Policy Associate - Health - J-PAL South Asia

Job Description

The Policy team at J-PAL South Asia (J-PAL SA) at the Institute for Financial and Management Research (IFMR) disseminates findings of J-PAL’s research; engages with governments, civil society, and academic stakeholders; catalyzes scale-ups and replications of effective projects; and supports the setting up of new randomized evaluations to address policy challenges.

J-PAL South Asia seeks a Policy Associate to contribute to its mission of promoting evidence-informed policy. The Policy Associate will support the Policy team’s mandates of initiating new randomized evaluations, synthesizing and disseminating evidence, and supporting ongoing partnerships with governments, international organizations, philanthropic foundations and NGOs in India. The Policy Associate will support work across these mandates on J-PAL’s Health sector, and other sectors as required. The position will provide the right candidate with exposure to a vast array of partners and projects on the evidence-to-policy spectrum within these two sectors.

Candidates should demonstrate an understanding of impact evaluation methods (especially randomized evaluations), have experience working on health projects, and have excellent communication skills.

Key Responsibilities

Supporting Health sector: Work closely with the Health Sector Lead in J-PAL South Asia's Policy Team to support the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of evidence in the Health sector.

Support Randomized Evaluations: Collaborate with implementing partners and J-PAL affiliated researchers to initiate new randomized evaluations in the health sector. Provide guidance to researchers on navigating the Indian policy landscape and health systems, guide NGOs in the design of randomized evaluations.

Monitor Policy Landscape: Track policy developments in health in India and create comprehensive policy notes and trackers to support outreach for J-PAL SA’s health sector.

Health Sector Strategy: Contribute to designing and operationalizing the overall strategy for the Health sector.

Dissemination and Synthesis: Write clear, accurate, and non-technical summaries of J-PAL’s evaluations tailored for policy audiences, ensuring the findings are accessible and impactful. Develop knowledge products to disseminate findings from J-PAL’s evaluations.

Government & Donor Engagement: Assist senior staff in preparing background notes, memos, and presentations for partnerships with governments, implementing partners, and donors.

Cross-Sectoral Collaboration: Coordinate with sector teams, state partnerships, strategic initiatives, and research units, providing support where necessary.

Lead Public Goods Initiatives: Lead and support initiatives related to public goods within the Policy vertical and other verticals as needed.

Miscellaneous: Work with other sector teams and state partnership teams to provide inputs and support on ongoing projects. Assist with preparing knowledge products, engaging with stakeholders and, contribute to capacity-building efforts and operational support for projects outside the health sector, as required.

Qualifications

Your technical expertise, keen eye for detail, strong communication and organizational skills, passion for translating research into action, and interest in international development make you an ideal candidate for the position of a Policy Associate.

Education: Candidates with bachelor’s or master’s degrees from various fields are welcome to apply, though a minimum familiarity with statistics is required. A technical understanding of impact evaluations is essential to accurately translate J-PAL’s findings into clear and actionable policy recommendations. Strong interest in public health or health economics, international development, South Asia’s development landscape, and program evaluation, demonstrated through coursework or professional experience, is highly preferred.

Experience: 0-2 years of relevant work experience, with prior experience in the health sector being highly desirable.

Communication Skills: You are detail-oriented and comfortable with public speaking. You have a talent for translating technical academic research into clear, digestible policy insights.

Attitude: You are eager to learn and passionate about international development policy, with a commitment to rigorous research. You are self-driven, and hardworking, and enjoy collaborating in team settings.

The position will be based in New Delhi. Candidates must be authorized to work in India.

Job Description: PA_Health_JD.docx