Innovations for Poverty Action Recruitment for Research Associate

Poverty Action Recruitment for Research Associate. Please ensure you read the job requirements before applying for this position.

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence on which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it.

IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 900 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Research Associate

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Desired Start Date: ASAP
Job Type: International
Reports to: Country Director

Job Description

• IPA Nigeria is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual with outstanding project management, data analysis, people management, and communication skills as a Research Associate to support the implementation of a rigorous impact evaluation.
• The Research Associate position is a unique opportunity to combine significant project management experience with involvement in cutting-edge development research on a dynamic and passionate IPA Nigeria team.
• As an ideal candidate, you not only have a solid technical foundation in impact evaluation methodology, but you can also independently guide and direct the activities that happen both upstream and downstream of any rigorous, randomized evaluation.
• You enjoy contributing to high-performing teams that drive the production of the highest quality research for our clients and partners.
• You excel in solving problems using clear, strategic, and creative thinking. You have a strong social acumen and are excited about the opportunity to broaden, deepen, and manage meaningful relationships with high-level clients and partners across the public, academic, non-governmental, and multilateral sectors.

Responsibilities 
The Research Associate will perform a variety of tasks related to managing day-to-day research activities, from planning to implementation, and monitoring quality. These include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinating research and implementation efforts with all relevant stakeholders;
• Providing training and supervision for research project staff (Field Manager);
• Managing project finances including budgeting, expense tracking, and financial reporting;
• Ensuring that all team members follow necessary protocols and procedures;
• Handling day to day PI and partner communications;
• Any other task as assigned by Country Director;
• Keep the Country Director apprised of all developments in the project and serve as the key link between the field staff, research team, and Principal Investigators.
• Recruiting, training, and supervising field-based teams;
• Refining and piloting survey questionnaires;
• Supervising and monitoring data collection to ensure high-quality of the data;
• Supporting data quality checks and fixing issues with data collected during data collection;
• Assisting in data cleaning and preliminary analysis and ensuring ready access to all data for researchers and/or supervisors;
• Documenting in detail all activities related to the project;
• Maintaining accurate records of interviews, safeguarding the confidentiality of subjects, as necessary;
• Preparing high-quality progress and results reports to Principal Investigators (PI), research partners, and funding agencies, and sharing them timely;
• Providing timely updates and responses to partner organizations, and participating in meetings with key stakeholders;
• Support the country office in project and policy development as needed

Qualifications 

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Public Policy, or other quantitative Social Science disciplines (Master’s Degree preferred);
• Ability to successfully complete assigned tasks and meeting deadlines, required;
• Communication Skills: Attention to detail and advanced writing and presentation skills are required;
• Language: English fluency required;
• Quantitative Skills: Strong technical understanding of economics and econometrics required. Demonstrated proficiency in Stata, and experience with data management, data cleaning, and regression analysis
• A minimum of 2-year of work experience is required. Experience managing field staff in developing countries strongly preferred;
• Ability to collaborate among geographically and culturally diverse teams to drive common goals;
• Interculturally-versed to build capacity, work with, and live in Nigeria;
• Excellent management and organizational skills;

Method of Application

Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Application Instructions

• Complete the J-PAL/IPA common application. After completing a brief registration, choose the Research job category, then select “Research Associate”.
• Applications require you to include two letters of recommendation, statement of purpose (cover letter), and CV. Note that you are able to submit your application without the recommendation letters. However, please be advised that we will be requiring them should you be invited for an interview.

Note

• Only qualified applicants will be contacted by the hiring manager.
• Given the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.