Jobs at Innovations for Poverty Action

Job Title: Research Associate, Entrepreneurship Development (Uganda)

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), is an international non-profit research organization. Based in New Haven, CT, with offices in Washington, D.C. and worldwide, IPA works with development partners and academic researchers to create and evaluate approaches to solving development problems, to communicate “what works” in development and to scale up successful projects in a variety of fields, including health, education, microfinance, governance and agriculture.

About Project:

The project will target micro- and small-sized enterprise owners with the potential and motivation to improve their productivity, grow their firms and create employment opportunities for others. Specifically, we will examine the impact of two types of support for micro and small entrepreneurs: remote consulting services provided by Grow Movement, in conjunction with Enterprise Uganda, and a business ICT tool that will help entrepreneurs manage finance and marketing information. Entrepreneurs will be carefully screened to identify those with “high-growth” potential, and about 600 entrepreneurs will be targeted to receive either the consulting services, the ICT tool, or both.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Responsible for hiring, training, and managing survey enumerators
Developing and piloting survey instruments including managing translation into the local language
Overseeing the logistics of a field experiment, including managing budgets, timelines, and relationships with partners
Supervising the data entry or data capture and assisting in data cleaning and analysis
Ensuring adherence to data quality protocols, including auditing enumerators, monitoring data collection, and conducting data quality audits
Managing relationships with local partners running the program being evaluated and with local District officials
Take lead in the funding and human subjects approval applications, and ensuring that all necessary approvals are in place
Perform any other duties as assigned

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The ideal candidate should possess a good Bachelor’s degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, or a related field
Excellent management and organizational skills
Fluency and excellent communication skills in English (Luganda desirable)
Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player
Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations
Experience living in a developing country is a strong plus
Good working knowledge and understanding of randomized controlled trials preferred
Ugandan nationals are strongly encouraged to apply

How to apply for the job:

Please follow the application instructions below. Any applications or CVs submitted outside this process will not be considered. Note, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview. Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Complete the J-PAL/IPA common application. Please select the position(s) you are interested in applying for on the ‘Submit Application’ page. Include two letters of recommendation, statement of purpose (cover letter), CV, and transcripts.

We will consider your application even if you are unable to obtain reference letters before the deadline, but please be advised that we will be requiring them should you be invited for an interview.

IPA is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer.

All persons shall have the opportunity to be considered for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.

If you believe you require such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please contact us at jobs@poverty-action.org.

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