Position summary

Banyan Global is recruiting five Social Scientists (Level II) for the human capital and workforce development technical area of an upcoming Millennium Challenge Corporation procurement and is contingent on an award. The work will support social analysis of education, technical and vocational training, workforce development, and health programs, currently in Belize and Kosovo. Candidates may apply for more than one position. Experience in Belize or Kosovo is strongly preferred.

Positions and key responsibilities

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Specialist (Social Scientist, Level II)

• Analyze social drivers of participation in TVET programs, including perceptions of vocational training, household preferences, and pathways from training to employment.
• Assess the accessibility of training opportunities, participation patterns, and completion rates.
• Identify social and behavioral factors that influence program uptake.
• Examine how training systems interact with local contexts and labor markets, and recommend ways to improve program relevance and effectiveness.

Workforce Development and Labor Market Specialist (Social Scientist, Level II)

• Analyze workforce participation patterns, barriers to employment, and transitions into and within the labor market.
• Examine social norms, household dynamics, and other factors that influence job search, job retention, and career progression.
• Assess workforce readiness, participation trends, and constraints affecting different population groups.
• Contribute to the design of interventions that improve employment outcomes and align with labor market demand.

Secondary Education Systems and Access Specialist (Social Scientist, Level II)

• Analyze social factors that influence access to, progression through, and completion of secondary education.
• Examine household decision-making, student experiences, and community-level influences on participation and learning.
• Assess barriers to attendance and retention, transitions from primary to secondary education, the social context of teaching and learning, and the learning needs of teachers and school leaders.
• Recommend ways to address constraints affecting student outcomes and system performance.

Health Systems and Behavioral Determinants Specialist (Social Scientist, Level II)

• Examine social and behavioral determinants of health, including factors that influence service use and health-seeking practices on both the demand and supply sides.
• Analyze barriers to accessing health services, community perceptions of care, and patterns of service use across population groups.
• Assess how health service delivery models interact with local contexts.
• Identify linkages between health, education, and workforce outcomes.

Social and Institutional Analysis Specialist (Social Scientist, Level II)

• Assess how institutional structures, policies, and governance arrangements influence service delivery and human capital outcomes.
• Analyze stakeholder roles, incentives, and coordination mechanisms, and the social context in which institutions operate.
• Identify institutional constraints, assess implementation capacity, and recommend ways to strengthen systems and improve program effectiveness.

Apply expertise in the human capital sector the program focuses on: education, workforce development, or health.

Required qualifications

• 10 to 14 years of experience in economic and social analysis, design, and/or implementation, including conducting social analysis or applying it to project design or implementation in a relevant technical field.
• A bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Expertise in a social science (sociology, anthropology, demography, geography, economics, or community development) or a related discipline.
• Experience in education, technical and vocational training, workforce development, or health, relevant to the position, gained in low-income and lower-middle-income countries.
• Experience conducting social analysis that includes stakeholder engagement.
• Strong written English. Depending on the country assignment, MCC may also require Spanish, French, or Portuguese.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in Belize or Kosovo (strongly preferred).
• Experience in Central America and the Caribbean, or in the Western Balkans.
• Experience with TVET system reform, national training agencies, education quality assurance, or employer-driven training.
• Proficiency in Spanish or Albanian.
• Prior experience working with MCC.