Team Leader / ASM Research Specialist – Zambia

Aninver Development Partners SL (www.aninver.com) is looking for a Team Leader / ASM Research Specialist for a private sector consultancy assignment financed by UNIDO in Zambia.

Aninver Development Partners SL is seeking an expert Team Leader / ASM Research Specialist for an upcoming consultancy assignment with UNIDO in Zambia. The initiative focuses on the private-sector development domain, specifically supporting artisanal and small-scale mining operators and workers within critical mineral value chains across selected provinces.

The expert will lead a comprehensive baseline assessment and skills development needs analysis, establishing crucial metric foundations for net income and competency profiles while ensuring rigorous data collection, stakeholder coordination, and strategic oversight throughout the project lifecycle.

Aninver is preparing a proposal for this assignment. The selected expert will be part of the proposed team; the engagement is conditional on the contract being awarded to Aninver. The full Terms of Reference for the position are shared with shortlisted candidates.

Objectives of the assignment

• Lead the overall execution of the baseline assessment and skills development needs analysis for target artisanal and small-scale mining populations.
• Consolidate existing information to construct a robust and operational sampling framework suited to the realities of the sector.
• Establish credible baseline values and evidence for target setting regarding net income indicators.
• Identify and prioritize genuine skills-development needs across priority occupations and tasks.
• Ensure all analytical outputs are disaggregated effectively by variables such as province, commodity, sex, and youth status.

Scope of work

• Consolidate available data from institutional records, licensing databases, and prior regional studies relevant to the target population.
• Develop and implement an appropriate sampling and selection methodology that minimizes bias and ensures adequate representation.
• Design comprehensive baseline and skills-assessment instruments to measure net income and competency levels.
• Execute field data collection, respondent-access management, and strict do-no-harm data protection protocols.
• Analyze performance problems to distinguish genuine competency constraints from equipment, market, regulatory, or organizational bottlenecks.
• Establish data foundations that enable future project linkages and impact evaluations.
• Draft and deliver key project reports, including the sampling framework report, fieldwork reports, clean datasets, and final findings.

Your role as Team Leader / ASM Research Specialist

• Assume overall technical and managerial responsibility for the successful delivery of the assignment.
• Direct the applied research activities and coordinate closely with UNIDO and local stakeholders in Zambia.
• Oversee the consolidation of existing information and the identification of material gaps in the sampling framework.
• Supervise the design and deployment of the baseline and skills-assessment instruments.
• Guide the analysis comparing required competencies and current skill levels among sampled operators and workers.
• Ensure high data quality standards, reproducibility of analytical datasets, and adherence to data protection principles.
• Deliver progress reports, draft findings, and final reports including stakeholder presentations.

Requirements

• Education: Not stated
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant applied research experience
• Languages: English

Desirable

• Direct experience with ASM in Zambia is highly desirable
• Prior professional engagement with UNIDO or European Union-funded projects in the region.
• Extensive knowledge of critical mineral value chains and regional socioeconomic dynamics in Zambia.

An experienced applied researcher with deep knowledge of Zambia's artisanal and small-scale mining sector, proven leadership skills, and a strong track record in managing complex baseline assessments and skills analyses.

Assignment details

• Location: Zambia
• Financed by: UNIDO
• Sector: Private sector
• Estimated duration: 4 months
• Contract: individual consultancy (conditional on award)

About Aninver Development Partners

Aninver is an international development consulting firm headquartered in Spain. It supports governments, development banks, UN agencies and bilateral donors with feasibility studies, technical assistance, evaluations and capacity building across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Asia-Pacific, working with a network of international and national experts.

Why apply

• Join a multidisciplinary team on a UNIDO-financed project in Zambia.
• Individual consultancy: flexible, output-based engagement with an experienced proposal team.
• Your CV stays in Aninver's expert network for future assignments that match your profile.

How to apply

Sign in (or create a free account) and upload your CV in English. Add your LinkedIn profile, indicative daily rate and availability to speed up the assessment. Aninver will contact the shortlisted candidates.

Frequently asked questions

Is the position confirmed? The engagement depends on the contract being awarded to Aninver. Shortlisted experts are included in the proposal with their consent.

Can I apply if I am not based in the country? Yes, unless the requirements say otherwise; relevant regional experience is an asset.

What happens with my CV? It is used to assess your fit for this and future positions and is not shared with third parties without your consent.