Responsibilities

The Associate Research & Project Development Manager’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• New project development (60%) : The Associate Research & Project Development Manager (ARPDM) will lead new project development in the Ghana office. In particular, as part of the project development component of the position, the Associate Research & Project Development Manager will:
• In collaboration with the Country Directors, Research Managers and the Global Business Development team, develop and continuously review and adapt as needed, a project development and stakeholder engagement strategy for the various sectors;
• Recruit and manage a team of 2-4 interns;
• Lead and initiate a portfolio of project development efforts with researchers, funders, and partner organizations;
• Identify priority research questions and key concerns for policymakers in the various sectors, and initiate and manage the development of corresponding new research proposals;
• Propose cost structures and budgets for potential funding opportunities and proposals;
• Ensure that institutional arrangements are taken care of to submit proposals applications – in line with the donors’ deadlines and requirements – and collaborate with the Grants team and the Business Development team to submit research proposals and set up new grant awards;
• Develop new and manage existing relationships with IPA partner organizations and principal investigators to enhance the relevance and influence of IPA’s research, support targeted dissemination of research findings, encourage scale-up of successful projects;
• Represent IPA at local (and potentially regional and global) forums focused on priority sectors, identified in collaboration with the Country Directors and Policy team, including workgroups, tasks forces, advisory committees, conferences, etc.;
• In coordination with the Global Business Development team, develop resources for project development and ensure all internal project development files, folders and tracking systems are up to date.
• Research Management in (40%): The Associate Research & Project Development Manager will be responsible for the overall management of research projects. In particular, as part of the research component of the position, the ARPDM will:
• Work with Principal Investigators to ensure their adherence to research design, sample selection, data collection, data management and general research protocols, as well as overall project objectives timelines;
• Directly supervise 1 or 2 permanent research project staff, with an eye on their professional growth;
• Keep the Country Director appraised of all developments on the project within their portfolio, and serve as a key link between the field office, project staff, and Principal Investigators;
• Ensure compliance with IPA’s research quality protocols, promote inter-project best practices and take the lead in sharing best practices with projects through formal and informal trainings;
• Work with field office staff to ensure sound human resource and operational management of projects;
• Oversee project financial management, including creation and monitoring of project budgets, and ensuring smooth integration of projects into IPA financial systems;
• Take part in regular meetings with local government officials and other partners to ensure the success of programmatic activities; and
• Support the dissemination of interim results via presentations and reports to non-academic audiences.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in economics, political science, international development, public policy, or other related field;
• At least 3 years of work experience in a similar position;
• Excellent project management skills;
• Previous experience in managing research projects and sound understanding of research methods, including quantitative data management;
• Experience in developing research projects, experience with budgeting and project planning;
• Previous experience working on fundraising with public and private donors;
• Demonstrated experience in research and policy engagement;
• Passion for connecting rigorous impact evaluation research to policy makers and practitioners and communicating what works in development;
• Experience in grants and contracts management, preferably in a research setting;
• Excellent management and organizational skills and ability to work independently;
• Experience working in sub-Saharan Africa preferred;
• Advanced communication and presentation skills in English.

Application Instructions

Complete the J-PAL/IPA common application. After completing a brief registration, choose the APPROPRIATE CATEGORY job category, then select ‘Associate Research & Project Development Manager’. Applications require you to include a statement of purpose (cover letter) and CV.

Given the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

About IPA

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.

IPA’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

As an organization, IPA is dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations through evidence and policy. We also recognize how important it is for our staff to reflect the diversity of the places where we work and the communities we work with. As such, IPA is committed to hiring from a diverse pool of candidates, from a range of backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives. We know that this makes our work stronger and more responsive to the challenges faced by those we work with and for and we encourage people from historically underrepresented groups to apply. Click here to learn more about IPA’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Innovations for Poverty Action is an affirmative action equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected class. IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you believe you require such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please contact us at [email protected] or via phone at 1-202-386-6200. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by the specified position. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to [email protected].