Senior Research Associate - J-PAL Middle East and North Africa

Job Summary:

The Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab (MEL) is looking to hire a Senior Research Associate (SRA) to coordinate its research efforts to foster a culture of evidence-based policymaking in Morocco.

The Senior Research Associate will support the implementation of an impact evaluation 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 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 the public, private, NGO, and philanthropic sectors in Morocco to conduct evaluations that speak to their priorities and share rigorous evidence to inform their decisions.

About The Position:

The position offers a unique opportunity for the Senior Research Associate to support the research infrastructure of the Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab and assist the research project in the design and implementation of impact evaluations as well as data collection, management, and analysis, in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research. 

The Senior Research Associate will be directly supervised by the MEL’s Director and the Research Manager. The Senior RA will work closely with senior staff from J-PAL and CID, academic researchers and other field staff to perform a variety of research tasks. 

This research project is an experimental evaluation in the field of education, conducted by affiliated and international researchers, including Andreas de Barros (University of California Irvine), Paul Glewwe (University of Minnesota), Alejandra Campos Quintero (Columbia University), Nikhil Kumar (Harvard University) and Zakaria Mansouri (Ibn Tofail University).

Key Responsibilities:

The Senior 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;
• Supervise a maximum of two Research Associates working on the projects;
• Assist with hiring survey firms, including drafting terms of reference;
• 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; and
• 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.

Requirements:

Education:

• A Master's Degree in economics, public policy, mathematics, statistics or related technical fields including training in microeconomics, econometrics, statistics, and advanced mathematics;
• Graduate-level coursework in economics is a plus.

Experience:

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience, including 2 years of research experience;
• Experience with STATA and/or R data analysis software is a must; experience interpreting data analysis; experience with academic writing;
• Experience with budget management is a plus;
• Experience with living in Morocco is a strong advantage.

Skills:

• Very strong quantitative, organisational, and communication skills are necessary;
• Fluency in French and in English. Arabic command is a strong advantage;
• Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player;
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organisations;
• Familiarity with evaluation methods and randomized controlled trials preferred;
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.