Policy Associate - J-PAL Global

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 over 300 affiliated professors 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 affiliates into actionable poverty alleviation policies around the world. Staff connect the dots between economics and policy and are passionate about working with organizations to form partnerships for evidence-informed development policy. 

J-PAL is hiring a Policy Associate to contribute to this mission of promoting evidence-informed policy. The Policy Associate will work in the Firms and Finance sectors to develop policy partnerships and support new research on the effectiveness and impact of interventions. In the Firms sector, this includes initiatives that help businesses grow, innovate, and generate jobs and influence the overall productivity and economic growth. In the Finance sector, it includes efforts to promote financial inclusion and leverage financial services to drive income and economic growth and reduce poverty. The position will be based in Cambridge, MA, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with two in-person work days per week. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Only applications following all instructions at the bottom of this page will be considered.

Responsibilities:

Your work provides the foundation and direction for J-PAL’s growing policy efforts. As a Policy Associate, your primary tasks will involve communication, analysis, and specialization.

• Evidence Communication and Dissemination (25%):
  • Translate research findings into actionable policy guidance for governments, businesses, financial service providers, and other stakeholders working to create jobs and expand economic opportunities for the poor. Write, publish, and disseminate evaluation summaries and policy insights to enable decision-makers to apply rigorous evidence to job creation, financial inclusion, and firm growth program. Support senior staff to create materials for policy outreach, including publications, presentations, grant proposals, donor reporting, policy memos, blogs, social media content and newsletters, and website content among other sector-specific work. The associate will also have the opportunity to help organize events and further their communication skills by presenting at conferences and participating in meetings with policymakers and partner organizations. 
• Sector Specialization and Initiative Project Management (60%):
  • The associate will serve as a key contributor to the Jobs and Opportunity Initiative, a donor-funded competitive research fund addressing critical labor market questions including job creation, firm growth, and future of work challenges in 2024-2027. The role also entails applying deep expertise in both Firms and Finance sectors to contribute to partnership development by supporting writing, outreach, presentation of evidence from the sectors, and participating in high-level meetings with strategic stakeholders to advance evidence use and research and policy partnerships.
• Other (25%):
  • The associate will have the opportunity to support J-PAL’s overall mission in a number of ways. These can include performing internal tasks such as knowledge management, supporting recruitment and hiring, internal training and onboarding, supporting work on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and undertaking professional development opportunities. Associates may also serve as liaisons between J-PAL Global and one of J-PAL’s regional offices covering Africa, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, support cost-effectiveness analyses, or assist with other broad J-PAL projects. 

Qualifications:

Your technical expertise, strong communication and organizational skills, passion for translating research into action, and interest in international development make you an ideal candidate for Policy Associate.

• Education: You hold at least a bachelor’s or master’s with significant training in economics, including intermediate-level economics and econometrics. Do you have a demonstrated academic interest in international development and public policy and/or international experience? Even better.
• Experience: Between zero to two years of relevant full- or part-time work experience. Full-time work experience includes a relevant job or a master’s degree. Part-time experience includes related internships in research and/or policy work. You may be a recent or soon-to-be graduate with related internships, or you may have previous experience in research and/or development work.
• Skills: You are comfortable with intermediate-level economics and econometrics, especially randomized evaluation methodology, as well as working in or learning computer applications, including Google Suite, Salesforce, and/or WizeHive. English language fluency is required. Knowledge of Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, French, Portuguese, Spanish, or other languages spoken in our regions of work are a plus.
• Communication: You are detail-oriented and have advanced writing skills. You understand how to communicate policy lessons from technical academic research in ways that policymakers and practitioners understand. You are precise, clear, and creative.
• Organization: You are a strategic thinker. You can handle multiple projects at once, meet deadlines, and effectively manage your time.
• 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.
• Attitude: You love learning. You are passionate about international development policy and the rigorous research that informs it. You are agile, adaptable, self-motivated, hardworking, and collaborative.

Professional Development:

The Policy & Communications Group invests in your professional development. As a Policy 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 with MIT’s 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 (DEDP) free of charge.
• Engage: Associates have the opportunity to work with J-PAL affiliated researchers, as well as interact with J-PAL’s partners, including decision-makers and practitioners, alongside senior staff. As core content creators, Associates’ publications are distributed to development stakeholders worldwide.
• Travel: Associates have the opportunity to occasionally present at J-PAL’s regional offices, attend policy events worldwide, and participate in a unique “Associate-to-Field” international experience supporting on-the-ground research 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 to Senior Associate are based on performance, skills, and experience.

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. J-PAL also values work-life balance and offers flexible work days throughout the year; Cambridge-based staff are required to work in-person at least two days per week.