Research Associate Jobs – Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
Organization: Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Reports to: Research Manager
Background
IPA is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual with outstanding research project management, data analysis, people management and communication skills as a Research Associate, to support one of IPA Uganda’s study pilots aimed at understanding how particular price schedules offered to traders affect price pass-through to farmers, and the quality of coffee produced and purchased in the value chain as a result. The principal investigators on this study are Lauren Falcao Bergquist (University of Michigan), Ameet Morjaria (Northwestern University) and Jie Bai (Harvard University) The study is being implemented in partnership with a coffee company in the Rwenzori region with the support of the Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI).
Job Summary: The Research Associate takes a lead role in 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 Research Manager in the design of survey questionnaires
- Work with the data manager to program survey tools using SurveyCTO, high-frequency checks and data flows
- 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 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 as requested
- Assisting in managing 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 for the Research Associate Job Placement must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Development Studies, Economics or a related field; Master’s Degree preferred
- Min 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 is necessary;
- Experience managing 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
| Commitment: | 2 months, with the possibility extension |
| Desired Start: | ASAP |
How to Apply:
Please 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.
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.
Deadline: Rolling