Senior Managerial Research Scientist

Job Summary

Innovations for Poverty Action is hiring a Senior Managerial Research Scientist (Health) for its Applied Research & Methods team, prioritized for Nigeria or other West/East Africa country offices. The role serves as Principal Investigator leading coverage surveys, health facility data audits, and impact evaluations for major infectious disease and malaria prevention initiatives. Applicants require a PhD in Epidemiology, Public Health, or Health Economics and substantive field research experience in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Key Roles & Operational Responsibilities

1. Survey Design & Technical Leadership

• Protocol & Sampling Strategy: Design coverage survey protocols, sampling strategies, and quality control mechanisms for large-scale infectious disease evaluations.
• Principal Investigator (PI) Role: Lead surveys, RCTs, data audits, and systematic extraction, validation, and interpretation of health facility-level data.
• Health Systems Context: Provide expert technical guidance on health facility operations and facility-level data constraints across Nigeria and West/East Africa.

2. Partner Engagement & Stakeholder Reporting

• Collaborative Operations: Partner with IPA’s Survey Delivery Unit to align data collection platforms, field protocols, and quality assurance systems.
• Government & Funder Liaison: Manage relationships with ministries of health, local government health partners, and program funders to secure access and communicate findings.
• Reporting: Oversee technical reporting, analytical summaries, and peer-reviewed scientific dissemination for stakeholders.

3. Research Agenda Development & Team Mentorship

• Grant Mobilization: Develop research proposals, study designs, funder narratives, and budgets to build and expand IPA’s health portfolio.
• Technical Quality Review: Conduct technical reviews of incoming study designs, research protocols, and grant proposals.
• Team Supervision: Supervise, train, and mentor field research staff, research associates, and field coordinators across culturally diverse environments.

Foundational Capabilities & Prerequisites

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Academic Credentials: Earned PhD or equivalent doctorate in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Public Health, Health Economics, or a related social science field.
• Domain Technical Expertise:
  • Substantive knowledge of health facility operations, facility-level data constraints, and methods for validating health records with facility staff.
  • Demonstrated track record conducting empirical research or extensive field studies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Proven skill in writing competitive research proposals, study protocols, and project budgets.

Desired Qualifications

• Direct research or programmatic experience in malaria or infectious disease prevention programs (e.g., in Nigeria or DRC).
• Proficiency in quantitative research methodologies, survey sampling, and randomized controlled trial (RCT) design.
• Publications in public health, measurement, or survey methods journals.
• Professional proficiency in French.

Why Join Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)?

• Intellectual & Senior Leadership: Drive global health policy through rigorous empirical evidence alongside the Chief Research and Methods Officer and academic leaders.
• High-Impact Health Agenda: Lead high-visibility research directly shaping malaria prevention and infectious disease strategies across Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Global Academic Network: Join an established research infrastructure that has informed hundreds of social programs impacting millions of people globally.

Skills Required:

• Health / Medical