Program Associate, Strategic Impact Evaluation and Learning

INNOVATIONS FOR POVERTY ACTION•Washington, DC

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Program Associate, Strategic Impact Evaluation and Learning (SIEL), sits within IPA's Sector Programs department and supports a six-year learning partnership between the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), IPA, and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). The SIEL program aims to establish a robust evidence base for FCDO's global programs and policies, enhance the efficiency of FCDO's interventions, and equip FCDO staff with skills to deploy and leverage impact evaluations for value for money. The Program Associate will support the Program Lead in grant management, project development, and communications across SIEL's four strategic priority areas: growth, humanitarian assistance, climate and nature, and conflict and fragility.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in economics, political science, public policy, or a related field
At least 2 years of work experience in project and/or research management, research fund management, and/or research dissemination
Demonstrated project management skills, including attention to operational and research detail and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects efficiently
Excellent communication skills; ability to communicate clearly and effectively with internal and external stakeholders using cogent, precise, non-technical language
Ability to present information in a structured and insightful way, both in writing and orally
Flexibility, self-motivation, willingness to learn, and a team-oriented attitude

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in economics, political science, public policy, or a related field
Knowledge of impact evaluation methodologies
Knowledge of topics related to humanitarian assistance, climate and nature, growth, or conflict and fragility
Experience writing evidence syntheses, research summaries, and policy briefs
Proficiency in Excel and CRM software such as Salesforce

Responsibilities

Coordinate the regular competitive funding process, including drafting calls for proposals, communicating with FCDO and research teams, managing the proposal review process, and supervising the development of grant agreements
Track the status of grants and projects in SIEL's portfolio through detailed review of grant deliverables and regular communication
Maintain up-to-date Salesforce records (database management) for all projects
Ensure accurate and complete grant reporting in compliance with donor requirements
Participate in the first review and filtering of research proposals for the competitive fund review board
Support the Program Lead in project development activities, including conducting outreach and providing support to FCDO teams to develop proposals
Liaise internally with relevant IPA teams including research support, programs, grants, legal, finance, and global operations
Coordinate matchmaking between FCDO teams, researchers, and IPA and J-PAL country offices on projects related to SIEL's priority areas
Contribute to developing new proposals to the research fund through outreach and relationship management efforts
Support SIEL's Research Uptake Lead and Program Lead in organizing and preparing materials for dissemination activities
Support other dissemination activities as needed, including keeping IPA's website up to date with project summaries and planning and presenting at events
Support SIEL's Capacity Strengthening Lead in organizing and preparing materials for training sessions and other capacity-strengthening activities
Support financial monitoring and administration
Contribute to the implementation of IPA's diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, including tracking SIEL's progress against organizational metrics