(Senior) Associate, Embedded Labs
On-siteFreetown, Western Area, Sierra Leone
Job Summary
Senior Associate, Embedded Labs leads and coordinates embedded lab activities with government partners in Sierra Leone, supporting data collection, evaluations, and policy-relevant outputs. Responsibilities include scoping the Embedded Evidence Lab, designing and implementing data collection (surveys, FGDs, interviews, case studies), supporting evaluations, managing projects and knowledge sharing, producing policy briefs from ministry data, building MEL capacity and delivering training on data analysis, visualization, and evidence-informed decision making for government staff, and generating high-quality technical outputs (evaluation reports, policy briefs, evidence syntheses, lessons learned). Requires collaboration with IPA researchers, ability to translate complex findings into accessible visuals for non-technical audiences, and experience working with government stakeholders in low-resource settings. English fluency, proficiency in Excel and at least one statistical software (Stata, R, SPSS), and experience using BI/visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau) are essential. Location is based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with possible travel to rural areas; role emphasizes capacity strengthening and evidence-informed program improvements.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in international public policy, education, public health, social science, or a related field
- 2-5 years of relevant work experience
- Proficiency in 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
- Experience working in a low-resource setting with close interaction with government stakeholders
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Positive, poised, and credible demeanor consistent with IPA's core values
- Passion for making data-driven decision-making a reality in the development sector
- Strong team collaboration skills
- Cultural and political sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work 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)
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