Senior Policy and Research Associate - J-PAL Europe

Summary of the Organisation: 

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, and is anchored by a network of some 1,100 affiliated professors at universities around the world. J-PAL Europe is one of J-PAL’s seven regional offices and leads the network’s work to generate and use evidence to inform social programmes in Europe.

J-PAL Europe’s Policy and Communications team plays a key role in translating research by J-PAL affiliates into actionable poverty alleviation policies in the region and in helping create new links between partner organisations and researchers to launch new evaluations. Staff connect the dots between economics and policy and are passionate about forming partnerships for evidence-informed development policy. 

Summary of the Role: 

J-PAL Europe is looking to hire a (Senior) Policy and Research Associate to join its team in Spain. The role involves contributing to partnerships that promote evidence-based policymaking through policy outreach, evidence use, and training, as well as supporting high-quality impact evaluations. The position will require regular engagement with country-based researchers and implementing partners. The (Senior) Policy and Research Associate will also work closely with J-PAL Europe’s Policy and Communications team.

This is a unique opportunity for a motivated early-career professional to gain hands-on experience at the intersection of research, policy design, and training. 

Responsibilities include: 

• Policy:
  • Create and disseminate policy materials showcasing J-PAL projects, including evaluation summaries, policy briefs, and tailored presentations. This involves reading the academic evidence, distilling the main learnings for policy and writing them in different formats with the main goal of disseminating them to policy-makers;
  • Support the delivery of evidence dissemination sessions targeting key partners and policy stakeholders;
  • Identify evidence gaps and evidence-based interventions, and support the design and adaptation to local contexts, maximising their potential impact;
  • Support the development of research calls, including the application and assessment processes, and review proposals and prepare materials to support funding decisions; 
  • Support the organisation of panels, conferences and events to disseminate research findings from J-PAL projects;
• Research:
  • Assistance in identifying potential impact evaluations that may be of interest for policy-makers and researchers in the J-PAL network;
  • Engaging with partners to clarify the constraints and prerequisites of impact evaluations;
  • Liaising with potentially interested researchers to establish partnerships;
  • Where appropriate, support with proposal submissions and fundraising;
  • Provide research support to the incubation and execution of randomised evaluations, including data analyses and literature reviews.
• Training and Capacity Building:
  • Contribute to training events organised by J-PAL Europe for various audiences (policy-makers, project leaders, users of evidence-based findings);
  • Work with the Training team to develop training materials.

Work Authorization:

Applicants must have valid authorization to work in the EU. Sponsorship is not available for this role.

Desired Qualifications:

Your strong interest in science for policymaking, organisational and communication skills, technical knowledge, passion for research, and interest in developing teaching skills make you an ideal candidate for this role. 

• Education: You hold a Master’s degree in economics, public policy or a closely related field, including coursework in microeconomics, econometrics, and causal inference. 
• Experience: At least one year of relevant work experience. Relevant work experience includes: research implementation or research assistant positions. Technical familiarity with randomised evaluations, impact evaluation methods, or research capacity building is strongly preferred. Experience working with multiple stakeholders and government agencies in Europe is desirable, and experience working on social policy in Spain in particular.
• Languages: Excellent written and oral communication skills in Spanish and English. Fluency in any other European language would be appreciated.
• Interests: Demonstrated passion for research, improving public policies and addressing social problems.
• Evidence synthesis skills: Ability to and experience in synthesising academic evidence in outputs tailored for policymakers.
• Research skills: ability to conduct data analysis and literature reviews, and contribute to research discussions.
• Communication: Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and confidently orally and in writing is required. 
• Time management and attention to detail: Proven ability to handle several different projects/tasks at one time, meet deadlines and prioritise competing demands to deliver outputs in time and without compromising quality and absolute accuracy with details.
• Travel: Willingness and ability to travel internationally required. 
• 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.

Professional Development:

J-PAL provides numerous opportunities for professional growth, including:

• Access to J-PAL’s extensive network of researchers and development professionals;
• Training in cutting-edge research methodologies and impact evaluations;
• Travel opportunities to policy and training events.