About Building Markets

Founded in 2004, Building Markets is an award-winning nonprofit that creates jobs and encourages economic growth in crisis-affected countries by connecting competitive local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to supply chains and investment. Through this approach, the organization has built a network of more than 27,928 verified SMEs, assisted them in winning over $1.41 billion in contracts, and helped create over 74,710 jobs in countries like Afghanistan, Haiti, Timor-Leste, and Liberia. Building Markets is headquartered in New York City and operates programs in Colombia, Myanmar, and Türkiye. For more information, please visit www.buildingmarkets.org and https://entrepreneurs.buildingmarkets.org

Job Summary:

Building Markets is seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to support our programs in Türkiye. The ideal candidate will be a PhD student or early postdoc with strong research skills, experience in international development projects, and impeccable organizational abilities. The research associate will play a vital role in market research, data management & reporting, and program coordination. The successful candidate will be committed to Building Markets’ mission to build inclusive economies for small businesses.

Responsibilities and Duties: 

●      Conduct market research, including desk research and monitoring media/social media and relevant gray and academic literature for business and policy trends related to the small business enabling environment.

●      Participate in original research, conducting stakeholder or other key informant interviews to contribute to research projects.

●      Analyze Building Markets’ survey data and other small business data to draft research insights on sectors and trends for key stakeholders.

●      Support the development of research products, as needed, based on the research agenda.

●      Coordinate with external researchers and support management of research projects to completion.

●      Support research dissemination to key stakeholders, including public and private sector partners and civil society.

●      Conduct regular check-ins with civil society partners, supporting them in sound management systems, implementation challenges, and event series.

●      Coordinate with various team members and stakeholders, including MEAL and research team, program services delivery team, finance, procurement, admin, and HR team.

●      Ensure impeccable drafting of documentation in Turkish, providing quality oversight aligned with research findings and branding guidance.

●      Build out and maintain M&E tools, dashboards, and trackers.

●      Prepare monthly reports, weekly bulletins, and contribute to team meetings

●      Work with partner organizations and suppliers to connect M&E systems and support the program services team with agreed tasks. 

Required Qualifications:

• At least 2 years of experience in a research role supporting international development projects, preferably related to livelihoods and social outcomes.
• Solid Excel proficiency, including: using functions, creating charts, sorting and filtering data, and utilizing pivot tables.
• Proven critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Impeccable organizational skills and work ethic, with experience in managing digital assets and various tools.
• Bilingual in Turkish and English, with strong writing skills in both languages, fluency in Arabic/another language is a bonus.
• Commitment to Building Markets’ mission and mandate in Türkiye.
• No obstacles to travel within the country
• To reside in any of the provinces specified in the job announcement
• Ability to work from the office and home, with experience in dynamic workplaces.
• No military obligation (For male candidates)
• Turkish nationality 

Reporting Lines: Reports to Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning, and Program Officer and Research & Impact Advisor 

Location: Türkiye, Gaziantep or Istanbul. Travel to other cities as required. 

Duration: Fixed Term contract, until 14 September 2024 

Travel: No obstacle to travel within Türkiye 

Submission Instructions: We will be conducting recruitment on an ongoing basis, and we encourage all interested and qualified candidates to apply without delay. If you meet the above qualifications and are interested in this position, please submit a cover letter and resume to vacancies.turkey@buildingmarkets.org. 

Employment Type

Full-time