Senior Research Associate - J-PAL Africa

Organization:
Location:
  • South Africa
Start Date (Earliest):

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) consists of a global network of academics who specialize in conducting randomized evaluations of social policies/programs in order to generate scientific evidence about what works in the fight against poverty. J-PAL’s research associates work closely with these leading academics and partner organizations (often NGOs and governments) to design and implement these studies. 

J-PAL Africa, the Africa hub of J-PAL Global, is based at the Southern Africa Labor and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) in the University of Cape Town School of Economics. However, this position is based at our satellite office in Johannesburg to be close to our study partner organizations, program beneficiaries and the rest of J-PAL Africa’s research team.

The Senior Research Associate will be expected to lead the implementation of one of our complex, ongoing studies, closely working with the Senior Research Manager, Principal Investigators, partner organizations and other members of the J-PAL team to oversee the implementation of the research study. This role provides an excellent opportunity to work at the frontier of rigorous research and evidence-based policymaking, contributing to knowledge that can improve the lives of citizens in South Africa and beyond. 

Responsibilities include:

Lead operations of a large scale complex evaluation from end-to-end-

  • Take the lead on managing overall project timelines and deadlines using appropriate project management tools with limited supervision. Oversee the following: project planning, field planning, data collection, implementation monitoring, and data analysis and documentation
  • Respond with agility to changing project direction as communicated by PI’s
  • Manage project spending by tracking expenses and ensuring timely reflection of project expenses
  • Provide regular feedback to the Research Manager and reaching out for guidance and support as required. 
  • Assist in drafting funding proposals and undertaking secondary or scoping research to inform research design and proposals

Partner relationship management-

  • Develop and maintain relationships with key technical people within partner organizations.
  • Manage relationship with PIs, including proactive communication regarding project updates
  • Managing finances and contributing to donor reporting. Be aware of donor rules and regulation/timelines related to the project

Mentorship-

  • Train and support newer RAs on technical skills (Stata, project management, budgets, etc.)
  • Train field staff on skills, over and above the requirement of projects (training on excel, Stata)

Contributions to J-PAL Africa-

  • Proactively identify ways to contribute to organizational goals
  • Assist in internal training logistics / TA-Ing
  • Assist with new project development

Requirements for the job:

  • A minimum of an Honour’s degree in economics, social sciences or other Honour’s level degrees involving training in statistics or coursework in quantitative research methods. Candidates with a bachelors degree who have MITs Micromasters in Data, Economics and Designing Policy credentials are encouraged to apply.
  • 2 years’ experience running randomized evaluations of social programs or large complex surveys 
  • Experience in developing country
  • Demonstrated experience leading and managing a team
  • Strong quantitative skills 
  • Project management 
  • Excellent management/ organizational skills and able to solve unexpected problems
  • Working knowledge of Stata and/or R 
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Excellent PI management and communication
  • Right to work in South Africa (citizenship, permanent residency or critical skills visa). Please note that J-PAL Africa cannot sponsor work permits.

Advantageous:

  • Survey programming experience in Survey CTO or equivalent.
  • Proficiency in an official South African language other than English (e.g., isiZulu, isiXhosa).
  • Valid driver’s license

The annual cost of employment is between R491 719 and R578 479 depending on qualifications and experience.

How to Apply

To apply, please complete this short application form. . 

As part of the application, you will be required to attach a single PDF file containing the following documents:

  • UCT Application Form HR201 (download here)
  • A letter of motivation clearly addressing your qualifications for the various responsibilities listed above
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV) (no more than 3 pages)
  • Transcripts of your university degrees. Note this is required even though it is not called for in the HR201.  
  • Please ensure that the PDF is named “Yourname_JPALSRA”.

An application which does not comply with the above requirements will be regarded as incomplete. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we encourage you to apply early. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and will likely be required to undergo an assessment process before interview rounds. 

As the cost of employment is being paid for from externally derived funds, this appointment is subject to the availability of funding. Recruitment will follow UCT’s hiring procedure and remuneration is commensurate with UCT pay-scales.  

Contact: [email protected]

Website: www.povertyactionlab.org   

Closing date: 25 September 2023

UCT is a designated employer and is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity and redress in achieving its equity targets in accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals and targets. Preference will be given to candidates from the under-represented designated groups. Our Employment Equity Policy is available at www.hr.uct.ac.za/hr/policies/employ_equity

UCT reserves the right not to appoint.