How do you apply?
Most positions require that you complete the J-PAL/IPA common application, which includes submission of transcripts and letters of recommendation. On the common application, please select the types of positions for which you would like to be considered.  Please select all locations where you would like to be considered for positions. If you are interested in a specific position, please also follow the instructions found on the job posting, which generally are to send your documents directly to the hiring manager.

What do you expect for a statement or purpose?
Statements of purpose for positions at J-PAL or IPA can be written as either cover letters or personal statements like the ones you may have written for university applications. They should be at least one page long, but no more than two. In the body of the text, please discuss your experience with, and knowledge of, randomized evaluations. Make sure to include information about your work history in research, policymaking, or international development. If you have worked or lived abroad, please make sure to include this, emphasizing experiences in the developing world. 

What is the pay usually like?
Terms and conditions of employment (including pay) vary by job and with the candidate’s experience. In general, field-based PAs/RAs are paid a salary similar to a small stipend for living expenses in addition to airfare, health insurance, and visa costs.US-based positions pay salaries competitive for the international development, nonprofit sector.

What kinds of positions are usually available?
All positions are full time and require a minimum commitment of one or two years, unless explicitly noted otherwise. Worldwide, there are at least 200 full-time staff working on J-PAL studies, although since J-PAL is a network, the exact number is hard to know. Approximately 20 percent of openings require more experience.

Positions fall into one of three tracks:

• Research – 90 percent of positions
• Operations (people dedicated 100 percent to logistics) – 5 percent of positions
• Policy (people who present policy lessons from studies) – 5 percent of positions

Most research positions involve managing primary data collection on the ground in a developing country. Staff tasks include designing survey questionnaires, managing survey teams, negotiating contracts with survey firms, checking and analyzing data, and coordinating with local partners running the programs to be evaluated. A very small handful of research positions involve primarily working with data, and these require a higher level of technical (economics and programming) skills.

Approximately 50 percent of openings are on the summer cycle, since many employees go on to further schooling, and an annual recruitment drive takes place each January to help fill these. J-PAL and IPA also have openings during the rest of the year.

What kinds of people usually get hired?
Since J-PAL is a research network of economists, candidates who have completed and performed well in basic coursework in economics, including microeconomics, development economics, and econometrics are preferred, including for policy and operations track positions. For positions based in developing countries, prior developing country experience is highly valued, and local language skills are desirable (and in the case of Spanish and French speaking countries, fluency is required). Most employees have either a bachelor's or a master's degree.

What do these positions lead to?
Many of those who have worked with the J-PAL network in the past have gone on to graduate studies, including at MIT (PhD in economics), Harvard (PhD in economics, law school, medical school, MPA/ID at the Kennedy School), Berkeley (PhD in economics), and other top schools. This partly reflects the quality of people who are accepted to these positions, but also the fact that our staff and others we work with acquire a range of important skills and experiences on the job
J-PAL and many of its partners are growing organizations. Many mid-level positions are open for internal promotion. These positions may be field-based (e.g. Research Manager or Country Director positions) or US-based positions in research, policy, or training.

When will I know if I'm going to be interviewed / offered a job?
Both recruitment and hiring throughout the J-PAL network are highly decentralized. Only those selected for interviews are contacted, and this doesn't happen along any particular schedule, as each hiring manager and professor act according to their own personal timeline. We are unable to provide feedback on specific applications.

Are there any summer internship opportunities available? How do I apply?
Innovations for Poverty Action and the Centre for Microfinance hold drives for summer internships, which usually begin in January. They will also occasionally postspecific internship positions at other times of the year. J-PAL sometimes recruits for specific internship positions, the postings of which can be found on this site. J-PAL does not have an internship drive in the same manner as the above organizations.

What do I do if I need help with my application?
Phone calls and email inquiries cannot be accepted, due to the fact that the hiring managers are located all over the world at different offices, and also due to the large volume of applications received. Difficulties of a technical nature may be directed to jobs@povertyactionlab.org

What if I've applied for a job in the past?
If you previously submitted an application using the J-PAL/IPA common application system and now are interested in applying for a position that is receiving applications through the common application, we ask that you please revise your old application rather than creating a new username and password. Please remember to update your earliest available start date and resubmit.

What if I'm currently employed by a J-PAL or IPA affiliate and want to apply for one of these openings?
People with previous experience on randomized evaluations can be great candidates for other positions within the network that require more responsibility. If you are currently employed by someone in the J-PAL network and are hoping to switch to a new position, project, or location, please talk with your supervisor(s) and principal investigator(s) about your goals and your plans in addition to applying.

Are Project Associate and Research Associate positions entry-level positions?
While they are not appropriate for someone with a PhD, they can be appropriate for people with a master’s and some experience, particularly if the objective is to gain hands-on experience with field research. They can also be good opportunities for people who are looking for a more limited time commitment of one or two years (each job posting lists the desired commitment period).