Overview

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a non-profit research organization that works with development partners and academic researchers to create and evaluate approaches to solving development problems, to communicate what works and does not work in development, and to scale up successful projects in a variety of fields, including microfinance, agriculture, education, and health. IPA operates from its headquarters in the United States and from country offices around the world, including one in Tanzania.

IPA Tanzania seeks a Research Coordinator to oversee a growing portfolio of research projects in the country. The Research Coordinator will oversee an existing portfolio of studies in the country which span the sectors of education, financial inclusion, agriculture, and health. The Research Coordinator will have a primary role in building the capacity of IPA Tanzania’s staff to manage work plans and junior staff effectively, to engage PI’s and other stakeholders effectively, to understand economic and research concepts, and to program for data management and analysis. Additionally, the Research Coordinator will have the chance to develop projects in a wide range of sectors.

This position is ideal for a bright, energetic self-starter, who has previous experience implementing RCTs and a strong understanding of economics, data management and analysis. The Research Coordinator will work closely with and be mentored by the Country Director on a range of topics, including new project development, stakeholder management, and staff development. The eventual starting title will depend on the successful candidate’s level of experience.

Responsibilities 

• Ensure the success of a portfolio of 3-4 research projects in Tanzania
• Supervise 3-4 research associates/project managers and other project staff
• Oversee project financial management, including the creation and monitoring of project budgets
• Act as the primary liaison with principal investigators and project partners, actively championing IPA’s interests and mitigating risks to the organization
• Mentor research staff on project management, financial management and human resource management, in addition to economic and research concepts, data management, and data analysis
• Champion best research and project management practices and ensure adherence to general research design, sample selection and data management plans
• Promote inter-project best practices and take a lead in sharing best practices with projects through formal and informal training opportunities
• Ensure that project deliverables, such as reports and financial statements, are submitted to donors and partners on time
• Disseminate results of studies via presentations and reports to academic and non-academic audiences (donors, partners, etc.)
• With the Country Director, develop new research studies by coordinating with donors, principal investigators, and partner organizations 

Qualifications 

• Master’s Degree in a quantitative social science, such as economics, statistics, or public policy
• 3-5 years of relevant work experience in research, international development, and project management
• Experience supervising data collection, including survey design, implementation, and data management
• Experience supervising staff (beyond temporary survey team); experience nurturing and growing staff for new roles in an organization
• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage implementation plans and budgets for complex and dynamic projects with quick-moving parts
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations to ensure efficient completion of work and mitigation of implementation risks
• Strong written and oral communication skills and complete fluency in English are required
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of RCTs, research and economic concepts are required
• Superior knowledge of Stata and digital data collection platforms (preference for Open Data Kit, Survey CTO) is required (Stata proficiency of short-listed applicants will be tested)
• Experience working in a developing country required; experience working in Tanzania strongly preferred
• Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work successfully with diverse constituencies required
• Prior experience working with academic researchers in the fields of economics or quantitative political science
• Interest in contributing to the improvement of existing organizational systems and operations
• Detail-oriented, flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently and under pressure, team player