Research and Policy Officer

Research and Policy Officer 

IGC is seeking to appoint a Zambia-based  researcher to support its work on Property Taxation in Zambia. The taxation of land and property is an underutilised source of public finance in Zambia despite rapid urbanisation and a national focus on empowering local authorities. This project is a new collaboration with the Ndola City Council to understand the constraints the city faces in collecting taxes on properties and to identify the key areas for reform to focus further research and collaboration.

The successful applicant will have: 

A bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, urban planning (ideally with courses in development economics), or a higher degree in the same.
A strong interest in taxation and/or urban and economic development policy in Zambia.
Ability to work independently and self-motivate and bring a proactive approach to the role.
Strong organisational and data management skills. Including work on cataloguing large document registries.
Strong analytical and writing skills and an interest to conduct policy analysis (under supervision of the project lead), write clearly for a policy audience, and contribute to conversations with senior policymakers.
Ability to critically read academic research, especially economic research, and summarise relevant knowledge.
Some experience in supporting research or policy work will be of benefit.

List of services 

Conduct a review of Zambia’s nationwide property tax system, including the laws that provide the institutional framework to local authorities.
Conduct a review of the administrative data – including the tax registry and property roll of Ndola City Council to analyse the current system in the city.
Manage a targeted survey of taxpayers, inspectors, and officials.
Map key reform priorities that can be used as a foundation for further study, including a valuation pilot that can explore different valuation techniques.
Undertake some project management tasks, including arranging meetings with key partners, as assigned by the project lead.
Undertake any other additional tasks as the work in Zambia develops, based on policymaker demand.
Application process: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Please submit the following in a PDF format to zambia@theigc.org with the subject title “IGC Research and Policy Officer- Ndola”:

a CV (no longer than two pages) and
a short cover letter (clearly highlighting how you meet the criteria above using examples of your skills and experience, in no longer than 1-page)
If you have any questions about the position, please reach out to the project leads , Shahrukh Wani shah.rukh@bsg.ox.ac.uk  or Twivwe Siwale twivwe.siwale@theigc.org.