IDInsight recruits 01 Economist / Researcher

About IDinsight

IDinsight helps leaders combat poverty worldwide by designing, deploying and promoting evidence- generating tools. We tailor the best methodologies to partner needs and constraints to fuse evidence with action. We serve governments, NGOs, foundations and social businesses across Africa and Asia in all major program areas including health, education, agriculture, livelihoods, finance, energy and governance.

Our approach rests on four pillars:

Rigorous: We develop and use a wide-range of cutting edge data and evidence tools, including experimental evaluations, monitoring systems, data analytics and visualization, process evaluations, machine learning and more.
Cost-effective: Every dollar spent is justified by expected impact. If funds could be better used in another way, we say so.
Timely: Actionable information is delivered in time for client decision-making deadlines.
Demand-driven: We deploy solutions tailored to partner contexts and needs with no competing agendas.

Our diverse, growing team of over 150 outstanding colleagues operate in nearly two dozen countries around the world. Learn more at www.IDinsight.org.

About the Economist/Researcher role

IDinsight Economists/Researchers (hereafter “the Economist”) are experts in quantitative research tools who support a large portfolio of projects across diverse geographies, sectors, and methodologies.

The Economist will be required to think critically about how to maximize methodological rigor given our clients’ time, operational, political and budget constraints. The ideal candidate should love having many different types of problems thrown at them, be able to quickly digest and understand the program and evidence objectives, and provide advice and guidance on how best to proceed.

The Economist will be an important member of IDinsight’s Technical Team. The Technical Team is responsible for ensuring that the services that we provide to clients are statistically and methodologically sound. In collaboration with the Technical Team lead and personnel, the Economist’s role will include, but not be limited to, the following activities:

Designing and implementing evaluations for IDinsight clients in collaboration with project teams. The Economist will play a leading role in designing and implementing studies for IDinsight clients, including impact evaluations, process evaluations, monitoring systems, diagnostic assessments, and scale-up plans.
Ensuring technical rigor of project deliverables. The Economist will support project teams in drafting and refining technical documents, which include evaluation designs, pre-analysis plans, sample size calculations, data collection instruments, technical reports, and other documents. The Economist will also be a crucial resource to the country office where he or she is stationed by providing technical expertise on short-term issues that confront project teams.
Supporting the technical professional development of staff. The Economist will prepare and lead training sessions on technical topics (such as statistical inference and Stata programming) on a regular basis. He or she will also provide individualized support to staff on their technical professional development.
Publishing IDinsight studies in academic and policy journals. The Economist will have the opportunity to co-author publications in academic and policy journals to showcase results from IDinsight studies, based on IDinsight’s client needs and the Economist’s interest.
Develop new project and services. The Economist will have the opportunity to develop new projects and client relationships in accordance with IDinsight’s values of client-focused and decision-focused research.

The Economist will be expected to fulfill these responsibilities and others with professionalism and on strict deadlines. He or she will also be expected to propose, design and implement new initiatives for supporting project teams and increasing the technical rigor of IDinsight’s work.

Career development

Professional development for Economists is essential for IDinsight’s long-term impact. With support from IDinsight leadership, Economists maintain self-directed professional development plans and are given « stretch » opportunities designed to strengthen their professional skills. Real-time feedback and structured reviews are regularly provided to maximize each Economist’s expertise. IDinsight’s entrepreneurial culture allows roles and career progression to be tailored to individual strengths, interests, and goals. Economists have the opportunity to increase responsibilities, and high performers will have to opportunity to move up in the organization along technical, managerial, or client-facing paths.

Opportunities to protect a small portion of time for the candidate to work on their own research agenda may be possible.

Qualifications

Deeply passionate about international development and social impact
Advanced degree in economics, econometrics, statistics, public policy, public health, or other applied quantitative field. PhD preferred, though candidates with a Master’s degree and a strong record of success doing similar work will be considered.
3+ years of relevant work experience, including designing and managing evaluations, quantitative analysis, field research, and managerial experience in a developing country
Outstanding quantitative and critical thinking skills
Significant experience with Stata or R. Experience with additional programming languages a plus
Self-starter who will thrive in a start-up setting by taking ownership and initiative
Intellectual curiosity and sense of humor

Locations

Economist positions will be based in one of the IDinsight offices in India (Delhi), Morocco (Rabat), Senegal (Dakar), Zambia (Lusaka). Candidate’s interested in the the Senegal office should be fluent in French. Travel is dependent on project needs, and there are possibilities to move as we open new offices. US-based positions require frequent travel to project sites in India and Africa, as well as frequent communication with remote teams.

Compensation

Compensation is commensurate with relevant experience and background, and competitive within the social sector.

Start Dates

The ideal candidate can start in July 2020. We expect a minimum two-year commitment, with regular professional development conversations and potential for a long-term career at IDinsight.

References

Applications should include three references, including email, phone, and title. Briefly state in what capacity you worked with each reference. Candidates who have written references (especially as part of the academic job market) are asked to have them sent to us.

You will be asked to fill in information (including research topics, relevant coursework, and geographic preferences) and submit relevant documents (resume, brief cover letter, and writing sample). More information can be found online at IDinsight Careers. Any questions should be directed to careers@IDinsight.org. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. IDinsight is an equal opportunity employer.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The ideal candidate can start in July 2020.

Closing date : 22 January 2020