Senior Research Associate

Position Summary

IPA Rwanda seeks a Senior Research Associate (SRA) to be based in Kigali, Rwanda, to support a research project led by Jie Bai (Harvard Kennedy School), Lauren Bergquist (Yale University), Christian Lippitsch (International Growth Centre), and Ignacio Marra de Artinano (Universite Libre de Bruxelles). The research team will conduct an impact evaluation on a loan product for exporters and potential exporters. managed by the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD). Its objective is to understand the role of financial constraints to exporting in Rwanda. The loan product provides collateral guarantees for loans given by private financial institutions (PFIs) to increase access to finance for small and medium enterprises. To estimate the impact of the program, the team, supported by a team of IPA enumerators, will run a randomized marketing and application support campaign to increase uptake among visited firms.

The SRA will work closely with the IPA research team, the principal investigators (PIs), and implementing partners, gaining hands-on field research and management experience. Key responsibilities will include close coordination between the PIs, the point persons at the BRD and the PFIs, and the enumerator team. This will require robust experience and knowledge of the financial sector and products. The SRA will be involved in training exercises and lead the managing of junior research staff and field teams; the design and supervision of the logistics of field activities; the cleaning and analyzing surveys and administrative data; and will assist in liaising with key stakeholders.

We are looking for people with excellent communication and executive skills. Project management experience is a key requirement, as is a background in operations, logistics, or research management. We are looking for a candidate who is capable of working individually and as a part of a team, who can adapt to different environments and contexts, and who has a continuous willingness to learn. As an ideal candidate, the SRA must be able to organize complex work plans and lead teams. The work will develop the SRA’s analytical and management skills and requires full commitment in a challenging environment.

Responsibilities 

• Manage day-to-day operations for a large outreach campaign with firms
• Manage research activities, from planning, and implementation, to field and research work consolidation.
• Actively and continuously liaise and communicate with internal (supervisor, local, global IPA teams) and external [donors/ funders, local partners, PIs) to ensure smooth project delivery.
• Document all activities related to the project, including preparation of progress and results reports to PIs, research partners, and funding agencies, and sharing them in a timely manner.
• Assist in hiring, training, and managing project staff, including field staff, and interns.
• Supervise and manage project field staff (data collectors, enumerators, field supervisors).
• Manage field and administrative data from collection and processing, to storage, on-the-go troubleshooting, and adapt to changing field conditions to ensure timely and good quality field data collection.
• Ensure adherence to data quality protocols, manage data quality audits and run high-frequency checks guided by IPA protocols and monitoring systems.
• Assist in managing partnerships with project partners, including providing timely updates and responses to partner organizations.
• Performing office and project-related tasks as needed.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, business administration, public policy, social science, statistics or a related field, Master’s degrees are preferred;
• Experience in project management.
• Experience in and knowledge of the financial sector and products.
• Strong quantitative skills and knowledge of STATA preferred; experience with electronic data collection platforms is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations.
• Experience working with government officials, especially in Rwanda is also a plus.
• Excellent management and organizational skills.
• Flexibility, self-motivation, and the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently as a team player.
• Ability to work in a culturally diverse team and maintain high professional standards.
• Strong written and oral communication skills and complete fluency in English and Kinyarwanda is required.

Preferred:

• Experience in coordinating and implementing large-scale data collection activities with firms.
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Familiarity with randomized controlled trials.

Reports to

Research Manager

Location

Rwanda

Contract Type:

1-year Fixed contract

Application Deadline

Friday May 30th, 2025

Application Instructions

Click here to apply

About IPA

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and advances what works to improve the lives of people living in poverty. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of people living in poverty. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence of which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to a tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 1,000 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

Safeguarding at IPA

At Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), we are committed to creating a safe and respectful environment for all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults. As IPA adheres to strict safeguarding principles, selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards. By joining IPA, you become part of a team dedicated to ethical conduct, social responsibility, and meaningful impact in the fight against global poverty. Together, we work to create a better world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive with dignity and respect.