Associate Director, Research at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

Requisition ID: 1460

Description 

• We need an Associate Director of Research to support the Nigeria country program. As a member of the country management team, the Associate Director (AD) will work closely with the Country Director to provide strategic direction, research oversight, and capacity building to a team of local and international staff.
• The AD will have a strong focus on research management for the Nigeria office, represent IPA in Nigeria, and provide oversight to a portfolio of impact evaluations that are expected to span across multiple sectors over time: financial inclusion, peace and recovery, social protection, health, education, agriculture,  and enterprise development.
• He/she will contribute to IPA Nigeria’s continued expansion by initiating new partnerships and projects in the country and will support the dissemination of results to development practitioners and policymakers. 
• This position provides a unique opportunity to gain high-level management experience in a growing country program, and to be closely involved in policy-relevant research, working with top academics, donors, governments, and other practitioners to foster evidence based-policy making. 

Responsibilities
Ensure high-quality research projects in Nigeria:

• Manage a team composed of Research Managers/Associate Research Managers whose responsibilities include project design, management of data collection, data management, and analysis, and writing of research reports, all in close collaboration with the Principal Investigators.
• Ensure that IPA research is implemented according to IPA’s quality standards and Principal Investigators’ direction.
• Lead with transitions, on-boarding/off-boarding of new Research Managers/Coordinators staff, and maintaining institutional memory of project activities.
• Promote inter-project best practices and take the lead in sharing best practices with projects through formal and informal training for staff.
• Work to incorporate best practices and lessons learned in research and data quality by other IPA offices and research affiliates.
• Build systems and structures to build staff capacity and ensure overall data quality.
• Directly manage research project(s), as needed, including providing technical/field support, liaising with researchers, overseeing grant management, data collection and reporting.

Contribute to IPA’s continued expansion by supporting new partnerships and projects in Nigeria:

• Share leadership of business development with the Country Director to grow the two country offices and identify new research and policy project opportunities.
• In collaboration with potential partners and Principal Investigators, identify and develop potential projects with meaningful research and policy implications in line with IPA’s mission.
• Conduct partner outreach, including meetings with interested organizations/researchers and review of new project ideas.
• Participate in research project design and lead budgeting/proposal materials development for new and ongoing projects to ensure evaluations meet IPA standards.
• Review proposal materials, including budgets, in collaboration with Country Director.
• Participate in capacity building of staff on project development tasks and responsibilities.

Policy Impact and External Relations: 

• Represent IPA in national and local government agencies and partner organizations
• Develop and maintain relationships with current and potential IPA partner organizations, implementing partners, the government and academia for the country office to maximize its impact
• Engage government partners and other stakeholders to identify research questions of interest and cultivate potential research projects in those areas
• Oversee/participate in capacity building of local development partners in evidence-based policy-making and rigorous impact evaluations
• Oversee targeted dissemination, encourage scale-up of successful interventions

General Management and Operations Support:

• Work with the Country Director to set the vision and strategic plan for the country program and track progress
• Support the supervision and management of the operations function including compliance, procurement, finance, and administration

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Project Management, Development Economics, International Affairs, International Public Policy, or a field related to International Economic Development
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience, including 3 years in a management position; preferably experience in research and policy engagement, ideally in West Africa.
• Strong technical research skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead large teams and multiple projects
• Experience in randomized controlled trials preferred
• Experience developing research projects, experience with budgeting and project planning
• Passion for connecting rigorous research to policy makers and practitioners and communicating what works in development
• Commitment to leading a diverse team in a multicultural environment and building staff capacity
• Ability to communicate effectively across cultures with multiple stakeholders including international and local academic researchers, government officials, NGO partners, enumeration teams, and study participants
• Experience in people and financial management, including managing funds from multiple donors preferred
• Experience in grants and contracts management, preferably in a research setting, preferred
• Excellent management and organizational skills and ability to work independently with proven ability to multi-task
• Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player
• Fluency in both written and spoken English is required