Jobs Description

J-PAL Africa seeks a strategic, passionate individual to join our team as Associate Director of Policy.
The position will be based at J-PAL Africa, the Africa hub of J-PAL Global, which is located in the Southern Africa
Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) in the University of Cape Town, School of Economics.
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) consists of a global network of academics who specialise in
conducting randomised evaluations of social policies/programmes to generate scientific evidence about what works
in the fight against poverty. J-PAL’s policy group analyses and disseminates research results and builds partnerships
with policymakers to ensure that policy is driven by evidence, and effective programmes are scaled up.
This role provides an unparalleled opportunity to lead one of the most influential organizations in the evidence to
policy space.
Requirements for the position:
• NQF9 qualification (i.e., masters equivalent) in public policy, economics or related fields including graduate
level courses in econometrics/ statistics, microeconomics, or development economics
• 5 years relevant work experience
• Demonstrated ability to analyze rigorous quantitative research
• Experience leading policy outreach including strategically identifying and mobilizing appropriate policymakers
and developing and maintaining these relationships
• Experience in identifying, designing, and supporting opportunities for scaling up effective programmes/
policies and using scientific evidence to inform policy decisions
• Demonstrated leadership and programme management experience, including contributing to team strategy,
hiring, and training staff
• Experience organising, managing, and presenting at training/ dissemination events, including preparing high
quality written materials and presentations
• Proven ability to handle multiple diverse assignments at one time, successfully complete assigned tasks and
meet deadlines while producing high-quality outputs
• Experience managing grants, including budget management, proposal/ report writing and donor relationships
• Willingness to travel extensively
• Advanced writing and oral presentation skills in English, particularly the ability to communicate technical
research to policymakers in a non-technical manner
• Strong skills in Ms Excel, Ms Word and Ms PowerPoint
The following will be advantageous:
• Professional level of French, both in writing and oral skills
Responsibilities include:
• Setting the vision for the Policy & Communications team at J-PAL Africa, in collaboration with J-PAL
Africa leadership and other Policy leaders at J-PAL Global and other Regional Offices
• Identify and support opportunities for evidence-informed policy making and scaling up programmes in
Sub- Saharan Africa:
o Questioning and refining ways of working with governments and other partners to increase and
improve the use of rigorous evidence in policymaking
o Identifying and cultivating opportunities for evidence use, matchmaking policymakers with
appropriate resources or technical assistance
o Fundraising for pilot and scaling projects
o Maintaining relationships with key actors in the evidence to policy space, and J-PAL’s researcher
network working on the continent
• Managing the Policy team to deliver on the strategy: recruit, train, onboard and manage for
performance
• Managing external relations and communications for J-PAL Africa overall, as well as Policy engagements
(events and communication campaigns)