Research Associate, Education Project, Morocco Employment Lab, Morocco - J-PAL MENA

I- Job summary

The Morocco Employment Lab (MEL) is looking to hire a Research Associate to coordinate its research efforts to foster a culture of evidence-based policymaking in Morocco, conducted by a team of international researchers in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports (MENPS). This position will be based in our offices at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic campus in Rabat.

About the research project

This research project is a quasi-experimental evaluation conducted by affiliated and international researchers from the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at MIT: Andreas de Barros (University of California Irvine) , Paul Glewwe (University of Minnesota), Hosam Ibrahim (University of Minnesota) and Sarah Chloe Deschennes (The World Bank).

It aims to assess the impact of interventions carried out by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports (MENPS) of Morocco to strengthen learning in primary school. Interventions include explicit teaching (also referred to as structured pedagogy) and a Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) program.

The research associate might also participate in another project with the MENPS, which is a randomized controlled trial of a tutoring program in middle school. 

About the Morocco Employment Lab (MEL)

Launched in September 2020 as part of a joint partnership between the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and Center for International Development (CID), the Morocco Employment Lab (MEL) seeks to create a culture of evidence-based policymaking in Morocco through rigorous impact evaluations and capacity building. MEL has a foundational focus on employment but it is expanding its work in other sectors, such as education, firm growth, agriculture and social protection.

About the position

The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the design and implementation of impact evaluations as well as data collection, management, and analysis, in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research. 

Research Associates work closely with academic researchers and other field staff to perform a variety of tasks including, but not limited to: designing survey questionnaires, conducting qualitative research, running pilot tests, refining the design and the survey instruments of the study, managing survey teams, negotiating contracts with survey firms, checking and analyzing data, cleaning data and assisting in the preliminary analysis, assisting in the writing of project reports and policy memos, and coordinating with the local partner running the program under evaluation. 

The position is designed to help the selected candidate prepare for graduate-level studies in economics, quantitative education research, and/or further professional opportunities in impact evaluation. Alumni who worked with the study's investigators in similar positions have gone on to Ph.D. and Masters programs at Harvard and the University of Chicago, for example.

This position is based in Rabat, Morocco.

II- Key Responsibilities 

The Research Associate is responsible for the supervision of the project and its successful implementation in the field, which includes:

● Propose and, as appropriate, implement innovations in the different stages of a project in coordination with Principal Investigators

● Maintain and grow effective relationships with partner organizations

● Oversee and lead the field research activities, including the implementation of the evaluation, according to the research design in coordination with partners

● Liaising with field staff running the evaluations and collaborating with them including travel to research field sites

● Conduct background research in conjunction with field research activities

● Designing survey questionnaires, conducting qualitative research, refining study design and surveying instruments

● Supervise in person or phone data collection and ensure the good quality of the data

● Assist with the preparation of administrative databases

● Assist with data cleaning and preliminary data analysis

● Any other work assigned by Principal Investigators

He/she will also be responsible for ensuring good communication and organization on a daily basis:

● Facilitate, strengthen and maintain effective and efficient communication as the primary contact point with Principal Investigators.

● Provide periodic updates on project activities to PIs and subject experts

● Participate in the planning and design of any outreach activities

● Ensure that project activities are on schedule and prepare project update reports according to agreements with funders and partners

III- Requirements

● A Master's Degree in economics, public policy, math, statistics or related technical fields including training in microeconomics, econometrics, statistics, and advanced mathematics

● Graduate-level coursework in economics is a plus

● Experience with living in Morocco or a developing country is a strong advantage

● Previous experience in development research preferred

● Very strong quantitative, organizational, and communication skills are necessary

● Fluency in French and an excellent command of English (compulsory). Arabic command is a plus

● Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player

● Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations

● Prior experience working with large data sets and programming in Stata, SAS, R or other statistical programs is necessary. 

● Familiarity with randomized controlled trials is a strong plus.