Policy Manager at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

Position Summary

• Innovations for Poverty Action seeks a Policy Manager who will work closely with global and local teams to drive IPA Nigeria’s evidence to impact agenda. The Policy Manager will pursue scale-up opportunities of promising programs, create and manage opportunities for policymakers to use evidence in decision-making, scope replications of evidence-based programs that have been rigorously evaluated in other contexts, and will develop funding opportunities to resource strategic policy projects. The Policy Manager will report to IPA Nigeria’s Country Director with dotted line oversight from the global policy team and substantial collaboration with Nigeria research teams.

Responsibilities

20%
Lead IPA’s Policy Outreach Strategy

• Represent IPA Nigeria in meetings and communications with relevant stakeholders
• Work together with the global policy team to lead strategic events for policy purposes, including but not limited to summits, conferences, workshops, technical working groups, and round tables. Support researchers and country management to participate.
• In collaboration with researchers and in support of the country director, represent IPA locally in policy conversations and at events.
• Support research management staff in executing the “Policy Impact Minimum Must Dos” and in identifying and stewarding high potential partner relationships, particularly with senior levels within government or large organizations.

40%
Cultivate and Manage High Impact Policy Opportunities

• Lead Nigeria in continuously identifying and prioritizing high impact policy opportunities for evidence to be used
• Map key NGO, government, and development partner stakeholders with influence in priority sectors to be agreed with the Country Director and Global Policy team.
• Perform desk research to identify existing evidence, gaps in the literature, and innovative interventions in priority areas, in partnership with global teams
• Cultivate relationships with key local decision-makers in 3-4 sectors to identify their policy priorities, particularly those with decision-making authority over particular evidence-to-impact opportunities.
• Launch high impact policy opportunities, including opportunities to provide decision-makers with technical assistance for scaling-up or replicating evidence-based programs; initiating evidence-to-policy labs; and/or writing and implementing evidence-informed policies, and either manage small-scale engagements personally with global support, or collaborate with global teams to raise funds for additional staff to realize these opportunities. Specifically, these opportunities include the following:
• Developing and leading opportunities to scale successful research studies
  • Ensure that lessons from evaluations of effective programs are developed and communicated effectively
  • Work in close coordination with government and other partners to design and implement strategies for project scale-ups
  • Coordinate with IPA Nigeria’s research team to ensure that research findings are properly incorporated into scaling strategies
  • Scope opportunities for replication studies in Nigeria
    • Conduct desk research on rigorously evaluated interventions that have the potential to be replicated in Nigeria
    • Liaise with IPA sector and scaling teams to identify promising replication opportunities
    • Proactively reach out to and coordinate with interested researchers and partners to lead replication studies in Nigeria

40%

• Proactively identify opportunities and cultivate relationships that lead to developing large-scale policy evaluations with key decision-makers. Support research teams and researchers in development and execution
• Identify opportunities and cultivate relationships that lead to developing field replications to consolidate research on key policy-relevant research questions. Support research teams and researchers in development and execution
• Together with the Country Director, act as lead steward to key partner relationships and support key research partner conversations
• Proactively identify fundraising and business development opportunities for research on programs, develop concept notes, and pursue opportunities in collaboration with global and country office-based staff
• Write and edit grant proposals and adapt past proposals to apply to new donors
• Expand and improve IPA Nigeria’s proposal development resources, information management, and stock language
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.
• Maintain compliance with all company policies and procedures.

Qualifications
Required

• Master’s degree in economics, development, international relations, public administration, public policy, or a closely related field strongly preferred. Will accept additional experience in place of master’s.
• Five or more years of relevant experience, including at least 1 year of experience working closely with local government officials.
• Knowledge of and demonstrated interest in international development policy required.
• Attention to detail and advanced presentation skills for communicating policy lessons from academic papers in ways that policymakers understand. This requires clear, precise, non-technical writing and confident, effective spoken communication and presentation style.
• Experience in leading business development opportunities and proposal writing.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: the ability to effectively convene and liaise with a variety of people in multiple organizations in a multi-cultural environment and across many time zones.
• Proven ability to multitask and successfully complete projects on tight deadlines with little supervision.
• Willingness to work hard, be self-motivated, and learn will be essential for doing well in this position.
• Ability to supervise staff and manage projects independently.