Position Summary

The Policy Associate under the general supervision of the Associate Policy Manager and within the limits of the Innovations for Poverty Action- Kenya policies and procedures will coordinate and facilitate policy activities and functions within IPAK as outlined below. The general duties and responsibilities of the Policy Associate will include the following and may be subject to further determination by the department lead.

Responsibilities

40% 

Engagement and advocacy: 

In coordination with the Country Management team, the Policy Associate will meet with and build relationships with key partners in the National and County governments, non-profit organizations, foundations, multilateral aid agencies, and the private sector across Kenya. Work with the Country office management and the projects management team to perform stakeholders mapping and build project and country office policy development plans. Represent IPA-K in working groups with government and other partners.

Policy outreach and events: Work with Project management staff to identify dissemination needs and, with the support of the operations team, lead and coordinate the organization of policy dissemination events and other conferences. Give presentations on IPA Kenya’s work, disseminate research findings to policymakers and the media, and encourage the scale-up of evidence-based Policies.

40%

Project delivery: With the guidance of the Associate Policy Manager, support the implementation of Policy Department’s directly funded projects. This includes work planning, reporting and budget tracking to ensure value for money.

Research relationships: Build and maintain strong relationships with researchers working on randomized evaluations in Kenya. Serve as a resource for IPA-Kenya affiliates interested in conducting randomized evaluations. Maintain strong and effective relationships between IPA-Kenya and IPA Global and other regional offices, especially in Africa, to ensure that IPA-Kenya uses and contributes to the research generated by IPA international network. Liaise with project development teams to identify any important research and policy windows of interest.

20% 

Communications: Work with IPA’s Global Policy & Communications team to create policy memos and publications that ‘translate’ IPA’s research into policy lessons for dissemination to policy makers around the world. Coordinate communication within the Country Office and with external stakeholders through the regular publication of the IPA Kenya newsletter and other relevant materials.

Organizational: Help recruit, supervise, and mentor junior policy staff, and support IPA Kenya’s policy capacity building courses and resources.

Qualifications

Required

• At least 4 years of relevant experience working in a research or policy organization. 
• The ideal candidate for this position must be very knowledgeable about domestic public policy issues in Kenya with high competency in engaging government stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, communication, or related fields from a recognized university. 
• Interest in international development issues is required to better understand the work of other IPA centers worldwide.

Preferred

• Communication: Attention to detail and advanced writing, communication, and presentation skills for synthesizing policy lessons from academic papers in ways that policymakers can understand. This requires clear, precise, non-technical writing, and confident, effective public speaking skills.
• Time Management: Excellent organizational skills. Proven ability to multi-task and successfully complete projects on tight deadlines with little supervision. A willingness to work hard, be self-motivated and learn will be essential for doing well in this position

Reports to

Associate Policy Manager

Location

Nairobi

Application Instructions

Click here to apply now

About IPA 

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. 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 the world’s poor. 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 900 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide. 

IPA's Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) 

As an organization, IPA is dedicated to improving the lives of the world's most vulnerable populations through evidence and policy. We also recognize how important it is for our staff to reflect the diversity of the places where we work and the communities we work with. As such, IPA is committed to hiring from a diverse pool of candidates, from a range of backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives. We know that this makes our work stronger and more responsive to the challenges faced by those we work with and for and we encourage people from historically underrepresented groups to apply. Click here to learn more about IPA’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Innovations for Poverty Action is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected class. IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you believe you require such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please contact us at jobs@poverty-action.org or via phone at 1-202-386-6200. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by the specified position. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs@poverty-action.org. Please note that only qualified applicants will be contacted by the hiring manager