Innovations for Poverty Action
Position Summary
IPA-Malawi is seeking a Research Associate to support a randomized evaluation of two interventions targeted to savings groups. The intervention provides treated savings groups with either a loan product paired with financial literacy training, or a mobile application that digitizes group ledgers. The Research Associate will have an exciting opportunity to work closely with academic researchers, NGO partners, and other field staff to perform a variety of tasks including managing survey teams, checking, cleaning, and analyzing data, and supporting the publication of project reports and academic papers.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate an interest in financial inclusion and social protection, possess strong data management skills, and have an understanding of econometrics and randomized evaluations. Preferably, the candidate will also have experience and comfort with managing large field teams, conducting checks on data collection, and communicating with several stakeholders.
Pending performance and availability, the Research Associate may be assigned to other projects in the country office.
Responsibilities
The Research Associate under the general supervision of the Associate Research Manager and within the limits of Innovations for
Poverty Action-Malawi policies and procedures, will perform a variety of tasks related to managing day-to-day research activities, from
planning to implementation, and quality monitoring. Below is a list of some of the general duties and responsibilities of the Research
Associate:
-
Project preparation and planning work, including piloting and scoping work or secondary research to help finalize the research design and protocols.
-
Manage relationships with staff at the partner organization, including regular follow-ups and meetings.
-
Support the hiring of field staff and lead the training of enumerators on all aspects of data collection.
-
Manage all data security aspects of the project, including protection of PII from unauthorized access and use.
-
Design forms for electronic data collection (using Survey CTO) and manage survey data
-
Ensure all aspects of data quality by overseeing the implementation of data quality protocols including daily quality checks and data security and sharing.
-
Take a lead on data cleaning, preliminary analysis (as directed by the PI and ARM) as well as other data processes on the project
-
Writing regular progress reports and leading project meetings to ensure deadlines are met.
-
Work closely with the Associate Research Manager and Grants team in managing donor deliverables and assisting with donor reporting and proposal writing for new grants.
-
Manage project staff hiring; prepare project staff hiring adverts, work with the HR department on screening, and assist in conducting project interviews.
-
Maintain regular communication with the Principal Investigators, providing timely updates on the progress.
-
Maintain and constantly update the project MyRA and other documentation.
-
Project finance management including financial tracking, reporting, and budget and expenses tracking.
Qualifications
-
Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics, statistics, public policy, Social Science, or other quantitative social science disciplines
-
Quantitative Skills: A basic understanding of econometrics, psychometrics, and/or data science is strongly preferred.
-
Demonstrated proficiency in the use of statistical software such as Stata or R, and experience with data management and data cleaning.
-
Demonstrate proficiency in designing and programming electronic data collection tools preferably using SurveyCTO.
-
A minimum of 3 years of work experience is required. Experience managing data collection, data management, partner liaison, and relationship management in developing countries is strongly preferred.
-
Flexibility and willingness to work in and travel to rural parts of Malawi when necessary.
-
Communication Skills: strong oral and written communication skills in the English language are required
Reports to
Associate Research Manager
Desired Start Date
As soon as possible
Location
Lilongwe, Malawi
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 of 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 a 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]. Please note that only qualified applicants will be contacted by the hiring manager.