Researcher, New Program Development - Evidence Action

About Evidence Action

Evidence Action is a global nonprofit organization with an approach distinctive in international development - we exclusively scale interventions that are backed by strong evidence and can be delivered with exceptional cost-effectiveness. Our programs have grown since our founding in 2013 to reach over 515 million people globally with our interventions. We deliver high impact for every dollar spent, as recognized by GiveWell, The Life You Can Save, and Charity Navigator.

We do development differently. We take a data-driven approach to identifying, scaling, and continuously improving programs which deliver immense impact, ensuring these solutions measurably improve the lives of millions. Our Deworm the World Initiative has helped governments in Africa and Asia deliver over 1.8 billion childhood deworming treatments, improving health, education, and incomes. Dispensers for Safe Water provides sustained safe water access to over 10 million people in rural Africa, preventing childhood illness and deaths.

We drive innovation: Our Accelerator builds the next generation of exceptional programs, taking an approach most similar to a venture capital model. We are ruthless in exiting programs which do not meet our criteria; those that advance deliver outsized impact for millions of people.

We are global. Across nine countries in Africa and Asia, our 700+ people are united by a tremendous passion for our mission and impact. We are strong because of our diversity of experience, geography, and background - with over 90% of our people in the countries where our impact is focused.

We have big ambitions. Over the next decade, we’re setting our sights higher: We aim to reach over 600 million people globally to fulfill our vision of a world where hundreds of millions of people in the poorest places have better opportunities and their lives are measurably improved. We believe in bold and urgent action - because poverty doesn’t wait, and neither should we.

We need great people. Our success to date is due to the collective work of our amazing staff. To achieve our ambitious goals, we are looking for people who share our passion for evidence, cost-effectiveness, and scale. We seek individuals who take an entrepreneurial approach, enjoy tackling hard problems, and have a bias to action and results. If our vision and approach excite you as much as it does us, we invite you to join us.

About the Accelerator team

Evidence Action’s Accelerator is our engine for growth. The Accelerator is a unique model in global development, designed to select and massively scale only those programs which meet exceptional standards for cost-effectiveness, proven impact, and scalability. Focusing on health, nutrition, and WASH, we evaluate scores of interventions and employ a venture capital-type ‘funnel’ model to exit those which do not meet our criteria. The result is a select set of programs for which we develop robust delivery models, test for impact, and scale to deliver outsized value for millions of people across Africa and Asia.

Our New Program Development (NPD) team’s primary responsibility is to conduct early stage research of potential new programs, including literature reviews and cost-effectiveness modeling. NPD’s work adapts as programs progress through the Accelerator pipeline: we shift from evaluating evidence, to designing and piloting new programs, and eventually to launching at-scale. Additionally, NPD serves as a “center of excellence” for the Accelerator, working across teams to facilitate and standardize an innovative, rigorous approach to building new programs.

This role would own potential new programs, driving them from ideation to program launch. Much of this work is focused on deeply engaging with the research literature in order to help Evidence Action understand the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence base and to evaluate how well programs align with our other Accelerator criteria.

Location

This role will be located in Washington D.C.

Key Responsibilities:

• Guide the development and design of Evidence Action’s next programs through detailed desk-based research to assess the evidence base, total addressable market, cost-effectiveness, implementation feasibility, and strategic fit of promising interventions.
• Stay abreast of research trends and recent publications in the sector; interpret large quantities of evidence to inform program decision-making.
• Interpret and implement statistical/epidemiological models to understand the potential impacts of our programming.
• Work with the cost-effectiveness team and our Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation staff to design, and continuously refine cost-effectiveness models, monitoring frameworks, theories of change, and program evaluations.
• Design and consult on early-stage field activities, program scoping, and piloting of new programs in select countries. Use the results from these activities to inform the design of program implementation.
• Conduct stakeholder outreach (study authors, implementing organizations, donors) to solicit feedback on new programs, their design, key gaps, and whether there is interest in collaborating with Evidence Action.
• Develop and nurture mutually beneficial relationships with partner organizations (e.g., implementing organizations, government officials, academic researchers).
• Independently lead high-stakes meetings with donors and government officials; present the business case for potential new programs.
• Requirements
• Highly literate in interpreting and analyzing research, especially study design. Experience with reviewing academic literature, performing cost-effectiveness analyses, and synthesizing large quantities of evidence and data for decision making in program design and implementation.
• Excellent quantitative analytical skills in areas such as epidemiological/statistical modeling, econometrics
• Master’s degree in a related field such as statistics, biostatistics, public health, or economics
• Strong task management and organizational skills; proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Experience in effectively communicating and negotiating with, presenting to, and managing a variety of stakeholders in multicultural settings, including researchers, implementing partners, donors, and government officials.
• Advanced verbal, writing, and presentation skills in English;
• Ability to communicate complex research methodologies and findings to a non-technical audience clearly and succinctly.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace
• Ability to travel internationally, up to 25%.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. for role to be based in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of a U.S. employment visa at this time.

Evidence Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to diversity. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.