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Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Research Specialist

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About the portfolio organization

Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator is a not-for-profit social enterprise building African solutions for the global challenge of youth unemployment. We work in South Africa and Rwanda with many partners who are committed to results that can work at scale – including government, the private sector, civil society, and almost 3.4 million youth.    

Harambee is an anchor partner in a breakthrough platform called SA Youth. It is part of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention – a coordinated strategic national plan, announced by President Ramaphosa in his 2020 SONA, that sets out priority actions to address the youth unemployment challenge in South Africa by creating opportunities for young people at scale.    

SA Youth brings together many partners to create a single national network to allow young people to access a wide selection of earning and learning opportunities, and for opportunity holders to access young, engaged work-seekers – for free!    

Our staff complement of over 400 motivated people continues to work both on-site and remotely in a fluid and vibrant environment to tackle the challenges of a country where over 50% of young people are unemployed.    

Winner of the 2019 Skoll Award and 2019 Conscious Companies Award 

About the Fellowship role

Harambee is looking for a Research Specialist to support the Impact and Intelligence Team with research related to South Africa’s labour market, the writing of proposals and funder reports, basic data analysis and the collation of youth employment insights. This role requires exemplary writing skills with a focus on expository writing that summarises and conveys complex subjects in a manner that can be understood and absorbed by different audiences. 
 
Other skills needed include a strong research capability - approaching work with curiosity, logic and a high attention to detail; analytical skills that can convert research and data into understandable insights; and the ability to connect dots across different projects / subject matter / stakeholders to drive greater impact. Applicants need to be solutions-orientated, with the ability to problem solve and operate dynamically in response to an ever-changing changing environment.   

Fellowship location: Gauteng, South Africa 
Employment: Full-time, one-year Fellowship 
Starting Date: July/August 2025 
 

Key responsibilities

  • The research and writing up of working papers, funder proposals, concept notes, evaluations, quarterly reports and research outputs under the Harambee brand.   
  • The co-ordination and management of any studies, surveys, research initiatives and grants that the Impact and Intelligence team may be involved in, ensuring outcomes are achieved within the relevant deadlines. The analysis of basic datasets (e.g. survey outcomes).   
  • The collation of insights relating to South Africa’s labour market and solutions for youth unemployment into digestible knowledge pieces.   
  • The cross-divisional involvement and expertise in other projects at Harambee, as per ad-hoc requests by Harambee Leadership, to the Impact and Intelligence team.   
  • Ongoing relationship building and management with key stakeholders – both internal and external to Harambee 

Requirements

Experience and education:
  • Bachelor Honours, or Master’s degree in development studies, economics or a similar field. Minimum of 3-5 years professional experience in high-performing teams, including but not limited to non-profits, academia, high-growth startups, management consulting, financial services, research/market research, or large-scale corporates.   
  • Experience in applied research and delivery of research as a product.   
  • Preference given if existing knowledge of South Africa’s labour market and youth unemployment challenges.   
  • Demonstrated passion and interest in creating a more equitable world, professionally or through extracurricular activities, a value-add.   
Competencies:
  • Results Orientation: Sets and achieves high goals, driving issues to closure with a sense of urgency. Alignment with Vision and Values: Demonstrates understanding and adherence to Harambee's vision and values in decision-making and actions.   
  • Problem Analysis and Resolution: Uses sound judgment to identify and solve problems effectively at Harambee.   
  • Teamwork and Collaboration: Actively participates as a team member, fostering strong connections with colleagues and stakeholders at Harambee.   
  • Time Management: Effectively manages time and resources to ensure efficient completion of work tasks at Harambee.   
  • Effective Communication: Delivers clear and impactful communication tailored to various audiences, utilizing multiple formats and tools.   
  • Accountability: Takes responsibility for actions, decisions, and deliverables, fostering a culture of accountability.   
Must Haves:
  • South African work permit or authorisation to work in South Africa is required.  

About the LGT Impact Fellowship

As part of LGT Venture Philanthropy's and Lightrock's strategic efforts to scale positive impact, the LGT Impact Fellowship was established to provide additional know-how and capacity to portfolio organisations and companies. Each year a limited number of professionals are nominated to work full-time for one year with the organisations and companies supported by LGT Venture Philanthropy and Lightrock in Africa, India and Latin America as per the above job description.
LGT Impact Fellows are part of an enriching cohort of like-minded Fellows. They benefit from various program activities, including a 1-week in-person kick-off workshop, webinars, access to the network and know-how of LGT Venture Philanthropy, etc.

How to apply

Submit your application via the "Apply" button. Please note that we only accept online applications and that multiple applications are not allowed. However, you are invited to mention additional preferences in your application.
Moreover, please make sure to read all information in the application form carefully and answer the questions accordingly (additional information about the questions are marked with "i").