Research and Learning Associate at New Incentives

Position Overview

• New Incentives is at an exciting inflection point. Having established a rigorous evidence base for our core conditional cash transfer program for routine immunization, we are now investing in building a pipeline of new, cost-effective interventions—from lighter-touch program variants to complementary health interventions like ORS distribution—that extend our impact and inform how we scale. This role sits at the center of that effort.
• We are seeking a Research and Learning Associate to help generate, evaluate, and learn from this expanding portfolio of interventions. Working closely with external research firms, our engineering team, and Communications and Program Manager, this person will help ensure that our research is rigorous, our data is trustworthy, and our evidence translates into real-world programmatic decisions.
• The scope of research will range from informal data gathering and pilot monitoring to formal randomized controlled trials, depending on the intervention and the question.
• The ideal candidate has applied experience in impact evaluation—someone who understands how RCTs work, can critically engage with research design and methodology, and is comfortable serving as a bridge between research partners and internal technical teams.
• This is a high-growth role: as New Incentives' research portfolio expands, so too will the scope and seniority of this position for the right person.

Responsibilities
Research Design and Evaluation Support:

• Contribute to the planning and execution of impact evaluations across the research lifecycle, from shaping research questions and study design through fieldwork, analysis, and interpretation of findings.
• Engage critically with evaluation methodology, including experimental design, sampling approaches, power calculations, and pre-analysis plans, primarily in collaboration with external research firms.
• Support the review and refinement of research protocols, including coverage survey instruments, to ensure methodological rigor and practical feasibility.
• Assist with applying appropriate statistical techniques and documenting analytical processes to support credible, well-grounded findings.
• Conduct targeted literature reviews to inform research design, identify relevant evidence on intervention effectiveness, and support internal decision-making on new program additions.

Survey Instrument Development and Implementation:

• Serve as a methodological bridge between external research firms and our engineering team in the development of new survey instruments, ensuring that design decisions are correctly translated into digital data collection tools.
• Support the testing and quality assurance of survey instruments, including verifying skip logic, reviewing data exports, and identifying and resolving implementation issues before and during field deployment.
• Help manage digital data collection tools and support effective rollout in the field.

Partner Relations and Coordination:

• Serve as a key internal point of contact with external research firms, helping to ensure strong partner relations, clear communication, and high research quality across joint projects.
• Contribute to a collaborative relationship with a research firm in which they lead external evaluation work, while New Incentives provides meaningful input on research priorities and design.

Data Quality and Validation:

• Work closely with the engineering and operations teams to review incoming data for inconsistencies, validate outputs against expectations, and maintain strong data integrity throughout the research process.
• Support the development and implementation of data quality checks, helping to identify and resolve issues in a timely way.
• Cross-check internal datasets with partner outputs to ensure alignment and flag discrepancies.

Linking Evidence to Strategy:

• Help connect monitoring and evaluation outputs to broader programmatic decision-making, contributing data and analysis that inform planning, prioritization, and resource allocation.
• Support the organization in determining when informal learning is sufficient and when more rigorous evaluation is warranted.

Communicating Insights:

• Contribute to the preparation of reports, briefs, and other materials that translate technical findings into clear, accessible takeaways for a range of audiences, including leadership and program teams.

Travel:

• This role is fully remote.
• There is an opportunity to travel to northern Nigeria approximately once per year to observe program implementation, shadow data collection activities, and engage with field teams, providing valuable grounding for remote research and monitoring work.
• Travel is planned flexibly in discussion with the team.

Qualifications and skills
Required:

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field required; master's degree preferred. We weigh demonstrated applied experience in impact evaluation or program research heavily and will consider strong candidates without advanced degrees.
• At least two years of applied professional experience in an NGO, research organization, or consultancy working on impact evaluation or related research
• Strong understanding of causal inference and experimental or quasi-experimental evaluation methods, including RCTs
• Experience with digital data collection platforms
• Strong ability to critically analyze data, research design, and methodology
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including the ability to translate technical findings for non-specialist audiences
• Strong attention to detail and comfort navigating ambiguity
• Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities in a remote environment
• Strong commitment to New Incentives' mission and evidence-based approach.

Preferred:

• Experience working directly on RCTs, including protocol development, instrument design, or endline analysis
• Familiarity with cluster sampling, survey weighting, and related methodological considerations
• Experience working with or managing external research partners
• Experience working in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Nigeria
• Familiarity with global health programs, particularly immunization or maternal and child health
• Familiarity with IRB or ethics review processes.

Contract Structure:

• This role will begin as a contract engagement for approximately 3–6 months.
• This allows both the candidate and New Incentives to assess mutual fit and working preferences.
• Following this initial period, the engagement may evolve into a longer-term arrangement.