Policy Manager - New Humanitarian Lab - J-PAL Global

Organization 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 over 390 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 recruiting a Policy Manager for our growing humanitarian portfolio to contribute to this mission of promoting evidence-informed policy. 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 requires a breadth of knowledge and a depth of understanding to support J-PAL’s growing policy efforts. As a Policy Manager, your primary tasks will involve sector management, communication, evidence synthesis and dissemination, and staff supervision.

• Sector/Pillar Management and Supervision (50%):
  • Manage a newly established humanitarian workstream, which will work directly with a range of leading humanitarian organizations to generate, synthesize, and scale cutting-edge, cost-effective evidence aimed at improving humanitarian programming and operations in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
  • Anticipated topics that this workstream will focus on include: anticipatory action, maternal health and contraception, immunization, infectious disease prevention and control, and more. Work under the guidance of the workstream's Co-Chairs and senior policy staff to effectively generate, synthesize, communicate, and translate evidence from randomized evaluations into real-world policy.
  • The manager will support the development of the workstream's strategy and vision and take primary responsibility for executing it, building relationships with key policy partners and donors, identifying opportunities for evidence adaptation and scale for humanitarian applications, and helping identify, cultivate, and maintain donor relationships — including philanthropies, individual donors, and bilateral agencies — to secure support for the workstream’s core activities. In addition, they will draft policy materials which synthesize the current state of knowledge on humanitarian programs, oversee the development of evidence products, and organize events for partners, donors, and policymakers.
  • The manager will also oversee the administration of a competitive research fund, which involves executing specific rounds of funding and leveraging the evidence and policy outputs that result from the funded research.
  • The manager may also have the opportunity to supervise and mentor associate- and senior associate-level staff on everything including their technical skills, writing style, and professional development. 
• Evidence Communication and Dissemination (30%):
  • Build relationships with key partners in governments, NGOs, foundations, and multilateral aid agencies worldwide, and present J-PAL’s work and research externally. In particular, the manager will build relationships with leading international humanitarian organizations to build a pipeline of research projects, increase the use and uptake of evidence, and scale (cost-)effective programs.
  • The manager will also write publications that “translate” J-PAL’s economic research into lessons for the workstream’s partners and policymakers around the world and create materials for policy outreach. They also create materials for policymakers, NGOs, and donors to learn how to evaluate their programs and to learn about interventions that prove effective.
  • Materials for these partners will include publications and presentations, as well as other high-level deliverables, as requested by J-PAL senior staff and affiliates.
  • Managers also conduct research and analysis for policy memos, grant proposals, and sector-specific work, including evidence synthesis publications such as Policy Insights.
• Other (20%): Have the opportunity to support J-PAL’s overall mission in a number of ways. These can include supporting the work of a functional or internal team (e.g., policy writing, communications, onboarding, recruitment and hiring, knowledge management), supporting a particular policy partnership, and undertaking professional development opportunities. Managers may also have the opportunity to serve as a liaison between J-PAL Global and one of J-PAL’s regional offices.

Professional Development:

The Policy and Communications team invests in your professional development. As a manager, 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: Managers 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 Policy and Communication staff are distributed to development stakeholders worldwide.
• Travel: Managers have the opportunity to travel to attend and present at sector-specific conferences and events and participate in a unique “Staff-to-Field” international experience supporting on-the-ground communications projects during their time at J-PAL.
• Grow: Managers can expect to join a peer group eager to build institutional knowledge and pass on lessons learned. Managers receive one-on-one mentorship from senior leadership. Promotions from Manager to Senior Manager 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. 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.

Qualifications & Skills:

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 Manager.

Education: You hold a Master’s degree in economics, public policy, or a closely related field, with coursework in microeconomics, econometrics, and development economics. Do you have a demonstrated academic interest in international development, public policy, humanitarian programs, and/or international experience? Even better.

Experience: You have 6 or more years of relevant and substantial professional experience, including at least 1 year of experience working in a developing country. Relevant experience gained during schooling may count toward this requirement. For this open position managing a new humanitarian workstream demonstrated interest and past experience in humanitarian policy and programming, particularly on issues including anticipatory action and/or health-related topics like immunization, maternal health and contraception, or infectious disease prevention and control is required and highly valued. Experience in humanitarian  research and/or working with policymakers, the UN system, or other local or international NGOs in the humanitarian sector is very strongly preferred.

Skills: You are comfortable with intermediate-level economics and econometrics, especially randomized evaluation methodology. Additionally, you are comfortable working in or learning computer applications, including Google Suite and Salesforce. Fluency in English is mandatory. Knowledge of Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, French, Portuguese, Spanish, or other languages spoken in our regions of work is 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 with little supervision, meet deadlines, and effectively manage your time, as well as others’.

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 diverse backgrounds including age, ability, culture, gender, nationality, race and ethnicity, religion, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and other identities. We appreciate candidates who have familiarity with concepts and frameworks such as racial equity or gender analyses.

Attitude: You love learning. You are passionate about international development policy and the rigorous research that informs it. You are self-motivated, work hard, and enjoy managing others.

Location: This position is based in Cambridge, MA, with an expectation of in-office presence at least two days per week (currently Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Staff may work remotely on the remaining three days. Hybrid policies are subject to change annually. We greatly value in-office presence and therefore this position, similar to others at J-PAL Global, is not eligible for full-time remote work.

Travel: Willingness to travel domestically and internationally, approximately 10% of the time.

J-PAL encourages diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work, and we value the diverse perspectives our staff bring to their roles and to the broader J-PAL community. We encourage people from all backgrounds, especially those underrepresented in the field of economics, to apply to this role. In your cover letter, you are welcome to share how your background and lived experiences have influenced your desire to work at J-PAL (this is entirely optional, just an opportunity for us to get to know you a bit better). For more information on J-PAL’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion visit this webpage.