How to apply for Research Consultant

About Lead Exposure Elimination Project

The Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP) is an effectiveness-focused nonprofit working to eliminate childhood lead poisoning by advocating for lead paint regulation in low- and middle-income countries. What makes LEEP unique is its rigorous, data-driven approach: they use cost-effectiveness modeling to guide resource allocation and are committed to transparency and measurable impact. Working here means joining a small, high-impact team where your analytical work directly informs global health policy and saves lives.

About the role

As a Research Consultant, you will refine and update LEEP's cost-effectiveness analysis model, which determines where to allocate resources for lead poisoning prevention. This involves incorporating current program, economic, and demographic data—such as population growth, urbanization, and cost adjustments—and investigating high-uncertainty assumptions that materially impact results. Your work will directly influence LEEP's strategy and public communications, making it a highly impactful role for someone passionate about evidence-based global health.

A typical day

A typical day might involve updating the cost-effectiveness model with new demographic data, researching recent studies on lead exposure prevalence in a specific region, and drafting a rationale for a key assumption change. You might also collaborate with LEEP's program team to understand on-the-ground costs and communicate model findings to stakeholders through written reports or presentations.

Who Lead Exposure Elimination Project is looking for

• Strong quantitative modeling skills, with experience in cost-effectiveness analysis or similar economic evaluations, and proficiency in tools like Excel, R, or Python.
• Background in global health, environmental health, or development economics, with familiarity with burden of disease metrics and epidemiological data.
• Ability to research and synthesize data on lead exposure prevalence and burden in low- and middle-income countries from sources like IHME, WHO, and academic literature.
• Excellent written communication skills, capable of drafting clear rationales for model changes and translating complex analyses for public audiences.

Tips for this application

• Demonstrate your experience with cost-effectiveness models by describing a specific project where you updated or built a model, including the data sources and assumptions you handled.
• Show familiarity with lead exposure issues: mention key statistics (e.g., 1 in 3 children globally have elevated blood lead levels) and cite sources like the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) or WHO reports.
• Tailor your application to LEEP's effectiveness-focused approach: emphasize how your work has led to better resource allocation or policy decisions in global health.
• Highlight any experience working with low- and middle-income country data, including adjusting for population growth, urbanization, or cost differences.
• In your cover letter, explicitly reference LEEP's mission and model, and suggest how you might improve it—this shows you've done your homework and can contribute immediately.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your hands-on experience with cost-effectiveness analysis or economic modeling, particularly in global health or environmental health contexts.', "Your ability to research and integrate demographic and economic data (e.g., population growth, urbanization) into models, with examples of how you've done this.", 'Your understanding of lead exposure as a global health issue and familiarity with key data sources and burden estimates.', 'Your written communication skills, including experience drafting technical rationales or public-facing content about model updates.']

Research before applying

• Read LEEP's website, especially their cost-effectiveness model and any published reports or blog posts, to understand their methodology and current priorities.
• Familiarize yourself with the global burden of lead exposure: key statistics, health effects, and major sources (e.g., lead paint, batteries, spices).
• Explore data sources like the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), WHO, and UNICEF for lead exposure prevalence and burden estimates.
• Look into LEEP's partners and funders (e.g., GiveWell, Open Philanthropy) to understand their effectiveness-focused approach and how they measure impact.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk us through a cost-effectiveness model you've built or updated. What data did you use, and how did you handle uncertainty?
• How would you approach updating LEEP's model with current population growth and urbanization data for low- and middle-income countries?
• What are the key sources for lead exposure prevalence data, and how would you assess their reliability?
• Describe a time you had to communicate a complex analytical finding to a non-technical audience. How did you ensure clarity?
• Why are you interested in LEEP's mission, and how do you see this role contributing to global lead poisoning prevention?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a generic cover letter that doesn't mention LEEP, lead exposure, or cost-effectiveness modeling—this shows a lack of genuine interest.
• Failing to demonstrate quantitative skills or experience with modeling; this role is highly analytical, so vague claims without concrete examples are a red flag.
• Ignoring the global health context: not referencing low- and middle-income countries or the specific challenges of data scarcity in these settings.