Research Coordinator, Zambia Innovations for Poverty Action

Innovations for Poverty Action seeks a Research Coordinator for the Zambia country office. The Research Coordinator will oversee a portfolio of research projects and should be a highly motivated and qualified individual with strong project management, data management and analysis, people management and communication skills. This portfolio will cover various sectors, including education, health, financial inclusion and agriculture.The Research Coordinator position is a unique opportunity to provide strong leadership and act as a critical bridge between leading academic researchers, policymakers, and staff implementing research on the ground. You will join the dynamic and committed IPA Zambia team and contribute to the successful implementation of research projects, development of new projects and capacity building of team members. The Research Coordinator is also expected to work closely with the Country Director to support office operations relevant to their projects. Developing and fostering good relationships with local stakeholders and implementing partners, such as the Ministries of Health, Education and Agriculture, Financial Sector Deepening, Zambia, is another core element of the Research Coordinator role.

IPA is looking for someone who can smoothly interact with leading researchers and development partners, enjoys managing and improving internal processes, and has a team-oriented mindset. We are looking for a minimum commitment period of two years for this position with a possibility for a longer-term position for exceptional candidates.

The Research Coordinator (RC) will be responsible for the overall management of a portfolio of 3-4 research projects, most of which will be in the education, health, financial inclusion or agriculture sectors. Each of these projects is expected to be staffed with a permanent team of 1 to 3 staff and up to 20-50 short term staff during survey periods.

Responsibilities

In particular, the Research Coordinator (RC) will:

• Recruit, onboard and directly supervise research staff such as Research Associates and Field Managers and manage transitions in order to maintain institutional memory of project activities
• Coach, manage and support a team of Research Associates, Field Managers, and other research staff in the implementation of impact evaluations around the country.
• Ensure research projects adherence to general research design, sample selection, data management and general research protocols, and overall project management timelines.
• Manage relationships with investigators in multiple research institutions, funders and implementing partners to ensure successful projects.
• Plan and supervise survey implementation, quality assurance, data cleaning, data analysis and other activities related to rigorous impact evaluation implementation.
• Oversee the quality of client and partner deliverables
• Develop and manage project budgets to ensure expenditures are always within budgeted amounts.
• Produce reports for donors, researchers and other stakeholders.
• Maintain compliance with IPA’s policies and procedures as well as the Zambian law.
• Keep the Country Director apprised of all developments on the projects within their portfolio and serve as a key link between the country office, project staff, and Principal Investigators.
• Support the development of new projects in Zambia by establishing relationships with researchers, implementers and funders, and developing opportunities and proposals.
• Perform related duties as assigned by supervisor

Qualifications

• Bachelors or Master’s in development economics, or a field related to international economic development or public policy;
• At least two years of relevant experience;
• Experience conducting social science or economic field research; experience in conducting field research in developing countries required.
• Background in randomized control trials is a plus;
• Experience supervising data collection and teams of field workers, designing and implementing surveys;
• Experience with data analysis and interpretation;
• Experience with Stata required. Advanced knowledge of Stata, R or Python is highly preferred;
• Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work successfully with diverse constituencies required;
• Strong critical thinking and judgment to quickly identify problems and devise solutions as well as escalate matters as needed;
• Strong quantitative, budgeting, and financial management skills required;
• Ability to present research findings, including to non-research focused audiences;
• Strong written and oral communication skills and complete fluency in English is required;
• Passion for making data-driven decisions a reality in the development sector.

Application Instructions

Complete the J-PAL/IPA common application . After completing a brief registration, choose the Research job category, then select “Research Coordinator, Zambia”. Most applications for research positions require you to include at minimum two letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose (cover letter), CV, and transcripts.

Note that you are able to submit your application before your references complete their recommendation letters; however, you must include their contact information before submitting your application. 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 jobs@poverty-action.org 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 jobs@poverty-action.org .

• Please note that only qualified applicants will be contacted by the hiring manager.