Policy and Operations Associate - J-PAL Europe

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research centre working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 260 affiliated professors at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomised impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL Europe is based at the Paris School of Economics and leads our research, policy outreach and training activities in Europe.

J-PAL is recruiting a Policy and Operations Associate (POA) to the J-PAL Europe Directors, to contribute to J-PAL’s mission of promoting evidence-informed policy. This position is full-time, based at the Paris School of Economics in Paris, France.

The POA is a multifaceted position with a portfolio that includes working with a variety of teams at JPAL Europe. As such, the position requires a highly flexible and motivated individual, very well-organised and quick to learn and adapt. The position is a great fit for an early-career professional interested in learning and being exposed to the wide variety of activities of an organisation like J-PAL.

Responsibilities:

 1. Policy work 

• Support J-PAL Europe’s policy work, especially on education and labour sectors;
• Communications: Assisting in the drafting and preparation of materials for J-PAL’s policy outreach work, including presentations, evidence summaries, J-PAL’s website and social media, and translation of documents;
• Understanding the policy landscape: Tracking relevant developments in policy across Europe and helping identify opportunities for engagement and for building new partnerships to generate rigorous evidence on topics of importance to European policymakers;
• Policy writing: Helping draft evaluation summaries and prepare other evidence synthesis materials.

 2. Support to the Directors 

• Support the Executive Director, the Director of Policy & Communications, and the Director of Training, Finance & Operations;
• Agenda management;
• Meeting preparation and follow-up, note taking;
• Preparation of presentations and talking points; and
• Fundraising support

3.Logistics and events 

• Support the various J-PAL Europe teams;
• Event support: Contributing to the organisation of events in Europe, such as research or policy conferences, donor meetings, trainings, etc.;
• Travels: Booking travels on PSE platform, booking hotels and AirBnBs;
• Organising meetings at PSE and outside.

Qualifications:

• Strong preference for a Masters in economics, public policy or a related field, with an understanding of quantitative research methods, especially randomised evaluations;
• Up to two years of relevant work experience (you may be a recent graduate with relevant internships); international experience would be appreciated;
• Native-level command of written and spoken English, excellent command of French (written and spoken);
• Strong and error-free writing skills; you are precise and detail-oriented, with the ability to organise information clearly and concisely without significant guidance;
• Excellent command of computer applications, including Google Suite and Microsoft Office Suite;
• Excellent organisation and ability to manage multiple projects at the same time, successfully complete assigned tasks and meet deadlines while performing high quality work;
• Excellent communication skills: you are a thoughtful, clear, and diplomatic communicator, comfortable in engaging with senior leadership and in adapting your communication style to suit different audiences;
• Strong ability to work in a diverse and multicultural work environment, with colleagues and partners from around the world;
• Positive attitude and team spirit: you love learning, you are passionate about public policies and the rigorous research that informs them; you are agile, adaptable, hardworking, and collaborative; you respond well to feedback and consistently follow up to ensure positive outcomes.