Current Vacancies

OPHI is an international community of academics, policy experts and professional staff working towards global poverty reduction guided by robust measurement. OPHI is made up of a small but committed team. OPHI can offer a supportive, collegial, meaningful and international work environment as a part of the Oxford Department of International Development and the University of Oxford. The Oxford Department of International Development holds a Departmental Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of its efforts to introduce organisational and cultural practices that promote gender equality and create a better working environment for both men and women. 

We are eager to receive applications from a diverse pool of candidates. To receive news of vacancies, follow OPHI on this page, our social media or sign up for our newsletter OPHI Update.

Please note OPHI is currently unable to receive visiting academics.

Meet the team

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  • Researcher (apply by 1 August 2024)

    The Oxford Department of International Development (ODID) has an exciting vacancy for a Researcher.

    Reporting to the Director, Dr Sabina Alkire, the post holder will be a part of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI)’s research team, with a focus on social connectedness, belonging, well-being, and multidimensional poverty – their measurement and their intersection with policy agendas.

    The Researcher will provide research assistance to OPHI, as part of its collaboration with the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness (SCSC), with a focus on social isolation, belonging, and their inter-relationships with well-being and multidimensional poverty. She or he will be responsible for coordinating collaborative research between OPHI and the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness (SCSC), and will advance the research collaborations that emerge by providing research and project management support for related streams of work as well as authoring or co-authoring papers.

    This role will require comprehensive analysis and research into complex issues using both quantitative and qualitative methods, and the writing of copy, reports, and publications for the media as well as policy, and academic domains.

    The Researcher will also pursue opportunities to support OPHI’s work on multidimensional poverty and well-being measurement within Oxford. This may include building networks with other Oxford departments and external institutions. The role includes responsibility for planning and coordinating OPHI’s research seminars and some workshops, including liaising with speakers, authors, and partners, and potentially moderating sessions.

    The Researcher will have the opportunity to participate in OPHI’s research activities, such as research workshops, seminars, meetings, and other collaborative events; as well as, more generally, in team meetings and activities of OPHI and SCSC.

    The postholder will hold at least a Master’s degree in social policy, public health, development studies, and/or a field related to social connectedness. They will also have excellent inter-personal and teamwork skills, including patience with co-workers and authors, an ability to communicate across cultures, time zones and disciplines, and to supervise research outputs so they meet quality standards. Excellent communication skills in English (both orally and in writing), including the ability to draft or write academic articles, research reports, and policy briefs, are essential for this role.

    At ODID we embrace and cherish our differences, and endeavour to be considerate and welcoming of all. You are most welcome at ODID, without the need to hide any part of who you are. We acknowledge societal inequalities and how these affect us, and those around us, personally and professionally. We hold an Athena Swan bronze award in recognition of our efforts to introduce organisational and cultural changes which promote equality, cherish diversity and create a better working environment for all. We are also taking active steps to promote race equality and reduce the risk of bias and discrimination. We work together to enrich, fortify and grow our community and dedicate our combined efforts to teaching and research to increase our impact and influence in development debates at the national and global level. We encourage all eligible candidates to apply for our vacancies and join us in pursuing our goals.

    Applications for this vacancy are to be made online. You will be required to upload a CV and supporting statement as part of your online application.

  • Senior Researcher (apply by 1 August 2024)

    The Oxford Department of International Development (ODID) has an exciting vacancy for a Senior Research Officer. 

    The post holder will work closely with OPHI Director, Sabina Alkire, and the research team, contributing substantially to shaping the research agenda at OPHI and leading on multidimensional poverty measurement by preparing statistical outputs and documentation. These will include leading the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) project covering 100+ developing countries around the world. In addition, the post holder will lead academic research on multidimensional poverty analysis, in collaboration with the OPHI Director. A key research output will be the analysis of comparisons of the global MPI over time for a greatly expanded set of countries and periods, updating related work such as gendered and intrahousehold analyses, automatizing the computations and improving their accuracy and coverage.

    The post holder will also support partners who are implementing OPHI methodologies to help troubleshoot and direct them to resources. She or he will also participate in OPHI dissemination activities such as research workshops, conferences, seminars, and collaborative work.

    The post holder will hold a doctorate in statistics, economics, sociology, or a quantitative social science, or equivalent work experience. They will have excellent knowledge of the Alkire-Foster method and multidimensional poverty in general. They will also have extensive data management experience with household surveys such as the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). Excellent and proven knowledge of STATA for data management and basic programming skills are essential to this role.

    At ODID we embrace and cherish our differences, and endeavour to be considerate and welcoming of all. You are most welcome at ODID, without the need to hide any part of who you are. We acknowledge societal inequalities and how these affect us, and those around us, personally and professionally. We hold an Athena Swan bronze award in recognition of our efforts to introduce organisational and cultural changes which promote equality, cherish diversity and create a better working environment for all. We are also taking active steps to promote race equality and reduce the risk of bias and discrimination. We work together to enrich, fortify and grow our community and dedicate our combined efforts to teaching and research to increase our impact and influence in development debates at the national and global level. We encourage all eligible candidates to apply for our vacancies and join us in pursuing our goals.

    Applications for this vacancy are to be made online. You will be required to upload a CV and supporting statement as part of your online application.