Associate & Senior Associate

IDinsight’s Associates and Senior Associates are high-performing early-career professionals passionate about experiencing the front-line realities of evidence-informed decision-making. These roles provide a rich, varied experience with responsibilities ranging from client interactions and management, in-depth research and analysis, data collection management, and team building.  We seek intellectually curious, resilient, and team-oriented individuals who – in addition to developing professional and technical skills – are highly motivated to grapple with the difficulties and unpredictability of trying to improve lives at scale.

Associates and Senior Associates are responsible for the following areas of work: 

Managing project team workflow, systems, deliverables

• Driving the day-to-day execution of the project work according to project plans and leading internal coordination efforts for their team
• Conducting and supporting fit-for-decision and right-fit research design, data collection or acquisition, technical analysis, and results visualization/packaging, etc. for project tasks
• Creating client deliverables, including reports, slide decks, and oral presentations to inform decisions and actions of clients
• Developing strategic communications to build awareness of IDinsight projects and learnings, contribute to sectoral knowledge, and shift the sector towards more evidence-informed policy and practices 

Supporting their team in developing strong client relationships

• Engaging with client and stakeholder relationships
• Contributing to client development, including developing proposals and concept notes

Leading data collection activities

• Overseeing all data collection activities to ensure quality, including managing data collection teams
• Traveling to project sites, IDinsight offices, embedded client locations, and other areas as per project needs 

Contributing to internal team building

• Developing, piloting, and implementing internal systems or other organizational contributions (e.g., event management) for IDinsight, in coordination with functional teams such as Operations, Communications, Finance, etc.
• Contributing to office life and culture building, such as facilitating All Hands Meetings; leading team building efforts at team retreats; participating in Social Cultural Committee events; and engaging with the DEI Working Group. 
• Associates learn professional, technical and life skills while working on some of the world’s most critical problems. No two experiences are the same. Some work deeply on one project for their entire program commitment, while others work across a variety of projects.  Workstreams can immerse Associates in remote, front-line program contexts, deep statistical analyses, and/or high-level, strategic interactions. 
• Associates and Senior Associates will be staffed on IDinsight projects according to various factors including organizational need, timeline and availability, team dynamics, skills optimization, and professional growth and development. While we aim to factor in individual preferences whenever possible to staffing decisions, they are one of many factors in the project staffing process. 

Career development

• Skill and career development are core to IDinsight's values and long-term impact strategy. Associates and Senior Associates receive significant mentorship from IDinsight leadership, support from talented peers, and considerable autonomy in their work. They maintain professional development plans and are given "stretch" opportunities designed to strengthen a variety of skills. Real-time feedback and structured reviews are regularly provided to enable maximum professional growth. Additionally, Associates and Senior Associates have access to an annual professional development stipend that they are encouraged to utilize to explore their career interests and develop their skills.

Qualifications

• IDinsight Associates and Senior Associates come from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, including economics, data science, policy research, development projects, engineering, environmental science, political science, public policy, literature and more. Given that no Associate or Senior Associate comes in with the same exact background as another, we’re typically looking for candidates with a broad range of qualifications and previous experiences. Here are some examples of the key qualifications most successful candidates should possess:

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Strong analytical skills, with exposure to (either via professional work experience or academic coursework) the basics of econometrics, data, and research analysis tools, and quantitative and qualitative research processes or an ability to quickly understand these topics.
• Strong writing skills with the ability to translate technical jargon into well-structured, writing-based deliverables (e.g., policy briefs, project memos, analytical reports, external blog posts, and more).
• Ability to understand complex concepts and topics quickly even with limited prior knowledge or exposure and a willingness to invest in learning new concepts, skills, and methods without being prompted.

Behaviors and mindsets

• Highly organized, attentive to deadlines, and able to manage a high volume of work with efficiency.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, can effectively engage with stakeholders ranging from school children to senior government officials to internal colleagues, and places a high value on being a team player.
• Intellectually curious and a willingness to share your opinions with the team, question the status quo, and encourage others to expand their perspectives
• Excels in diverse team environments, consistently treating colleagues across our global organization with respect.
• Deeply passionate about combating poverty worldwide and improving lives in disadvantaged populations.
• Willingness to travel for extended periods of time where safety precautions and restrictions allow, including to remote and rural areas.

Additional preferred qualifications

• Proficient in statistical analysis and data collection software, such as Stata, SPSS, R, SurveyCTO, and/or Open Data Kit.
• Familiarity with local context and working proficiency in the relevant local languages of the placement state or regio