Research & Training Associate – J-PAL Global

J-PAL is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 500 affiliated researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts innovative research and builds powerful partnerships to solve the world’s greatest challenges.

J-PAL is recruiting a Research and Training Associate to contribute to its mission of promoting evidence-informed policy. This position is based at the J-PAL Global office at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. Visa sponsorship is not available. Only applications following all instructions at the bottom of this page will be considered.

This position is part of J-PAL’s Research, Education, and Training (RET) team—a diverse and integrated group that works together in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with the goal of equipping policymakers, researchers, and staff with the necessary knowledge to conduct rigorous impact evaluations.

J-PAL values diversity, equity, and inclusivity in our work and the broader perspectives our staff brings. We encourage people of color, first-generation college students/graduates, and other underrepresented groups to apply for this role. In your cover letter, please consider sharing how your racial, ethnic, gender, socioeconomic and/or other identity has influenced your drive and desire to work at J-PAL. (This is not required, but rather an opportunity for us to get to know you.) For more information on J-PAL Global’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion visit this webpage.

In this role, you will build out data analysis tools for researchers and staff to use in conducting randomized evaluations; develop new teaching and reference materials; and help with the planning and delivery of J-PAL’s course offerings to train policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and research staff to engage with randomized evaluations. You will work closely with our regional offices and J-PAL’s partner organizations, and you will have the opportunity to travel domestically and internationally to liaise with these partners and support or participate in training courses. You will also be exposed to the latest research in economics and work directly with affiliated researchers as they publish their research data or hire research assistants for their teams.

Organization: J-PAL Global
Location: United States of America
Education: Bachelor’s
Start Date (Earliest): 1 June 2023
Language Requirement: English
Length of Commitment: Two years

Responsibilities
Your responsibilities may include:

• Supporting J-PAL’s regional offices in ensuring high-quality research by developing tools for tracking compliance with our protocols and helping troubleshoot challenges
• Developing new tools for J-PAL research projects (including written resources, software code, packages, programs, etc.) that increase the efficiency of research staff
• Researching and designing new teaching modules and preparing presentations, case studies, and manuals to train policymakers, researchers, and research staff on randomized evaluation methods
• Assisting in planning, organizing, and conducting training courses and workshops for key partners in governments, NGOs, and foundations around the world
• Supporting J-PAL’s online course portfolio, including MIT’s Data, Economics, and Development
• Policy MicroMasters program, by serving as a Teaching Assistant for advanced courses, assisting students with assignments, and coordinating with others at MIT to successfully run each course
• Maintaining our tracking, monitoring, and evaluation systems for J-PAL training courses and conducting data analysis to assess learning and engagement in in-person and online courses
• Contributing to greater research transparency and open data efforts by documenting and preparing research datasets for publication and building tools that streamline and facilitate these tasks for our research partners
• Other assignments as needed as the position grows

Skills and Qualifications

• Education: A bachelor’s degree in economics, political science, education, public policy, international development, or other related fields is required. Master’s degree preferred. Training in and a strong technical understanding of econometrics and/or randomized evaluations is required.
• Experience: At least 2 years of work experience is required (which may include experience gained as an undergraduate), including in quantitative data analysis and economics or a related discipline. Experience conducting field research in developing countries, and/or experience designing and running randomized evaluations is a plus, but not necessary. Do you have less than four years of relevant experience? Consider applying for our Research and Training Associate position instead.
• Interest in Development and Policy: The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in poverty alleviation policy and research, as demonstrated by coursework and/or study or work abroad.
• Quantitative skills: Knowledge of data management, data analysis, and econometrics is required.
  Software: Must have a good command of Stata or R. Comfort using Microsoft Office applications (Powerpoint, Excel) is required. Familiarity with LaTeX and GitHub and exposure to other coding languages are a plus.
• Cultural competencies: You are comfortable and adept at working in a diverse and multicultural work environment, with colleagues, partners, and policymakers from around the world. You display cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability.
  Professional Development
• J-PAL invests in your professional development. As a RET Associate, you will learn, engage, travel, and grow.

Learn: As a member of the RET team, it will be central to your role to keep abreast of the latest impact evaluation methods and developments and trends in the policy and training spaces, and to seek out opportunities to deepen your knowledge in these areas. J-PAL supports a culture of learning, with opportunities to attend weekly MIT–Harvard Development Seminars and to take classes for credit at MIT or elsewhere with our generous tuition assistance program. All J-PAL staff are also eligible to take the innovative online MITx MicroMasters credential in Data, Economics, and Development Policy free of charge.

Engage: Associates have the opportunity to interact with policymakers, practitioners, and affiliates alongside senior group members.
Grow: Associates can expect to join a peer group eager to build institutional knowledge and pass on lessons learned. Associates receive one-on-one mentorship from senior group members and are eligible for internal promotion based on performance, ability, and educational qualifications.

For more information about working at J-PAL, please visit this webpage.

Benefits
As a member of the MIT community, you benefit from more than just your salary. J-PAL hires highly qualified staff and rewards them accordingly. Total compensation packages are competitive for the non-profit international development field with excellent MIT benefits, including comprehensive health insurance, a 401(k) match and pension-based retirement plan, tuition assistance, commuter benefits, MIT community discounts, a generous vacation policy, and a flexible policy around days working from the office and work hours.

How to Apply
Ready to join a team of supportive, engaging, and fun colleagues? Apply now. We will review applications on a rolling basis starting on Jan 2, 2023.

All candidates should apply through the MIT human resources system. Please note that because this position is not eligible for sponsorship, candidates must be authorized to work in the United States (for a minimum of two years).

To apply, first submit a short application via MIT’s human resources system. Visit https://hr.mit.edu/careers, search for job 22182 (Senior Research and Training Associate) and complete an application on the MIT portal.

Please upload a single PDF document of the following components into the “Resume” field:

• Cover letter (outlining why you are interested in the position at J-PAL Global and why you are qualified for this role) Resume/CV
• Transcripts for all previous university-level coursework (unofficial transcripts accepted)
• Please only apply to the J-PAL Global Senior Research and Training Associate position (MIT job ID 22181) or the J-PAL Global Research and Training Associate position (MIT job ID 22182). Should your experience and education fit the profile for another level for which we are recruiting, we will discuss this with you during the interview process, so you do not need to apply to both levels of the same position.

All applicants will be asked to complete a short data task for screening purposes. Short-listed applicants will be asked to complete a more comprehensive technical writing and coding exercise, approximately 4-5 hours long, and advancing candidates will be invited to a Zoom interview. Finalists will be called for a final round of interviews. The process can last 2-3 months from when application review starts in January. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we will not be able to follow up individually with all applicants.

MIT is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.