Senior Research Assistant / Research Assistant

Macau SAR, China

We are looking for qualified people for Research Assistant positions in each of our three action-oriented research labs:

• Digital Peace Lab:  focusing on ICTs for peacebuilding, supporting human security, enhancing responses to crises and mitigating human displacement;
• Gender Tech Lab: focusing on promoting women’s empowerment and facilitating sustainable community-led development; and
• Small Data Lab:  focusing on ICTs that create actionable knowledge from local data to empower citizens with data they trust and to improve global datasets with local data. 

Who are we and where are we located?

We are the United Nations University Institute on Computing and Society (UNU-CS).  We are a start-up research institute working at the intersection of information and communication technologies and international development.  We are located in Macau, SAR, China.  Our work is directed at the key challenges faced by developing societies through high-impact innovations in computing and communication technologies. 

What are the responsibilities of Research Assistants at UNU-CS?

Your responsibilities will include helping us to carry out research projects and assisting in the production of articles, policy reports and other materials. We are looking for people with experience and interest in computing or social science, quantitative or qualitative methods, and/or system design and development.

You will help in preparing and disseminating information on our research, events, publications and announcements on social media and UNU-CS online distribution lists. You may also help to write and post articles, announcement and events on the UNU-CS website (http://cs.unu.edu/). 

You will be supporting the organization of events and conferences, lectures, workshops and other public events.

Part of your responsibilities may also be to provide administrative support to the research team, institute administration and the Director. 

What qualifications do I need for a Research Assistant position?

You need to possess:

 (a) For Research Assistant positions

• An undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s) in an area related to one of the above-mentioned research labs;

For Senior Research Assistant positions:

• A Master’s degree in relevant area or
• A Bachelor’s degree with three or more years of advanced or specialized experience, such as in software design and programming.

Both positions also require: 

1. Proficiency with modern computer programming and analysis environments;
2. Excellent communication skills, with proficiency in both oral and written English;
3. Knowledge of social media platforms;
4. The ability to engage actively, creatively and imaginatively for the benefit of UNU-CS research;
5. Strong interpersonal skills with sensitivity and respect for diversity to facilitate working in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment.

What are the contract and salary details?

You will be employed under a UN University Personnel Service Agreement (PSA) for an initial period of one year.  This contract can be renewed subject to good performance and availability of funding.  PSA contracts cannot be renewed beyond a combined duration of six years.  PSA contracts are non-UN staff member contracts and do not hold international civil servant status as defined in the UN Staff Regulations and Rules. 

The starting monthly salary for the Research Assistant positions is US$1,996. The starting salary for Senior Research Assistant positions is US$2,505.  UN remuneration is not subject to taxes in Macau.