Manager, National Poverty Lab at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

Job Summary

• IPA Nigeria is seeking a Manager to lead an embedded evidence lab established within a federal institution to strengthen evidence- and data-informed coordination of social protection programmes.
• The Manager will serve as the senior technical lead for the lab, driving a policy-relevant research agenda, strengthening the institution’s data and MEL systems, and building the institutional capacity needed for the sustainability of the lab.
• The role requires a practitioner with deep knowledge of Nigeria’s social protection landscape, strong analytical and research skills, and a proven ability to translate complex data and evidence into actionable policy insights.
• The ideal candidate is equally comfortable designing and conducting rigorous analysis, building data systems, facilitating capacity building with institutional staff, and presenting findings to senior decision-makers
• The Manager may also be called upon to contribute to other IPA Nigeria embedded lab engagements as organizational needs evolve.

Responsibilities
Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination:

• Position the lab as a credible, trusted technical partner supporting coordination and evidence-informed decision-making within the federal social protection ecosystem.
• Facilitate the development of inter-agency data sharing and coordination frameworks, and formalize institutional arrangements that improve the flow of programme data across federal and state levels.
• Represent IPA at federal-level policy forums, technical working groups, inter-ministerial coordination meetings, and external engagements, communicating the lab’s work and positioning IPA as a thought leader in social protection evidence and policy in Nigeria.
• Support IPA advocacy efforts aimed at reforming federal reporting frameworks to create institutional demand for outcome-oriented evidence, moving beyond compliance-driven reporting toward adaptive programme management.

Evidence Generation and Research:

• Lead the development of the embedded lab’s framework and operating model, including its mandate, objectives, governance structure, defined roles and responsibilities, decision-making processes, workflows, and engagement mechanisms with government partners.
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for core lab functions such as data mapping, evidence intake, data analysis and reporting, research prioritisation, and learning cycles.
• Design and manage primary data collection activities and administrative data reviews, ensuring methodological rigor and direct alignment with the institution’s information and decision-making needs.
• Identify and develop opportunities to leverage large-scale administrative datasets, including state and national social registries and programme management information systems, for generating policy-relevant insights.
• Lead the co-creation of embedded evaluations and research studies that generate rigorous evidence on the effectiveness of social protection programmes.
• Produce high-quality technical outputs including analytical reports, policy briefs, evidence syntheses, and lessons learned documents that communicate findings to decision-makers and the broader social protection ecosystem.

Lab Management and MEL Systems Strengthening:

• Develop and implement a MEL framework for the lab’s operations, including a work plan, results framework, and reporting protocols that enable transparent tracking of lab activities and outcomes against agreed objectives.
• Support the partner institution in strengthening its central data infrastructure, working with technical staff to operationalize existing data systems, automate data flows between programme units and central repositories, in line with data governance protocols.
• Co-create standard operating procedures, guidelines, and quality assurance protocols for sustainable data management within the institution.
• Manage lab administrative and operational requirements including work planning, procurement, financial tracking, documentation, and internal and donor reporting, in coordination with IPA Nigeria’s operations team.

Data Analytics and Reporting:

• Lead hands-on quantitative and qualitative analysis of social protection programme data, translating findings into clear and decision-relevant insights.
• Design and build data dashboards, scorecards, and visualization tools that enable institutional leadership and programme managers to monitor performance against key indicators, using platforms such as Power BI, Tableau, or Excel-based solutions appropriate to the institution’s infrastructure.
• Develop and institutionalize reproducible analytical workflows, documentation standards, and data systems that can be independently maintained, updated, and scaled over time.
• Support the institution’s external reporting obligations to leadership, donors, and development partners, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with reporting requirements.
• Contribute to IPA Nigeria’s broader policy communications outputs, including co-authoring blog posts, policy briefs, and presentations that draw on evidence generated through the lab.

Capacity Building and Technical Support:

• Design and deliver targeted capacity building interventions for institutional staff on social protection MEL, data analysis, evidence interpretation, and evidence-to-policy translation, adapting content and delivery modalities to different staff levels and learning needs.
• Provide ongoing on-the-job coaching and technical mentoring to M&E officers, programme managers, and data analysts, building their ability to independently generate and use evidence for programme adaptation and policy decisions.
• Facilitate structured learning events including data review meetings, evidence-to-action workshops, and cross-programme learning sessions that promote a culture of continuous learning and evidence-informed adaptation within the institution.
• Develop training materials, guidance notes, and job aids that create durable institutional knowledge resources, enabling the partner to sustain evidence use practices beyond the life of the lab engagement.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Economics, Development Studies, Public Policy, Statistics, Data Science, Social Sciences, or a related field is required.
• 5 to 7 years of relevant professional experience in social protection, poverty reduction, international development, or a closely related field, with demonstrated exposure to national or federal-level programme contexts.
• Strong knowledge of social protection systems and programmes, including familiarity with conditional cash transfers, graduation models, and the institutional architecture of social protection delivery in Nigeria or comparable settings.
• Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools, including advanced Microsoft Excel, at least one statistical software package (Stata, R, or Python), and data visualization platforms such as Power BI or Tableau.
• Hands-on experience designing, strengthening, or implementing Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems, including data collection, management, and analysis frameworks, preferably in a government or regulatory context.
• Proven ability to manage multiple programmes or workstreams simultaneously, including planning timelines, coordinating across stakeholders, tracking progress, and managing deliverables and budgets in a development or public policy context.
• Demonstrated ability to train, coach, or mentor others in data analysis, statistics, or MEL systems, including building institutional capacity for data use.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical analysis into clear, structured, and policy-relevant insights for non-technical audiences.
• Experience working with federal government institutions or regulatory agencies is highly desirable; familiarity with Nigeria’s federal social protection architecture is a strong advantage.
• Willingness to be a team player and identify connections between work streams.
• Cultural and political sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work successfully with diverse constituencies, including senior government officials, development partners, and community-level stakeholders.
• Passion for making data-driven decision-making a reality in the development sector, with a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for people living in poverty.