Job Summary

The Peace and Recovery Program (P&R) improves outcomes for conflict-, crisis-, and violence-affected populations by building the evidence base and informing policy on reducing violence, promoting peace, and managing crises. P&R does this through evidence generation(through competitive research funds), technical assistance, research dissemination, and equipping decision-makers to use emerging evidence. The (Senior) Program Associate will support P&R’s Citizen Security Research Initiative, which aims to advance evidence on countering organized crime, combating drug trafficking, reducing crime and violence, and strengthening law enforcement and criminal justice.

Responsibilities

Supporting the coordination of a competitive research fund on citizen security

• Supporting the revision and update of a research and learning agenda on citizen security, including organized crime, illegal drug trafficking, law enforcement and justice systems, and crime and violence through desk research and consultations with experts
• Tracking the status of grants and projects in P&R’s portfolio, through the detailed review of grant deliverables and regular communication with research teams 
• Liaising internally with relevant IPA teams such as research support, programs, grants, legal, finance, and global operations
• Supporting grant reporting to donors 
• If new rounds of our competitive funding process are confirmed, supporting activities related to the calls for proposals, reviewing and screening research proposals, communicating with research teams, and supervising the development of grant agreements

Communications and policy outreach

• Synthesizing existing impact evaluation and related research on organized crime, illegal drug trafficking, law enforcement and justice systems, crime and violence, and other related security topics; translating it into clear policy takeaways 
• Liaising with policymakers to ensure research summaries are responsive to their needs and with research to ensure they effectively represent the literature 
• Supporting stakeholder mapping to identify relevant security and justice stakeholders to engage to inform the research, synthesis, and uptake 
• Supporting other dissemination activities as needed, such as keeping IPA’s website up to date with project summaries, and planning and presenting at events 
• Staying up to date with the academic literature on topics related to security and justice, from impact evaluations to descriptive or contextual research

If hired as a Senior Associate, responsibilities may also include the following:

• Supporting P&R’s targeted engagement with key policy stakeholders 
• In some cases, leading grant reporting to donors

Project development

• Meeting with researchers and implementing organizations working on topics related to security and justice
• Liaising with IPA Country Offices, researchers, and implementing organizations to support them in project development efforts related to security and justice

General program administration

• Supporting financial monitoring and administration 
• Supporting the streamlining of P&R’s processes and procedures

If hired as a Senior Associate, responsibilities may also include the following:

• Improving P&R’s competitive fund proposal, grants management, and tracking processes and systems
• Potentially overseeing interns, associate-level staff, or other staff supporting P&R

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, political science, public policy, or related fields
• Up to 3 years of work experience in research management, fund management, evidence reviews, and/or research dissemination for Associate-level staff; between 3 and 5 years of work experience for Senior Associate-level staff
• Demonstrated knowledge of topics related to citizen security, justice, crime, and/or violence, including a good sense of the academic literature on these topics
• Demonstrated project management skills, including attention to operational and research detail, and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects efficiently
• Excellent English language communication skills (both written and oral) and the ability to communicate effectively and clearly with internal and external stakeholders using cogent, precise, non-technical language
• Ability to present information in a structured and insightful way, both in writing and orally
• Flexibility, self-motivation, willingness to learn, and a team-oriented attitude

Preferred

• Master’s degree in economics, political science, public policy, or related fields
• Knowledge of impact evaluation methodologies 
• Deep knowledge of the causal evidence literature on citizen security, justice, crime, and/or violence
• Experience developing or updating research and learning agendas
• Experience writing evidence synthesis, research summaries, and policy briefs
• Experience in grant management
• Proficiency in Excel and CRM software, like Salesforce and Airtable 
• Proficiency in Spanish or French

Location

Colombia, Mexico, Peru

Reports to

Director, Peace & Recovery

Deadline 

8 May

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 the 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.