Research Associate / Senior Research Associate Non-profit Jobs – Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
Job Title: Research Associate / Senior Research Associate
Organisation: Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
Duty Station: Based in Kampala with periodic travel to the field
Reports to: Research Manager
About IPA:
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy non-profit 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 400 leading academics to conduct over 600 evaluations in 51 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.
Background
IPA is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individuals with outstanding research project management, data analysis, people management and communication skills as Research Associate/Senior Research Associate, to support one of IPA Uganda’s ongoing studies evaluating the impact of an Entrepreneurial Model of Community Health Delivery in Uganda currently being implemented by two of our partners in communities across Uganda.
Our partners created a community health worker program with the aim of improving access to and adoption of simple, proven health interventions among low-income households in Uganda. Through the program, the organizations recruit, train, equip, and manage Community Health Promoters (CHPs) who go door-to-door educating families on key health behaviors and distributing impactful and affordable products. In addition to providing health education and access to basic health products for low-income households, this model aims to create sustainable livelihoods for the CHPs, who can earn an income through profits from product sales and small, performance-based incentives for visiting households with pregnant women and newborn children.
Job Summary: The Research Associate/Senior Research Associate (RA/SRA) will take a lead role in designing survey instruments, conducting quantitative and pilot exercises to inform study and/or questionnaire design, training and managing survey teams, ensuring data collection protocols are adhered to, ensuring data collected is of highest quality, delivering clean databases, assisting in preliminary analysis, assisting in the writing of project reports and policy memos, and managing communication and relationships with stakeholders (researchers, implementing partners, donors, etc…). The position requires excellent interpersonal and organization skills. It also requires proficiency with Stata.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Liaise with Principal Investigators and Survey Coordinator in the design of survey questionnaires
- In collaboration with the Survey Coordinator, ensure local and international Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals are obtained
- Work with the data manager to program survey tools using SurveyCTO, high-frequency checks and data flows
- Work with the Survey Coordinator to ensure translation of survey tools in local languages
- Develop data collection protocols and data quality assurance protocol
- Develop a data collection plan (procurement, logistics and route plan) that ensures adherence to data collection budget
- Manage the project budget
- Supervise training and hiring of team leaders, auditors and surveyors
- Conduct daily data quality checks
- Ensure implementation of survey spot checks and back-checks
- Compile clean databases
- Assist the PI team in data analysis
- Manage critical high-level relationships with donors, partner organizations and researchers
- Produce technical reports for donor and/or other stakeholders (e.g. fieldwork reports)
- Keep the Research Manager and the PI team appraised of all project activities
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The applicant must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Social Sciences, Public health or related field;
- At least one year of research project experience at a field research management or analyst position;
- Experience with SurveyCTO programming language;
- Proficiency with Stata and Microsoft Office tools is necessary, particularly Word and Excel;
- Experience managing large datasets;
- Strong written communication skills;
- Excellent command of English, both spoken and written;
- Excellent management and organizational skills;
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate work effectively over email and phone
- Flexible, self-motivating and team player;
- Demonstrated ability to manage relationships with stakeholders (PI and partner organizations);
- Demonstrated commitment to IPA’s high standards of data quality;
Desired Qualifications, Skills and Experience
- Knowledge of other data analysis software is a plus;
- Familiarity with randomized controlled trials is a strong plus;
- Experience working in developing countries
Desired Start Date: 1st November 2019
How to Apply:
All candidates should complete the online assessment here: Click Here
This form includes an assessment and requires you to upload the following documents in PDF format: 1) updated CV including 3 professional referees: Maximum 2 pages in length, 2) Cover letter: Maximum 1 page in length and 3) Your highest level degree or diploma: Maximum 2 pages in length.
Due to the high number of applications, we will only be able to contact candidates who have successfully passed the CV screening step.
Deadline: 25th October 2019. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis.
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