Associate Research Manager - Innovations for Poverty Action

Position Summary

IPA Ghana seeks an Associate Research Manager to oversee multiple rigorous impact evaluations across health, education, social protection, financial inclusion, agriculture, etc., while serving as our primary liaison with government ministries, policymakers, and stakeholders. This role uniquely combines technical research leadership with extensive policy engagement, requiring someone who can actively deliver evidence-based insights and proactively engage in policy dialogue to inform evidence into practice.

You will represent IPA in national policy forums, technical working groups, and research events, building trusted relationships with government partners and other key stakeholders. As technical lead, you will ensure methodological rigor throughout the research cycle while directly supervising project teams, managing budgets, and ensuring timely donor deliverables. You will also support business development by identifying opportunities, writing proposals, and cultivating partnerships.

We seek someone with exceptional technical skills in impact evaluation methodology, particularly randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs, combined with strong policy acumen and relationship management abilities.

Responsibilities

Research Project Management

• Work with Principal Investigators to ensure their adherence to research design, sample selection, data collection, data management and general research protocols, as well as overall project objectives and timelines;

• Manage relationships with researchers across multiple research institutions, funders, and implementing partners to ensure project success;

• Supervise research project teams in the delivery of high-quality technical outputs, including complex digital surveys, data flow systems, quality control processes, statistical analysis, and technical reports;

• Oversee the full research implementation cycle, including survey planning, data quality assurance, cleaning, analysis, and impact evaluation activities;

• Manage project finances, including budget development and monitoring, and ensure smooth integration into IPA financial systems;

• Ensure compliance with IPA, donor, and in-country policies and procedures.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for data management and analysis support, linking project teams with IPA headquarters;

• Champion inter-project learning by identifying and sharing best practices through formal and informal training;

• Support dissemination of results through presentations and reports to academic and non-academic audiences;

Project Development

The Associate Research Manager will lead new project development in the Ghana office. In particular, as part of the project development component of the position, the Associate Research & Project Development Manager will:

• In collaboration with the Country Directors, Research Managers and the Global Business Development team, develop and continuously review and adapt as needed, a project development and stakeholder engagement strategy for the various sectors;

• Recruit and manage a team of 2-4 interns;

• Lead and initiate a portfolio of project development efforts with researchers, funders, and partner organizations;

• Identify priority research questions and key concerns for policymakers in the various sectors, and initiate and manage the development of corresponding new research proposals;

• Propose cost structures and budgets for potential funding opportunities and proposals;

• Ensure that institutional arrangements are taken care of to submit proposals – in line with the donors’ deadlines and requirements – and collaborate with the Grants, Legal and the Business Development teams to submit research proposals and set up new grant awards;

• Develop new and manage existing relationships with IPA partner organizations and principal investigators to enhance the relevance and influence of IPA’s research, support targeted dissemination of research findings, encourage scale-up of successful projects;

• Represent IPA at local (and potentially regional and global) forums focused on priority sectors, identified in collaboration with the Country Directors and Policy team, including workgroups, task forces, advisory committees, conferences, etc.;

• In coordination with the Global Business Development team, develop resources for project development and ensure all internal project development files, folders and tracking systems are up to date.

Government and Stakeholder Relations

• Represent IPA in national policy forums, technical working groups, and research events, building and maintaining strategic relationships with government, development partners, and civil society organizations.

• Lead policy engagement efforts by organizing stakeholder consultations, presenting research findings, providing technical support to policymakers, and facilitating dialogue between researchers and government officials to ensure evidence informs policy.

• Support knowledge exchange through dissemination events and ongoing communication with key stakeholders on research findings.

• Perform other duties related to the project that may be assigned to him/her.

Skills or Experience

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in economics, political science, international development, public policy, or other related field;

• At least 3 years of work experience in a similar position;

• Excellent project management skills;

• Previous experience in managing research projects and sound understanding of research methods, including quantitative data management;

• Experience in developing research projects, experience with budgeting and project planning;

• Previous experience working on fundraising with public and private donors;

• Demonstrated experience in research and policy engagement;

• Passion for connecting rigorous impact evaluation research to policymakers and practitioners and communicating what works in development;

• Experience in grants and contracts management, preferably in a research setting;

• Excellent management and organizational skills and ability to work independently;

• Experience working in sub-Saharan Africa preferred;

• Advanced communication and presentation skills in English.

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