meaningful insights and trends using standard statistical tools and advanced techniques including modeling to create actionable insights.
• Develop and maintain data portals and dashboards for effective communication of findings.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of visually compelling reports to aid decision-making processes.
• Articulate, scope, and prioritize research and analytics needs, gather relevant information using appropriate sources and write well-structured technical reports and briefs.

Horizon scanning and strategic support:

• Ability to conduct horizon scanning techniques and foresight studies to detect mega trends and possible science and technology futures in major socio-economic sectors in Africa.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of data-driven strategies, supporting the overall goals of sustainable development projects.
  • PhD in Data Science, Statistics, Modeling or related fields, with experience in research, development and innovation.

 Qualifications :

• Strong knowledge in science, data processing, and innovation for sustainable development.
• Proven experience as a Data Analyst with a focus on applied research and sustainable development.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail and critical analysis.

Desired experience and skills:

• Passion for contributing to sustainable development goals in Africa.
• Ability to work within intercultural teams or independently with excellent communication oral and written skills.
• Motivation and quick learning ability, with a strong willingness to understand research and innovation for sustainable development in Africa.
• Ambition and ability to contribute to the development of high-level strategic plans and studies. 
• Experience in a consulting firm or advanced research institution.
• Versatility and mastery of multitasking and delivering under strict and tight deadlines.
• Good capacity of elaborating synthesis reports and briefs highlighting salient and actionable findings.
• Proficiency in writing and speaking English; working knowledge of French will be an asset.

Applications and selection procedure:

• Interested candidates will submit a single electronic zipped folder with the job title in the mail subject, containing a cover letter, detailed CV, and a motivation letter. 
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview.