Associate Program Manager

Position description

IPA’s Education Sector Program is looking for an Associate Program Manager (APM) to work on a new multi-country project focused on scaling effective education interventions, and to support the work of the Education Sector Program more broadly. IPA’s Education Sector Program works on a diverse portfolio of projects and initiatives and also provides technical support and sector expertise to other IPA teams and Country Offices. The APM role will accordingly engage with a wide range of both internal and external teams and stakeholders, and will address many key topics within education, including but not limited to early childhood education, implementation research, assessment, and the use of technology in education.

Responsibilities

Program management of education projects 70%

• Strategize project delivery mechanisms through understanding donor priorities, timelines, IPAs policies and procedures, and risks in implementation.
• Coordinate all project stakeholders, including principal investigators, IPA country offices, additional IPA teams, implementing partners, and relevant government stakeholders; ensure all actors are aligned on key project features, including timelines, role and responsibilities
• Contribute to research design, research oversight, data analysis, and writing of policy briefs, slide decks, and other research outputs as needed
• Ensure adherence to workplans, the achievement of goals and outputs as outlined in project documents and timelines, and conduct periodic reporting to the donor
• Under supervision of the Education Program Director, work with IPA country offices and other IPA teams to develop and implement research and learning projects, including but not limited identifying clear areas of responsibility between IPA Global, Policy, Right Fit Evidence, and the country offices, developing efficient channels of communication, monitoring budgets and timelines, providing technical / financial inclusion input where required.
• Contribute to building systems that improve the efficiency and internal management of the Education Sector Program

Outreach and Communications 20%

• Work closely with the communications and policy teams to conduct policy outreach activities, including planning of events and creating and disseminating easy to digest knowledge products that synthesize research results
• Under supervision of the Education Program Director, participate in external meetings, presentations, and convenings to develop key relationships with relevant parties, including donors, sectoral partners, and senior academics around the world, and manage these engagements
• Lead communication activities for the program internal to IPA, such as outreach to country offices and management of Education program’s Salesforce records
• Create original content on IPA’s education evidence and research via blogs and other pieces
• Contribute to the implementation of IPA’s diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) strategy, including tracking the Education Program’s progress against organizational metrics

Agenda setting and business development 10%

• Work closely with the Education Program Director and other IPA teams to routinely develop and update education sector research and learning agendas and related priority setting exercises, such as Country Offices work to identify High Impact Policy Opportunities
• Coordinate with principal investigators and IPA teams to develop viable research project opportunities with governments and private sector partners in-country, develop budgets and project documentation.
• Contribute to, and for selected opportunities, lead fundraising efforts and proposal submissions by identifying funding opportunities, drafting budgets and maintain support documents
• Liaise with other IPA teams to support them in project development efforts

Qualifications

Required

• Master’s degree in international public policy, (development) economics, or related fields, with coursework in quantitative methods.
• At least four years of relevant work experience, including experience in education research, policy, or program management
• Demonstrated project management skills, including strong attention to operational and research detail, and ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects efficiently with minimal supervision
• Excellent communication skills 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, ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently, willingness to learn, and a team attitude
• Open to meetings outside of regular, local business hours occasionally, with notice, to accommodate colleagues in other time zones
• Research experience
• Demonstrated knowledge of the education sector, research, policy, and intervention

Preferred

• First-hand experience in primary data collection
• Experience with both qualitative and quantitative data analysis and mixed methods approaches
• Experience leading project or program evaluations
• Familiarity with randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
• Experience or knowledge of educations projects specifically targeting Gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) or efforts to mainstream relevant issues
• Lived experience in Africa and/or in low- and middle-income countries

Travel and Language Requirements

• Occasional travel
• Office, hybrid, or fully remote work environment
• English (fluent, including written)
 

Application instructions

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