The Research Assistant will support a randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining the impact of a digital inventory management application on small retail businesses in Zambia. The app provides product recommendations and supplier price information to help shopkeepers make better stocking and sourcing decisions. The RA will assist with cleaning and managing survey datasets collected via SurveyCTO, building and refining enumerator quality checks and data validation routines, cleaning and managing application data, supporting statistical analysis (including correlations, descriptive statistics, and regressions), producing tables and graphs of analytical outputs, and reviewing and summarizing relevant literature on inventory management, supplier search, and small firm growth in developing countries. 

--Anticipated hours/week: Up to 12 weeks full time in the summer as well as part time work during the semester

The main duties and responsibilities of the RA include (but are not limited to):
• Cleaning and managing survey datasets collected via SurveyCTO
• Building and refining enumerator quality checks and data validation routines
• Cleaning and managing application data
• Assisting with statistical analysis, including correlations, descriptive statistics and regressions
• Producing tables and graphs of analytical outputs
• Reviewing and summarizing existing literature on inventory management, supplier search, and small
firm growth in developing countries

Essential Selection Criteria
• Knowledge of programming and data analysis in Stata

Desirable Selection Criteria
• Experience cleaning and analyzing survey data in Stata and automating the production of graphical
and table-based outputs
• Knowledge of and interest in development economics
• Major in economics or intention to major in economics
• Experience of working in a research team and contributing towards academic outputs
• Experience typesetting documents in LaTeX

Application
If you are interested, please send 1) your CV (max 2 pages) and 2) a short cover letter (<1 page) outlining
(a) why you are interested in the role, (b) how you meet the selection criteria and (c) your availability
between 03/01/26–08/21/26 and preferences regarding full-time versus part-time work during this
period to erileyg@umich.edu by Feb 28 (applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis). Include the tag
"[RA Inventory App]" in the subject line of the email.