Senior Policy Associate

J-PAL Africa is seeking a Senior Policy Associate to support the management of the Regional Scholars Programs of two J-PAL initiatives, namely the Digital Agricultural Innovations and Services Initiative (DAISI) and the forthcoming Learning for All Initiative (LAI). The position will be based at J-PAL Africa, the Africa hub of J-PAL Global, which is located in the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) at the University of Cape Town, School of Economics. The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is 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.

The Senior Policy Associate will be part of the Education & Training team at J-PAL Africa which is responsible for supporting policymakers and researchers who are interested in conducting randomized evaluations with the best learning materials, tools and resources available. One of our main pathways is the African Scholars Program, piloted under the DigiFI initiative and now expanding to others in labour, agriculture, and education. The Senior Policy Associate will support the management of the Regional Scholars Programs of two J-PAL initiatives, namely DAISI and LAI, and they will also be expected to participate in these initiative’s efforts to share available evidence with policymakers and the wider public.

This role provides an excellent opportunity to engage with decision-makers and researchers at the forefront of evidence-based policymaking and to grow new opportunities to improve programmes and policies, thereby improving the lives of citizens across Africa and South Asia. 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 and researchers on the ground.

**Responsibilities**:

- **Management of the Regional Scholars program**: Lead on the conceptualization and operationalization of a Regional Scholars program, liaising with J-PAL Global and other initiatives that host a scholars program. Create and maintain a collaborative network of African and South Asian scholars working on randomized evaluations. Identify demand for training and other forms of support for African and South Asian Scholars to conduct more randomized evaluations on the continent. Build relationships with top economics and related departments at universities across the continent, and other evidence focused organizations. Identify and connect with talented African and South Asian researchers working on RCTs and with an interest in conducting experimental research. Understand and leverage J-PAL existing projects and initiatives to create more opportunities for African and South Asian researchers to access J-PAL resources and funding, including engaging with top academics from the J-PAL network who may have control and/or influence over such opportunities.
- **Evidence Communication and Dissemination**: As a member of J-PAL’s Agriculture and Education sector teams, develop technical knowledge of the academic literature related to: 1) digital tools and bundled services for small-scale agricultural producers, as well as 2) foundational literacy and numeracy, pedagogy, and holistic skill development in basic education to develop partnerships for the initiatives. Write publications that “translate” economic research into lessons for policymakers around the world. Senior Associates will have the opportunity to create materials for policy outreach, including publications, evaluation summaries, presentations, grant proposals, policy memos, blogs, social media content and newsletters and website content among other sector-specific work.
- **Event Planning**: Organize events and further your communication skills by presenting at conferences and participating in meetings with policymakers and partner organizations. Senior Associates can also organize convenings with key partners in the private sector, government agencies, NGOs, foundations, and academia designed to spur new research collaborations and share policy lessons from completed research.

**Requirements for the job**:

- NQF8/Honours degree including training in microeconomics, development economics, econometrics and statistics.
- A minimum of two years of relevant work experience in conducting field research in developing countries, or experience in economics or social science research, with a background in randomized evaluations.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze rigorous quantitative research
- Strong written and oral presentation skills in English, particularly the ability to communicate technica