Program Associate, Strategic Impact Evaluation And Learning

Job Summary

The SIEL Program Associate coordinates competitive research funds and supports grant management for the FCDO/IPA/J-PAL learning partnership across designated IPA country offices in Africa. The associate reviews proposals, tracks deliverables in Salesforce, facilitates stakeholder matchmaking, supports policy dissemination, and assists with financial monitoring.

Key Roles & Operational Responsibilities

1. Research Fund Coordination & Grant Management (40%)

• Funding Lifecycle: Coordinate competitive calls for proposals, manage proposal review workflows, draft funding announcements, and oversee grant agreement drafting.
• Portfolio Tracking: Conduct detailed reviews of grant deliverables, communicate progress updates to FCDO and research teams, and ensure complete donor reporting compliance.
• Database Management: Maintain updated, accurate project records in Salesforce.
• Initial Proposal Filtering: Conduct the initial review and screening of submitted research proposals before escalating to the competitive review board.

2. Project Development & Matchmaking (30%)

• FCDO Outreach: Support the Program Lead in outreach activities to help FCDO teams draft high-quality evaluation proposals.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate internally across IPA teams (Grants, Research Support, Legal, Finance, Global Operations) and partner offices (J-PAL, FCDO).
• Research Matchmaking: Connect FCDO teams, academic researchers, and local IPA/J-PAL country offices to launch projects in growth, climate, conflict, and humanitarian sectors.

3. Communications, Policy & Program Administration (30%)

• Dissemination Support: Partner with the Research Uptake Lead to organize dissemination events, update IPA website summaries, and draft communications materials.
• Capacity Strengthening: Support the Capacity Strengthening Lead in preparing training materials and workshops for FCDO personnel.
• Administration & DEI: Support financial monitoring, administrative workflows, and contribute to tracking progress on IPA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) metrics.

Foundational Capabilities & Prerequisites

Required Qualifications & Baseline Skills

• Educational Baseline: Bachelor's degree in Economics, Political Science, Public Policy, International Development, or a related field.
• Professional Track Record: Minimum 2+ years of work experience in project management, research management, research fund administration, or research dissemination.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to translate complex research concepts into clear, non-technical language for diverse stakeholders.
• Project Delivery: Demonstrated ability to organize complex data, prioritize competing tasks, and manage multi-country workflows efficiently.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Degree: Master's degree in Economics, Political Science, Public Policy, or related disciplines.
• Methodological & Domain Knowledge: Understanding of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and impact evaluation methodologies; familiarity with climate, humanitarian, growth, or conflict topics.
• Technical Software Skills: Proficiency in Excel and CRM platforms, specifically Salesforce.
• Policy Writing: Direct experience writing research summaries, evidence syntheses, or policy briefs.

What IPA Offers

• High-Impact Evidence Platform: Directly contribute to shaping multi-million dollar global development programs and FCDO policies.
• Pan-African & Global Network: Work alongside leading academic researchers from J-PAL, IPA, and top international institutions across a multi-country footprint.
• Professional Growth: Exposure to grant making, policy dissemination, impact evaluation design, and cross-border project administration.

Skills Required:

• Economics / Statistics
• Political / Science / Ir