Research Associate - J-PAL Middle East and North Africa

Job Summary:

The Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab (MEL) is looking for a Research Associate to support the implementation of an impact evaluation conducted by a team of international researchers in the field of education. This position will be based in our offices at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic campus in Rabat.

About the Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab (MEL):

The MEL is a collaboration between the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Harvard Center for International Development (CID). The Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab emerged from the Morocco Employment Lab, an initiative that was launched in 2020 in partnership with the Millennium Challenge Account - Morocco Agency (MCA-Morocco) and hosted by the Policy Center for the New South. With the support of Community Jameel, the lab is expanding its work beyond employment into sectors such as education, social protection, firm growth, agriculture, and environment. 

The MEL works in close collaboration with public, private, NGO, and philanthropic implementing partners in Morocco to conduct evaluations that speak to their priorities and share rigorous evidence to inform their decisions.

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. 

This research project evaluates the impact of an education technology program in Morocco through a randomized evaluation (RCT). It aims to investigate the uptake and impact on learning of such technology in the public school system. The program will be implemented during the 2026-27 school year with regular field visits planned throughout the evaluation period and a pilot and endline data collection scheduled at the end of the school year.

The project is led by J-PAL researcher Andreas de Barros from the University of California, Irvine together with a team of early-career researchers. As a Research Associate, you will work closely under the research team’s supervision to coordinate and oversee the day-to-day implementation of the project, while supporting data management and ensuring the successful execution of field activities.

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 in similar positions at the MEL have gone on to Ph.D., pre-doc or Masters programs at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago, among others.

Key Responsibilities:

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

• Research and data collection
  • Designing survey instruments.
  • Conducting field visits to monitor implementation.
  • Cleaning data and assisting in the preliminary analysis.
  • Conduct intermediate data analyses on usage and other key indicators, as agreed with the implementing partners.
  • Preparing and overseeing pilot and endline data collections. This includes coding surveys on SurveyCTO, training surveyors as well as monitoring and reporting on data entry.
  • Refining the design and the survey instruments of the study after the pilot.
  • Assisting in the writing of project reports and policy memos.
  • Any other work assigned by Principal Investigators (PIs).
• Project management and communication
  • Coordinating with the local implementing partner running the program under evaluation. This includes being in regular contact with local and central program implementation teams in order to submit and receive data requests, raising awareness about the research protocols, responding to questions and requests as well as to present intermediate insights where relevant (e.g. flagging low usage).
  • Maintaining a detailed project tracker, breaking deliverables into sub-tasks with timelines and effort estimates, monitoring progress, and flagging problems early.
  • Maintaining structured communication with the remote PI team and MEL leadership, including weekly updates, meeting agendas and notes, documented action items, and proactive escalation of blockers or dependencies.

Requirements:

Qualifications

• A Master's Degree in economics, public policy, math, statistics or related technical fields including training in microeconomics, econometrics, statistics, and advanced mathematics.
• Experience with living in Morocco or a developing country is a strong advantage.
• Previous experience in development research preferred. Familiarity with randomized controlled trials is a strong plus.
• Prior experience working with large data sets and programming in Stata, SAS, R or other statistical programs is necessary.
• Prior experience working with Survey CTO or other survey design tools is a plus.

Additional Competencies:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with sensitivity to cross-cultural contexts and different stakeholders (including PIs). This role requires to be a proactive communicator when coordinating meetings, raising questions and flagging problems.
• Fluency in English and French, and a good command of (Moroccan) Arabic.
• Demonstrate strong time management skills, while recognizing that the nature of project work and peaks in workload may occasionally require flexibility in working hours to meet key milestones and deliverables. 
• Be a collaborative team player, willing to support colleagues and contribute across projects when needed.
• Demonstrated ability to manage relationships with partner organizations.
• Strong problem-solving skills and proactive approach.
• Be self-motivated, and a willingness to learn will be essential for doing well in this position.

What We Offer:

This position is offered as an initial one-year contract with a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, 30 days of paid annual leave, retirement contributions, and access to UM6P's campus facilities, including a fully equipped gym and indoor swimming pool. You will join a dynamic and international team of research associates, MEL permanent staff, and researchers based both in Morocco and abroad. As part of the UM6P community, you will also have the opportunity to participate in the university's vibrant academic life through research seminars, conferences, and other events featuring scholars and practitioners from leading institutions around the world.

Location:

The full-time role will be based in Rabat, Morocco.