Post Title:Project Coordinator,
Project Title: Yale
Savings and Payments Research Fund (SPRF), Global Financial Inclusion
Initiative
Location: New Haven,
CT or Washington, D.C. (with considerable international travel)
Deadline to
apply: May 3, 2013
Start date
(month/year) and duration: June 2013;
commitment of 2 years
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), is an international
non-profit research organization. Based in New Haven, CT, with offices in
Washington, D.C. and worldwide, IPA works with development partners and
academic researchers to create and evaluate approaches to solving development
problems, to communicate “what works” in development and to scale up successful
projects in a variety of fields, including health, education, microfinance,
governance and agriculture.
Position Summary:
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) seeks a qualified
Project Coordinator to join the team of the Global Financial Inclusion
Initiative, an IPA research initiative.
The initiative, under the direction of Aishwarya Ratan and Professor
Dean Karlan, manages a portfolio of close to $10 million split across two
separate research funds dedicated to understanding how poor families manage
their financial portfolios and transactions, and evaluating new products and
delivery channels that can improve the delivery and usage of welfare-enhancing
financial products among the poor. The
Project Coordinator position will play an integral role in the successful
implementation and management of one of these two funds, the Yale Savings and
Payments Research Fund (SPRF). SPRF’s
objective is focused on generating research to address the gap in knowledge in
how saving products and payment channels impact the poor and what products and
services work best.
The SPRF is a four-year fund created in 2011 that aims to
support the implementation of more than twenty research projects over its life. The Project Coordinator will work closely
with the Yale Savings and Payments Research Fund team and the IPA country
offices, as well as interact frequently with local researchers, practitioners
and policymakers. Under the lead of the Manager of the Savings and Payments
Research Fund and the Director of the Global Financial Inclusion Initiative,
the Project Coordinator’s core responsibilities will be as follows:
Responsibilities:
Project Development
- Build relationships with researchers and partners interested in Savings and Payments research;
- Vet research development opportunities, especially around the key research questions promoted by the fund;
- Lead discussions with potential partners and exploratory field work on key research opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia;
- Manage the set-up phase for new projects in collaboration with IPA country offices and help maintain administrative oversight of ongoing projects;
- Work with the team in conducting background research and preparing relevant research material (including updates to the literature reviews and white paper guides for the fund) to take new studies on key research questions forward.
Research Network Development
- Establish and maintain relationships with local researchers as well as academic and policy institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia;
- Engage with the fund’s existing network of local researchers to deepen their expertise in analyzing and conducting RCTs on savings and payment topics;
- Co-lead the planning and organization of dissemination and training events organized by the fund, targeting policymakers, practitioners, and local researchers.
Broader Responsibilities
- Occasionally work on collecting, cleaning and analyzing data. Assist with analysis of the results and creation of policy memos;
- Provide support to the SPRF Project Manager in overseeing ongoing projects under the competitive fund. Where needed, support with managing project reporting and tracking processes for all competitive fund projects;
- Support team members in the preparation and management of the procedures through which projects are proposed, vetted, designed and implemented;
- Provide technical support for project design and data collection, including questionnaire design; and
- Participate in the review of applications of the competitive funds managed by GFII.
- Desired Qualifications and Experience:
- A Master's level degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, or related fields;
- Training in microeconomics, development economics, econometrics and statistics;
- Significant experience in development/development research; microfinance, mobile banking or the financial services sector preferable;
- Experience in the design and management of randomized controlled trials and other research methods a plus;
- Strong analytical skills a plus;
- Experience working and living in developing countries;
- Willingness to travel frequently and for extended periods;
- Self-starter, approaching complex tasks with initiative, clarity, creativity and enthusiasm;
- Demonstrated project management skills, including budgeting, attention to operational and research details, and ability to manage multiple projects efficiently (including while traveling);
- Fluency and excellent communication skills in English; and
- Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and team player.
How to Apply:
Please follow the application instructions below. Any applications or CVs submitted outside
this process will not be considered.
Note, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.
Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
1. Send an email to microsavings@poverty-action.org and
jobs@poverty-action.org, following these instructions exactly:
In the email
body: Copy exactly the following
position line:1009919IPAUSA, Yale Savings and Payments Research Fund, Project
Coordinator.
Attachments: Please attach Only your CV and cover letter
In the subject
line: Put your full name, first (given)
name followed by last (family) name.
Please do not include any text besides the position line(s)
in the body of the e-mail. Adding extra text will interfere with the processing
of your application
2. Qualified candidates: Please submit an application
through J-PAL’s common application, indicating that you are interested in
applying for a "Type 3" position.
Please note: you are not required to include transcripts or letters of
recommendation upon initial submission. After submitting, you can edit your
application at any time and may add these materials, if requested.
3. Fill out our EEO-1 Voluntary Self Identification Form.
IPA is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action
Employer.
All persons shall have the opportunity to be considered for
employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin,
ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, age, disability, sex, sexual
orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable
federal, state or local laws.
IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a
qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an
undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you believe you require
such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please
contact us at jobs@poverty-action.org.