Research and Public Policy Project Manager - J-PAL Europe / Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab (MEL)

J-PAL Europe and the Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab (MEL) are looking to recruit a Research and Policy Project Manager to work on the development of research projects and the dissemination of their results in France and Francophone countries, as well as managing impact evaluations in Morocco. The position will be based at J-PAL Europe in Paris, with frequent travel to Morocco.

J-PAL Europe is a research lab that is part of the J-PAL network, specializing in the impact evaluation of social programs and anti-poverty policies. The Research and Policy Project Manager will be responsible for developing new randomized impact evaluation projects with various partners (public authorities, NGOs, foundations, etc.), in coordination with J-PAL affiliated researchers, disseminating the results, and assisting with potential scale-ups. They will help define research protocols and conduct pilot activities, ensuring evaluations meet the highest quality standards and partner needs. The role includes writing funding proposals, budget preparation, liaising with other organization offices, drafting and editing reports, presentations, and summaries, and participating in training activities. The work will primarily be in the Francophone world (especially France and West Africa) but may extend to other regions.

MEL is an initiative of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in partnership with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT and the Harvard Center for International Development (CID), promoting the use of rigorous scientific evidence to improve policy and program effectiveness in Morocco, contributing to the country's long-term development. The Research Project Manager will coordinate research efforts by managing a portfolio of impact evaluations across MEL’s intervention areas, working closely with lead researchers and supervising a team of research associates/senior research associates to ensure evaluations are feasible, well-implemented, and meet high-quality standards.

This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of research and public policy, closely collaborating with top-tier researchers to foster a culture of evidence-based policymaking. The role will be based in Paris, with frequent travel to Morocco and other Francophone countries, not exceeding 5 days per month. The Project Manager will report to J-PAL Europe’s Deputy Director of Research and the MEL Director.

II. Main Responsibilities

Activities for J-PAL Europe:

• Maintain relationships with partners interested in impact evaluation of their social programs and anti-poverty projects.
• Assess the feasibility of randomized impact evaluations and outline their research protocols.
• Collaborate with J-PAL affiliated researchers on the design and implementation of randomized impact evaluations, including data collection plans.
• Conduct exploratory qualitative research to help develop interventions suited to local needs.
• Assist in preparing large-scale impact evaluations and responding to calls for proposals.
• Help build research and data collection teams, adhering to quality standards and J-PAL research protocols.
• Establish systems that facilitate good research practices among affiliates, including data security and confidentiality, trial registration, and ethical considerations.
• Serve as a resource for J-PAL Europe’s public policy and training teams.
• Draft summaries of evaluations and present results in writing or verbally to various audiences.
• Participate in J-PAL Europe training activities, especially those conducted in French.
• Coordinate with other J-PAL regional offices (particularly J-PAL Africa) on new research project development.
• Perform other relevant tasks as assigned by J-PAL Europe.

Activities for MEL:

• Assess the feasibility of randomized impact evaluations and outline their research protocols.
• Collaborate with J-PAL affiliated researchers on the design and implementation of randomized impact evaluations, including data collection plans.
• Provide advice, support, and supervision to research associates on research activities and skill development.
• Ensure adherence to J-PAL and CID research protocols to maintain research integrity and quality.
• Manage project timelines and keep all stakeholders informed of project progress.
• Establish systems that facilitate good research practices among affiliates, including data security and confidentiality, trial registration, and data set publication.
• Collaborate with national survey firms and research bureaus for data collection and evaluation implementation.
• Establish effective communication processes and systems, including reporting, with research associates, lead researchers, and MEL management.
• Coordinate the preparation of summary reports and dissemination documents.
• Perform other relevant tasks as assigned by MEL.

III. Qualifications

Experience:

• At least a Master’s degree in microeconomics or statistics, or a related field; a PhD is a plus but not required.
• At least five years of experience, including at least two years in conducting randomized impact evaluations; PhD years count if relevant.
• Experience in data analysis, familiarity with economic academic literature.
• Experience with data analysis software such as STATA and/or R.
• Experience in managing research projects and data collection: team management, recruiting, training and supervising surveyors, budget management, etc.
• Experience in project writing and grant seeking.
• Experience collaborating with partner organizations and managing high-level partner relationships.
• Experience disseminating research results and using them to shape public policy; experience scaling up promising interventions is a plus.
• Strong interest in public policy and anti-poverty issues.

Skills:

• Knowledge of quantitative research and randomized impact evaluations.
• Proven ability to manage high-level partner and researcher relationships.
• Languages: native or near-native French, excellent spoken and written English; Arabic is a plus but not required, as is another European language.
• Strong interpersonal skills, team spirit, ability to work in a multicultural environment.
• Availability for frequent travel, flexibility in work organization.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, synthesis abilities.
• Public speaking ability, clarity in verbal expression in French and English.
• High rigor and organizational skills, ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.