Vacancy: Senior Research Associate

Company Profile

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. IPA has been in Ghana since 2008, and it is now one of IPA’s largest country offices, with a permanent team of more than 40 staff managing and supporting 20 active research projects

Job Description

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  Reports to: Deputy Country Director or Country Director


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  Location:  Accra, Ghana


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  Length of Commitment: 1 or 2 years (renewable)


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  Desired start date: As soon as possible


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  Deadline to apply: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until position is filled

Position Summary

IPA is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual with outstanding project management, data analysis, people management and communication skills as a Senior Research Associate to support the implementation of a suite of projects led by Stanford University Professor of Development Economics Pascaline Dupas, as well as other scholars doing empirical research at top-tier academic and policy institutions, including Seema Jayachandran and Nobel Prize winners Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer.

As an ideal candidate, you not only have a rock-solid technical foundation in impact evaluation methodology, but you can also independently guide and direct the activities that happen both upstream and downstream of any rigorous, randomized evaluation. You enjoy leading high-performing teams that drive the production of the highest quality research for our clients and partners. You excel in solving problems using clear, strategic, and creative thinking. You have a strong social acumen, and are excited about the opportunity to broaden, deepen, and manage meaningful relationships with high-level clients and partners across the public and private sector.

The Senior Research Associate position is a unique opportunity to combine significant project management experience with an involvement in cutting-edge development research. He/she will join the very dynamic and passionate IPA Ghana team and contribute to the successful implementation of IPA Ghana’s longest ongoing impact evaluation, as well as other new studies such as a nimble experiment focused on infant development.

We are looking for a minimum commitment period of two years for this position with a possibility for a longer-term position for exceptional candidates. 

The Senior Research Associate will perform a variety of tasks related to managing day-to-day research activities, from planning to implementation, and monitoring quality. These include, but are not limited to:

• Recruiting, training and supervising field-based teams


• Managing 1-2 long term project staff


• Refining and piloting survey questionnaires


• Supervising and monitoring data collection to ensure high-quality of the data


• Running data quality checks and fixing issues with data collected during data collection


• Assisting in data cleaning and preliminary analysis and ensuring ready access to all data for researchers and/or supervisors


• Documenting in detail all activities related to the project


• Maintaining accurate records of interviews, safeguarding the confidentiality of subjects, as necessary


• Preparing high-quality progress and results reports to PIs, research partners, and funding agencies, and sharing them timely


• Providing timely updates and responses to partner organizations, and participating in meetings with key stakeholders


• Managing project finances including budgeting, expense tracking and financial reporting


• Ensuring that all team members follow necessary protocols and procedures


• Handling day to day PI and partner communications

Required Skills or Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, or other quantitative social science disciplines (Master’s degree preferred)


• Quantitative Skills: Strong technical understanding of economics and econometrics required. Demonstrated proficiency in Stata, and experience with data management, data cleaning, and regression analysis


• A minimum of 1-year of work experience is required. Experience managing field staff in developing countries strongly preferred


• Excellent management and organizational skills; ability to successfully completing assigned tasks and meeting deadlines, required


• Communication Skills: Attention to detail and advanced writing and presentation skills are required


• Language: English fluency required


• Ghanaian nationals are strongly encouraged to apply