Communications Associate - J-PAL Global

Position Overview: 

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than a thousand affiliated researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty. 

The Policy & Communications Group plays a key role in translating research by J-PAL affiliated research into actionable recommendations for poverty alleviation policies around the world. J-PAL is recruiting a Communications Associate to contribute to our mission of transforming rigorous research into better policies that reach people most in need. This is a hybrid position based in Cambridge, MA, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Staff are expected to be in the office at least two days per week. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions**): 

• Strategic communications (25%): You will serve as a core member of J-PAL’s communications team, helping develop multi-platform communications strategies for new research results, policy guidance, and the launch of major J-PAL partnerships and initiatives. You will also serve as a liaison for communications leads in J-PAL’s seven regional offices, helping to develop regional strategy, troubleshoot challenges and brainstorm new approaches, and provide guidance and training in collaboration with other members of the Global team.  
• Translating complex research into engaging, plain-language content (20%): You will work with J-PAL’s subject matter experts to translate research results and policy guidance into engaging communications content, including writing and editing weekly blog posts, monthly newsletters, and regular email campaigns. You will also serve as lead project manager and editor for J-PAL’s annual report, collaborating with internal teams and regional offices to tell the story of J-PAL’s successes, challenges, and innovations. You will produce compelling, accessible content for J-PAL’s digital channels, including our website, social media and provide writing support for major initiatives like the Evidence Effect campaign. Additionally, you will collaborate closely with senior staff and researchers to draft, ghostwrite, and edit thought leadership pieces that connect their work to broader themes in global development.
• Supporting J-PAL’s social media presence (20%): You will develop and execute quarterly strategy and daily content for J-PAL’s LinkedIn, X, BlueSky, Facebook, and Instagram accounts that engage our target audiences of researchers, policymakers, and partners. This includes collaborating with our Digital Communications Associate and J-PAL’s designers and video team to develop content tailored for social platforms, helping internal subject matter experts translate complex research findings into plain language suitable for broad audiences, and regularly analyzing and presenting on metrics to identify and act upon user trends.  
• Email marketing (15%): You will work with the Communications Manager and design team to advance our email marketing strategy, surfacing new innovations and developing creative journey-based email campaigns that engage and educate our stakeholder audience and prompt concrete policy action.  
• Media engagement (10%): You will work with the Communications Lead and subject matter experts to conduct desk research on prospective media targets, draft media pitches and press releases, and track trending topics in the news, to help raise awareness of policy-relevant research results and promote evidence-informed decision making among wider audiences. 
• Leading alumni engagement (10%): You will work with the Digital Communications Associate to create and edit J PAL’s quarterly alumni email newsletter, developing new written and multimedia features to showcase former J-PAL staff who have gone on to serve in leadership positions in government, nonprofits, the private sector, and academia. 

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate is creative and analytical; a strong, clear, and compelling writer and editor; familiar with quantitative impact evaluation methods; has professional experience in communications; and has a strong interest in J-PAL’s mission. 

• Education: You hold at least a bachelor’s degree with some coursework in economics (econometrics, statistics, and/or quantitative analysis training is a plus). Do you have a demonstrated academic interest in journalism, public policy, international development, marketing and communications, and/or international experience? Even better. 
• Technical skills: You are familiar (through coursework, independent research, or professional experience) with quantitative impact evaluation methods, including experimental (randomized controlled trials) and quasi experimental evaluations. 
• Experience: You have up to two years of relevant work experience. You may be a recent or soon-to-be graduate with related internships, or you may have previous experience in communications, research, and/or international development work.  
• Communication: You are detail-oriented and have advanced writing and editing skills. You understand how to craft a story to communicate a clear and compelling message, including drawing out policy lessons from technical academic research in ways that policymakers, practitioners, and the general public can understand. You are precise, clear, and creative. Accuracy and thoroughness are important to you; you know when to ask the right questions to gather the information you need. 
• Organization: You are efficient and organized. You enjoy multitasking and have a proven ability to plan, prioritize, and meet tight deadlines. You have a clear and strong vision and appreciation for how your work improves J-PAL’s communications efforts.  
• Cultural competencies: You are comfortable and adept at working in a diverse and multicultural work environment, with colleagues, partners, and policymakers from around the world. You display sensitivity, adaptability, and inclusivity in your engagement with people from a wide range of backgrounds, including different ages, abilities, genders, cultures, socioeconomic status, and other identities.   
• Attitude: You love learning, and look forward to enthusiastically taking on a broad range of communications-related assignments. You thrive when working as part of a team to achieve shared goals. You are passionate about the importance of communications to effectively translate research into effective policies and programs, and excited about diving deep into economics papers to pull out key policy lessons. You respond well to feedback and consistently follow up to ensure positive outcomes.  
• Language skills: English language fluency (written and spoken) is required. Familiarity with Arabic, French, Portuguese, Spanish, or other languages spoken in our regions of work is a plus, but not required. 
• Commitment: The ideal candidate will be able to stay at J-PAL for at least three years. 

Compensation:

Salaries for most new employees are set at the starting point / lower end of this range.  

Starting salary for this position based on minimum years of experience is:

Pay Range Minimum: $69,294

Professional Development:

The Policy and Communications team invests in your professional development. As an associate, you will learn, engage, travel, and grow. 

• Learn: J-PAL supports a culture of learning, with opportunities to attend weekly MIT–Harvard Development Seminars and take classes for credit at MIT or elsewhere with our generous tuition assistance program. All J-PAL staff are also eligible to take the innovative online MITx MicroMasters credential in Data, Economics, and Development Policy free of charge.
• Engage: Associates have the opportunity to work with J-PAL researchers, as well as interact with decision-makers and practitioners alongside senior staff. As core content creators, publications authored by associates are distributed to development stakeholders worldwide. 
• Travel: Associates have the opportunity to present and conduct trainings at J-PAL’s regional offices and participate in a unique “Staff-to-Field” international experience supporting on-the-ground communications projects during their time at J-PAL.  
• Grow: Associates can expect to join a peer group eager to build institutional knowledge and pass on lessons learned. Associates receive one-on-one mentorship from senior staff. Promotions from Associate to Senior Associate are based on performance and ability. 

Benefits:

As a member of the MIT community, you benefit from more than just your salary. J-PAL hires highly qualified staff and rewards them accordingly. Total compensation packages are competitive for the non-profit international development field with excellent MIT benefits, including comprehensive health insurance, a 401(k) match and pension-based retirement plan, tuition assistance, commuter benefits, MIT community discounts, a generous vacation policy, and more.

We like working at MIT and think you will too. 

Learn more about working at J-PAL.