Job Summary

The (Senior) Associate, Embedded Labs will work closely with government partners in Sierra Leone to strengthen their capacity to use evidence to improve programs and policies. Operating within the IPA Sierra Leone Country Office, the Senior Associate plays a key role in advancing IPA's Embedded Evidence Labs program, and may be fully or partially embedded within a government partner agency to directly coordinate lab activities. The Senior Associate reports to the IPA Sierra Leone Policy Manager, with dotted-line oversight from the Global Policy team.

Responsibilities

IPA Embedded Evidence Lab Scoping (40%)

• Cultivate relationships with key local decision-makers in the health and/or education sectors and ensure their buy-in and input.
• Support the design and implementation of primary data collection activities including surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and case studies aimed at answering learning questions and generating evidence for programme improvement.
• Collaborate with IPA researchers and the lab team to support programme evaluations and research studies embedded within agency programmes.

Project and Knowledge Management (15%)

• Support work planning and project management to ensure effective and timely implementation.
• Coordinate with agency departments, IPA Sierra Leone, and external partners to ensure alignment and maximize synergies across activities.
• Support administrative and logistical requirements for lab activities including planning workshops, managing procurement, coordinating field visits, maintaining documentation, and contributing to work planning and reporting.
• Produce policy briefs on key policy questions that can be answered using the Ministry's own data.
• Support the development of a policy-driven research agenda for the lab and facilitate the development of projects to respond to the agenda.
• Contribute to high-quality technical outputs including evaluation reports, policy briefs, evidence syntheses, and lessons-learned documents.

Capacity Building and Technical Support (40%)

• Design and deliver MEL training workshops and learning sessions for agency staff at various levels, covering theories of change, indicator design, data collection methods, data analysis, data visualization, and evidence-informed decision-making.
• Provide ongoing hands-on technical assistance and mentoring to government partner staff, including designing data collection instruments, conducting data quality checks, preparing visualizations, and using evidence for programme decisions.
• Build staff capacity to use data analysis and visualization tools including advanced Excel, statistical software (Stata, R, SPSS), database management tools, and visualization platforms (Power BI, Tableau).
• Facilitate learning events, data review meetings, and evidence-to-action workshops to promote peer learning, institutionalize data use practices, and foster an organizational culture of continuous learning and evidence-informed adaptation.
• Develop training materials, guidance notes, job aids, and institutional knowledge resources to support sustainable capacity strengthening.
• Translate complex data findings into accessible, actionable insights for non-technical audiences through effective data visualization and communication.

Other Responsibilities (5%)

• Any other task as assigned by the Policy Manager or Country leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in international public policy, education, public health, social science, or a related field, with 2-5 years of relevant work experience; exceptions may be made for excellent candidates who do not meet this criterion.
• Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools, including advanced Microsoft Excel and platforms such as Power BI or Tableau.
• Experience designing, strengthening, or implementing Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems, including data collection, management, and analysis frameworks.
• Proven ability to manage multiple programmes or workstreams simultaneously, including coordinating stakeholders, tracking progress, and managing deliverables.
• Experience working in a low-resource setting with close interaction with government stakeholders.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to clearly present information in a structured, non-technical, and insightful way.
• Positive, poised, and credible demeanor consistent with IPA's core values, including the ability to maintain focus and ensure accountability under difficult circumstances.
• Passion for making data-driven decision-making a reality in the development sector.
• Strong team collaboration skills; ability to work with a diverse team toward a central goal while managing individual work streams independently.
• Cultural and political sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work successfully with diverse constituencies.
• English fluency required.
• Proficiency in at least one statistical software package (Stata, R, or SPSS). (preferred)
• Demonstrated ability to coach and train others in statistics, data analysis, or MEL methodologies. (preferred)
• Experience working side by side with government counterparts. (preferred)
• Experience with public health or education interventions. (preferred)
• Sierra Leonean nationals are strongly encouraged to apply. (preferred)

Location

This position is based in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The role may involve travel to rural areas of Sierra Leone. The working language is English.

Reports To

Policy Manager, IPA Sierra Leone (with dotted-line oversight from the Global Policy team).

Click Here to Apply Now

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.