Project Development Coordinator, Education

• Reports to: Director of Project Development
• Location: New Haven, CT
• Application deadline: July 15, 2013

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), is an international non-profit research organization. Based in New Haven, CT, with offices in Washington, D.C. and worldwide, IPA works with development partners and academic researchers to create and evaluate approaches to solving development problems, to communicate “what works” in development and to scale up successful projects in a variety of fields, including health, education, microfinance, governance and agriculture.

Position Summary:

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) seeks a qualified applicant for the position of Project Development Coordinator for Education Projects.  The Project Development team at IPA is responsible for helping researchers and IPA Country Offices develop projects in key policy areas related to poverty reduction.  IPA is creating a new position on the team to support a growing body of research and evidence in primary education and Early Childhood Development (ECD).  At least initially, the position will focus on following up and developing new projects in remedial education and ECD, supporting ongoing relationships and conversations with education sector partners in Country Programs, developing resources for education partners on existing evidence and remaining knowledge gaps, writing proposals and budgets for new projects, and  being a resource on education sector projects, evidence and partners at IPA.           

The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic self-starter with a background in education research, familiarity with randomized evaluations and exposure to or interest in education policy.  The position offers a unique opportunity to make contributions to the start-up of new education projects, work closely with field and headquarters staff on policy outreach, and participate in evidence reviews of research that has been completed to date.  The candidate will reach out to researchers, donors and development practitioners in the education sector, and support IPA management and Country Programs in the development of new education research.  As part of a larger team working across multiple sectors, the candidate will be a solid team player and be willing to work on projects and systems development outside of education as necessary. It is estimated that the coordinator will spend approximately 75% of his/her time on education and ECD and 25% on project development in other sectors.

Responsibilities:

• Assist with proposal development and technical review of all education-related proposals;
• Support primary education and ECD project development in Country Offices;
• Work with Country Programs (that have identified education as a key focus area) to develop project development plans in the field of education;
• Support policy mapping in the education field;
• Develop key replications in the education sector and prepare internal and external materials on “promising evidence”;
• Maintain records of donors who support education and ECD research;
• Support the Project Development Director in reaching out to donors and providing education evidence for use in funding decisions;
• Assist in the development of organization-wide policies and procedures and communicate these policies to researchers working in education;
• Create and maintain knowledge management tools for tracking randomized evaluations in the education and ECD sectors;
• Identify new researchers and act as a support liaison for all researchers working on IPA education projects;
• Provide guidance to IPA staff on key education lessons and outreach to new and high-level partners;
• Support project development efforts in sectors outside of education as needed; and
• Be available to travel internationally approximately 10-15% of the time.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in economics, social sciences, education or a related field;
• 1-2 years of experience in education research and familiarity with the application of results from randomized trials to education policy;
• Experience with field research in developing countries;
• Exceptional verbal presentation and writing skills in English;
• Excellent organizational skills, and ability to multi-task while paying attention to detail; and
• Demonstrated willingness to be a team player.

Please note: U.S. work authorization is required.

Application Instructions:

Please follow the application instructions below.  Any applications or CVs submitted outside this process will not be considered. Note, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview. 

1. Send an email to pd@poverty-action.org and cc jobs@poverty-action.org, following these instructions:

• In the subject line: Copy the following position line:100930IPAUSA, Project Development Coordinator, Education
• Attachments: Please attach Only your CV and cover letter
• In the email body:  Put your full name, first (given) name followed by last (family) name. 

Please do not include any text besides your name in the body of the e-mail. Adding extra text will interfere with the processing of your application

2. Qualified candidates: Please submit an application through J-PAL’s common application, indicating that you are interested in applying for a "Type 3" position.  Please note: you are not required to include transcripts or letters of recommendation upon initial submission. After submitting, you can edit your application at any time and may add these materials, if requested.

3. Fill out our EEO-1 Voluntary Self Identification Form.

IPA is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer.

All persons shall have the opportunity to be considered for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you believe you require such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please contact us at jobs@poverty-action.org.

DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by the Project Coordinator.  The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs-info@poverty-action.org.