Policy Manager - J-PAL Africa

POLICY MANAGER - GIRLS EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT (GEE)

J-PAL Africa seeks a Policy Manager to support its mission of promoting evidence-based policymaking. The Policy Manager will lead efforts to implement evidence-based interventions and generate opportunities for policy-relevant research around girls education and empowerment. We are looking for a strategist with an understanding of rigorous evaluations, an eye for new opportunities, a dedication to quality, an interest in girls education and empowerment policy and research, and a passion for helping people.

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global network of academics who specialize in conducting randomized evaluations of social policies/programmes to generate scientific evidence about what works in the fight against poverty. J-PAL’s policy group analyses and disseminates research results and builds partnerships with policymakers to ensure that policy is informed by scientific evidence, and effective programmes are scaled up.  

The J-PAL Africa team provides supportive management structures and offers flexibility for accelerated growth by supporting proactivity and encouraging top performers to expand and develop their portfolio. 

Responsibilities include:

• Strategic planning for GEE portfolio: Critically thinking through how to scope and build opportunities to integrate evidence in policy design or at scale, and generate policy-relevant research. This will include thinking creatively about how to apply policy lessons in new spaces; building out necessary foundations and infrastructure (e.g. processes, models for operation) to support ambitious action in the GEE space ; and bringing clarity to and alignment around portfolio priorities, and planning for the long term. 
• Strategic partnership building: Proactively develop strategic partnerships in order to generate new evidence and/or increase the uptake of existing evidence around girls education and empowerment. This also includes supporting relationship building and management by the broader team, driving strategies to build a community of practice and a strong network of stakeholders. 
• Overseeing project development and management: Manage activities that lead to the development of projects dedicated to leveraging evidence in programme design, scaling up existing evidence-based interventions, or generating evidence around key research areas. This includes leading on the identification of necessary activities to turn opportunities into concrete projects, and further, building and identifying deliverables to deliver on these projects.
• Team management: Managing the team effectively to ensure that all members are productive, working collaboratively and are well equipped to deliver on their targets.
•  Leading communications management and strategy: Enhance the visibility of the GEE portfolio and help build a global voice in the girls education and empowerment ecosystem, through effective communication and engagement strategies and creating compelling content to communicate policy impact and research findings.
• Capacity building for key stakeholders: Manage and support education and policy training events. This will include strategically initiating or participating in training and events to build and maintain relationships, disseminating evidence, as well as seeding opportunities for policy work. It will also involve supporting the creation of training content and overseeing event-related budgets and logistics. 

Requirements:

• A Master’s Degree in Public Policy, Economics, or another similar social science including courses in econometrics/statistics, microeconomics, and development economics.
• A minimum of five years of relevant work experience.
• Proven experience managing and influencing complex decision-making processes,
• An entrepreneurial mindset and demonstrated ability to identify new, high-value opportunities and mobilize teams to collaborate on new project creation.
• Advanced writing and oral presentation skills in English and French, particularly the ability to communicate technical research to policymakers in a non-technical manner.
• Demonstrated ability to build cross-organizational partnerships and/or identify and develop new projects.
• Strong skills in Excel, Word, and Powerpoint.
• Experience working in Africa. 

Highly advantageous:

• Demonstrated ability to read and analyse rigorous quantitative research, including randomized evaluations, as well as interpreting and sharing policy lessons from randomized evaluations.
• Demonstrated interest and/or experience in girls education and empowerment policy, particularly on issues related to school access, early marriage or pregnancy, female labor transition and gender-based violence. 
• Experience working within a government-embedded policy team/unit.
•  Experience working in/with Francophone Africa.  

Application Closing Date: 8 April 2024: To apply, please fill the following form: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. This is a one year position with the potential for extension and will be based in either Cape Town, Nairobi or Accra subject to work permit availability. J-PAL Africa will prioritize applications from West Africans or Ghanaians.

UCT is a designated employer and is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity, and redress in achieving its equity targets in accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals and targets. Preference will be given to candidates from the under-represented designated groups including candidates with disabilities.