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Role Description

ACLED is looking for an Afghanistan Researcher to assist in the collection, review, and management of political violence and protest data across Afghanistan. Researchers must be available for around 15 to 20 hours per week. This opportunity is fully remote and can be done from any location with reliable internet service. This is an entry-level independent consultant opportunity and will require regular submissions on mid-week and weekends. Please note that ACLED cannot hire contractors based in Afghanistan. Afghan nationals living in other countries are still highly encouraged to apply.

• Collection of data by reviewing news, international organization, NGO, and security reports on assigned countries.
• Recording incidents of political violence into an Excel template.
• Focusing on coding events to provide holistic coverage of current political violence, ranging from protests to battles.
• Review and management of data to ensure quality, consistency, and reliability.
• Experience conducting detail-oriented tasks and managing quantitative data.
• Working with conflict-related media and reading about violent events.

Specific deliverables include extensive ACLED training consisting of several exercises. Candidates' exercises will be scrutinized, and only those performing at the required level will be retained as Researchers. The initial consultancy period will be from April 2026 to June 2026, with the possibility of continuation pending performance and availability of funding.

Qualifications

• University degree in international relations, political science, conflict studies, peacebuilding, international development, or related field.
• Familiarity with Excel (essential).
• Fluency in English (essential).
• Fluency in Dari (essential).
• Fluency in at least one or more major regional languages, including Pashto and Farsi (preferred).
• Experience conducting desk-based research.
• Experience working to deadlines with limited supervision.
• A high level of attention to detail and ability to receive and incorporate feedback.
• Research focus or professional experience in conflict research or peace-building in Afghanistan (essential).
• An in-depth understanding of conflict dynamics and relevant actors in Afghanistan (essential), and in the larger South Asia region (preferred).
• Experience in media monitoring or related areas is advantageous.
• Access to a computer, a reliable internet connection, email, and the Microsoft Office Suite.

Requirements

• Remuneration is 20 USD per hour.

Applications

• To apply, submit a CV and cover letter detailing qualifications, experience, and language proficiency to our career portal.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; interested candidates are advised to apply as soon as possible.
• We will only review applications received through our career portal, so please ensure to use the application form on the portal.
• Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a two-hour exercise as part of the evaluation of their coding aptitude.
• Please check your spam folder for correspondence.