Reports to: Director, Financial Inclusion Program
Location: New Haven, CT, or Washington, DC
Deadline to apply: Applicatons will be reviewed on a rolling basis
Desired start date: TBD

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA designs, rigorously evaluates, and refines these solutions and their applications together with decision-makers to ensure that the evidence created is used to improve opportunities for the world’s poor. Since our founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 350 leading academics to conduct over 450 evaluations in 51 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

The Financial Inclusion Program oversees a portfolio of over 125 ongoing and completed rigorous research projects testing ways to help the poor manage their money and benefit from access to financial services. Applying insights from behavioral economics and other parts of the social sciences, the Program seeks to design and rigorously test financial product innovations and solutions to foster financial well-being among low- and moderate-income households worldwide.

The Program manager will be responsible for overseeing the US Finance Initiative, a set of 8 ongoing and completed randomized evaluations and several pilots with financial institutions across the United States, and will work to develop new research partnerships both in the US and internationally. The manager will be responsible for the development of research efforts testing financial products and interventions designed to help households pay down debt, build savings, and better manage their finances in the US and other advanced economies.

This position will report the Director of IPA’s Financial Inclusion Program and work closely with the Program’s academic leads, Dean Karlan and Jonathan Zinman. The position will be based in New Haven CT or Washington DC.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Program Manager is responsible for overseeing and developing a portfolio of studies and a team of US-based research staff managing project implementation and analysis, working closely with the Program Director and IPA researchers to develop new projects and build relationships with partner organizations and donors.

Manage a team implementing randomized evaluations and pilots, including research design, field data collection and data analysis. Ensure adherence to IPA research protocols, and provide guidance to team members for personal growth and development
Develop the initiative research agenda with guidance from the Program’s Academic Leads and the Director
Lead all aspects of project development, including research design, proposal development and budgeting, and liaising with partner organizations
Work with team members to produce research and policy outputs relevant to communicate IPA’s work in this space, including articles, blog posts, tweets, website content (project summaries, etc.), and print materials
Represent IPA at conferences and other events, and to other key stakeholders
Oversee grant reporting and manage budgets and donor relationships

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements:

Master’s degree in public policy, economics, social sciences, or a related field
Training in microeconomics, development economics, econometrics and statistics
3-5 years of work experience in research or relevant private sector roles
Experience in the design and management of randomized controlled trials
Excellent quantitative skills, including proficiency in Stata and ability to manage large data analysis projects
Demonstrated project management skills, including budgeting, and ability to manage a team
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently

Application Instructions:

https://www.poverty-action.org/getinvolved/jobs/US/IPAUSA101510