Looking for a job

Emma Smith

@emmasmith4

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I turn labour-market and economic data into actionable social policy and workforce planning insights.

South Africa

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What I'm looking for

I'm looking to continue producing rigorous, practical research on labour markets, social policy, inequality, and economic development that informs government, development-partner, and institutional decisions.

At DNA Economics, I deliver labour-market and economic analysis that informs policy, programme design, resource allocation, and strategic decision-making for governments and development partners.

I've contributed to South Africa's Occupations in High Demand list and the first provincial lists for Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, using labour-force data and survey insights to support workforce planning and skills-development priorities. I also support economic and employment trend analysis for NEDLAC, contributing evidence to discussions on jobs and economic performance.

My work spans social policy, inequality, economic inclusion, monitoring and evaluation, and applied research. I focus on translating complex data into clear reports, recommendations, and stakeholder-ready insights that are technically sound and useful in shaping decisions.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior Analyst

Current

DNA Economics

Mar 2026 - Present (6 months)

•Deliver labour market and economic analysis that informs policy, programme design, and strategic decision making across government and development partners
•Translate complex datasets into structured insights that support assessment of trends, risks, and policy implications
•Conduct monitoring and evaluation of programmes to assess effectiveness and inform refinement, scale, and funding decisions

Academic Writing Client Engagement Analytical Thinking Interviewing Statistical Analysis Stakeholder Management Stakeholder Engagement Strategic Thinking Partner Engagement Reporting Policy Frameworks Project Management Economic Analysis Policy and Planning Critical Thinking Policy Development Performance Evaluation Report Writing Field Research Research Methods Labor Economics Research Presentation Skills Data Analysis Survey Design Labour Research strategic analysis Public Administration Economic Modeling Public Policy NVIVO Collective Bargaining Monitoring and Evaluation Project Planning Professional communication Policy Reporter Inequalities Problem Solving Labour Market Analysis Decision Support Quantitative Analytics Documentation Project Coordination Atlas.Ti Teamwork Program Evaluation Governance Evidence Synthesis Industrial Relations Budget Analysis Impact Evaluation Focus Groups Development Economics Trend Analysis Economic Research Qualitative Research Brief Development Presentation Development Program Assessment Financial Inclusion Writing Data Collection Data Modeling economic development Policy Implementation Public Expenditure Analysis Policy Analysis Data Visualization Research Design Knowledge Management

Analyst

DNA Economics

Jan 2023 - Mar 2026 (3 years 2 months)

Worked as Analyst at DNA Economics.

Academic Writing Client Engagement Analytical Thinking Interviewing Statistical Analysis Stakeholder Management Stakeholder Engagement Strategic Thinking Partner Engagement Reporting Policy Frameworks Project Management Economic Analysis Critical Thinking Policy Development Performance Evaluation Report Writing Field Research Research Methods Labor Economics Research Presentation Skills Data Analysis Survey Design Labour Research strategic analysis Public Administration Economic Modeling Public Policy NVIVO Collective Bargaining Monitoring and Evaluation Project Planning Professional communication Problem Solving Labour Market Analysis Decision Support Quantitative Analytics Documentation Project Coordination Atlas.Ti Teamwork Program Evaluation Governance Evidence Synthesis Industrial Relations Budget Analysis Impact Evaluation Focus Groups Development Economics Trend Analysis Economic Research Qualitative Research Presentation Development Financial Inclusion Writing Data Collection Data Modeling economic development Policy Implementation Public Expenditure Analysis Policy Analysis Data Visualization Research Design Knowledge Management

Research Intern

Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS) Wits University

Jul 2022 - Dec 2022 (5 months)

•Supported research on post COVID recovery, contributing to analysis used in policy and development discussions
•Coordinated engagement with funded partners, strengthening visibility of programme progress and accountability
•Monitored implementation of funded initiatives, supporting assessment of outcomes and performance
•Synthesised research findings into structured outputs used to inform interna

Academic Writing Client Engagement Analytical Thinking Interviewing Statistical Analysis Stakeholder Management Stakeholder Engagement Strategic Thinking Synthesized Findings Partner Engagement Reporting Economic Analysis Critical Thinking Policy Development Performance Evaluation Report Writing Field Research Research Methods Research Data Analysis Survey Design Labour Research Data Cleaning Research Support Public Policy Collective Bargaining Monitoring and Evaluation Research Coordination Project Planning Professional communication Policy Reporter Inequalities Problem Solving Labour Market Analysis Quantitative Analytics Documentation Project Coordination Teamwork Program Evaluation Evidence Synthesis Industrial Relations Budget Analysis Impact Evaluation Focus Groups Development Economics Trend Analysis Economic Research Qualitative Research Program Assessment Financial Inclusion Writing Data Collection Data Modeling economic development Outcomes Research Public Expenditure Analysis Policy Analysis Community Organizations Programme Tracking Research Design Knowledge Management

Research Intern

THE CHRIS HANI INSTITUTE

Aug 2020 - Mar 2022 (1 year 7 months)

•Contributed to national research on collective bargaining, supporting policy-relevant understanding of labour dynamics
•Designed and refined survey instruments to improve data quality and reliability
•Conducted fieldwork with unions and workers, ensuring research reflects on the ground realities of labour conditions
•Supported development of research outputs used in publications and knowledge sha

Teaching Assistant

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Sep 2019 - Jan 2020 (4 months)

•Facilitated tutorials on labour markets and global economic systems, supporting student understanding of complex topics
•Contributed to curriculum delivery, helping ensure alignment between course content and learning outcomes
•Guided students through discussion and analysis, strengthening engagement and critical thinking
•Provided structured feedback on assignments, supporting academic developme

Academic Writing Analytical Thinking Strategic Thinking Tutoring Critical Thinking Research Academic Support Services Professional communication Problem Solving Writing

Independent Researcher

The Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union (CS

Feb 2019 - Aug 2019 (6 months)

•Conducted research on labour conditions in the agricultural sector, contributing to evidence used in advocacy efforts
•Investigated worker well-being and working conditions, highlighting key risks and structural challenges
•Analysed value chains to identify gaps affecting labour standards and sector performance
•Contributed to advocacy materials used to engage international retailers and policyma

Academic Writing Analytical Thinking Strategic Thinking Critical Thinking Research Methods Labor Economics Research Collective Bargaining Professional communication Problem Solving Industrial Relations Qualitative Research Writing Community Organizations

Writer and contributer

Workers'World Media Production

Mar 2018 - Dec 2018 (9 months)

Workers’ World Media Productions is an independent labour movement media project and NGO with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. My work here included co-creating the global labour news segments for our weekly Labour Show on Cape Town Television. This involved setting up and maintaining global networks of labour experts and working-class movements.