Policy Manager At Abdul Jameel Latif Poverty Action Lab

J-PAL Africa seeks a Policy Manager to support its mission of promoting evidence-based policymaking. We are looking for a creative strategist with a strong quantitative background, a passion for rigorous evaluation, an eye for opportunity, a dedication to quality and a passion for helping people.

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) consists of a global network of academics who specialise in conducting randomised evaluations of social policies/programmes to generate scientific evidence about what works in the fight against poverty. J-PAL’s policy group analyses and disseminates research results and builds partnerships with policymakers to ensure that policy is driven by evidence, and effective programmes are scaled up.

The position will be based in Burkina Faso and embedded within the Centre Présidentiel pour l’Innovation et le Développement du Capital Humain (CPI-DCH), a policy and research unit advising the Burkina Faso government on how to address its priorities for human development. This role provides an excellent opportunity to engage with decision-makers committed to advancing a human-centered development agenda and researchers at the forefront of evidence-based policymaking, to grow new opportunities to improve programmes and policies and create an institutional framework for evidence use and research.

The J-PAL Africa team provides the flexibility for accelerated growth by supporting proactivity and encouraging top performers to expand and develop their portfolio. At the same time, the position is rooted in rigorous, careful evidence and backed by a system of scientific oversight and supportive management structures to promote both global sharing of ideas and the local contextualization and empowerment of policymakers on the ground.

Responsibilities include:

· Build the institutional partnership between J-Pal and the Burkinabe government by cultivating relationships with key Burkinabe government partners at line Ministries and within the CPI-DCH; driving Policy-Research dialogues with stakeholders and coordinating various decision committees.

· Identify, design and support opportunities for rigorous, policy-relevant research generation. This includes working both with policymakers and researchers in the J-PAL network to promote the generation of new randomized evaluations which answer key questions for policymakers.

· Match policy priorities with evidence, share policy lessons and design strategies to apply policy lessons of effective interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. This work includes maintaining expertise and command of the policy lessons generated by randomised evaluations across the J-PAL sectors as well as deep, careful analysis of local contexts and sectors.

· Explore creative ways in which administrative data could be better used by policymakers to identify needs, improve implementation, and identify policy priority evidence matches.

· Work with J-PAL Education & Training team to identify and meet demand for training on evidence use, impact evaluations and related topics, including participation in the planning, organization and delivery of training events.

· Support the recruitment and training of new staff dedicated to projects in Burkina Faso, oversee their performance and professional development.

· Fundraise as necessary to support new projects, training and policy outreach activities.

Requirements:

· A Master’s Degree in Public Policy or Economics or another similar social science including graduate level courses in econometrics/statistics, microeconomics, and development economics

· A minimum of four years of relevant work experience

· Proven experience managing and influencing complex decision-making processes

· An entrepreneurial mindset and demonstrated ability to identify new, high-value opportunities and mobilize teams to collaborate on new project creation

· Demonstrated ability to analyze rigorous quantitative research

· Advanced writing and oral presentation skills in English and French, particularly the ability to communicate technical research to policymakers in a non-technical manner

· Strong skills in Excel, Word and Powerpoint

Highly advantageous:

· Experience with randomized evaluations, particularly field experience running randomised evaluations of social policies and/ or policy experience interpreting and sharing policy lessons from randomized evaluations

· Experience working within a government-embedded policy team/unit

· Experience analyzing administrative data and competency in statistical analysis tools (Stata or others)