Policy Associate

University of Chicago•Washington, DC

3d•$70,400 - $82,500•Onsite

About The Position

The Policy Associate will help advance the research agenda of the Development Innovation Lab (DIL) by fostering relationships, communicating research findings, and identifying opportunities for collaboration and impact. This role will also play a crucial role in supporting engagement with policymakers, multilateral institutions, bilateral donors, academic partners, and implementing partners to scale innovations related to climate change, food security, and agriculture. Policy Associate will work at the intersection of cutting-edge economic research and high-level policy application. This position is instrumental in expanding DIL's influence in the global development community and translating innovative research into real-world impact. This is an ideal position for a candidate who is interested in making significant contributions in the field of development economics and policy. The Policy Associate will be assigned to one of several teams at DIL — including the Agriculture team, Water team, or the Office of the Faculty Director (OFD) — and will work closely with Lead Researchers or with Faculty Director Michael Kremer's Chief of Staff. Core responsibilities include policy support in outreach and communications, writing, public speaking and presentations, project development, multilateral engagement with organizations such as the World Bank and IMF, and human resources. OFD Associates may also support correspondence, logistics, calendar management and coordinating with the other teams reporting directly to the Faculty Director. The ideal candidate possesses strong writing skills, technical knowledge of development economics, policy, and the ability to work efficiently across many projects and teams. This position is well-suited for someone interested in a career at the intersection of research and policy.

Requirements

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through < 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Nice To Haves

Masters degree in Economics, Public Policy, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated experience in policy roles, preferably in international development.
Strong network, and experience, within multilateral institutions, government agencies, and/or the development sector.
Experience influencing policy at national or international levels
Excellent leadership and team management skills.
Demonstrated expertise in development economics and a strong understanding of empirical research methods.
Ability to assess the quality of economic evidence and cost effectiveness for economic innovations.
Knowledge of randomized controlled trials and other empirical methods used in economics.
Experience related to smallholder agriculture in a low- or middle-income country setting.
Excellent writing skills, including the ability to translate technical ideas into non-technical content.
Outstanding verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas to diverse audiences.
Excellent time management and organizational skills including the ability to meet external and internal deadlines.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with project teams to develop and execute communication strategies.
Oversee or support the preparation of speeches, presentations, and other high-level communications.
Support the team in crafting compelling narratives that showcase DIL's impact to diverse audiences.
Support the development of comprehensive policy strategies aligned with DIL's research agenda.
Draft high-impact policy briefs, white papers, and presentations for senior policymakers.
Provide policy guidance to the team.
Support the translation of DIL's cutting-edge research into policy recommendations.
Identify opportunities for policy-relevant research and advise research teams accordingly.
Contribute to research projects with significant policy implications.
Support the team in cultivating and maintaining relationships with stakeholders in multilateral organizations, governments, and major donors.
Help prepare DIL team members for high-profile policy events and global conferences.
As needed, participate in these events.
Support strategic discussions with policymakers.
Coordinate work by research professionals, program associates , and other project staff.
Contribute to the team’s workload, ensuring high-quality outputs and adherence to deadlines.
Support the fostering of a collaborative environment that encourages innovation and professional growth.
Assists in the research, verification, writing and editing publications, which can includes technical/scientific material for manuals or journals.
Uses knowledge of writing with moderate to high levels of guidance to write in-depth pieces.
Performs other related work as needed.