Research Associate

Innovations for Poverty Action; Davao City; On-site; PHP 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) Philippines seeks a Research Associate to lead data collection and management for the World Bank Care Economy Study. The RA will oversee field staff, ensure protocol compliance, and deliver timely outputs to donors and partners.

The role requires strong STATA and SurveyCTO/Survey Solutions skills, plus experience with data cleaning, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. Travel to field sites is expected as needed.

Qualifications

• At least 2 years of full-time experience in research or a sector-related field.
• At least 2 years of experience managing field teams or people.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex field logistics and make autonomous decisions.
• Field experience within the development sector.
• Fluency in English and Filipino.
• Willingness to travel to remote field locations.
• Master's degree in economics, public policy, social science, or related field (or 3–5 years of relevant work experience in lieu).
• Proficiency in SurveyCTO or Survey Solutions programming (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead for research implementation, ensuring monitoring and data collection tools are fully functional.
• Oversee data collection activities, including deployment and monitoring of digital survey systems.
• Oversee hiring, training, and management of project staff, including consultants and field staff.
• Plan and execute logistical aspects of data collection and field operations, ensuring on-budget delivery with minimal delays.
• Manage field and administrative data through the full lifecycle: collection, processing, and storage.
• Conduct data cleaning and preliminary analysis; ensure adherence to data quality protocols and audits.
• Provide bi-weekly reports on completion rates and data quality to PIs.
• Engage with community stakeholders and donors to ensure timely milestones.

Skills

STATA

Data analysis

Project coordination

Report writing

Education

Master's degree in economics, public policy, social science, or related field (or 3–5 years relevant experience in lieu)

Tools

SurveyCTO

Survey Solutions

Excel macros

Job description

The Research Associate (RA) leads the data collection and management of the World Bank Care Economy Study within the IPA Philippines Country Office. The RA serves as the technical lead for research implementation, overseeing data collection operations, ensuring compliance with research protocols and data security standards, and supervising project field staff, including field managers and enumerators. The role is responsible for the timely delivery of research outputs and milestones to donors and partners.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership (25%)

• Serve as the technical lead for research implementation, ensuring monitoring and data collection tools are fully functional.
• Ensure compliance with research design, protocols, and data security standards.
• Oversee all data collection activities, including deployment and monitoring of digital survey systems.

Supervision and Management (20%)

• Oversee hiring, training, and management of project staff, including consultants, field staff, and interns.
• Supervise project field staff, data collectors, enumerators, and field supervisors.
• Plan and execute logistical aspects of data collection and other field operations, ensuring on-budget delivery with minimal delays.

Data Management (20%)

• Manage field and administrative data through the full lifecycle: collection, processing, and storage.
• Conduct data cleaning and preliminary analysis; ensure adherence to data quality protocols and manage data quality audits.
• Set up High-Frequency Checks (HFCs) for all surveys and backcheck at least 10% of total respondents.
• Provide bi-weekly reports to Principal Investigators (PIs) on completion rates, missings, backcheck errors, and timely data issue flags.
• Collaborate with PIs on post-data collection activities such as data cleaning and analysis.

Project Coordination (15%)

• Engage with community stakeholders and ensure smooth execution of community-related activities.
• Coordinate with relevant offices and stakeholders within and outside the organization to ensure timely delivery of milestones to donors and partners.
• Communicate proactively with the supervisor and team, including when leadership is unavailable.

Documentation and Reporting (10%)

• Document all project activities, including preparation of progress and results reports.
• Share reports in a timely manner with Principal Investigators, research partners, and funding agencies.
• Maintain comprehensive, audit-ready records of all project-related documentation.

Stakeholder Engagement (5%)

• Actively liaise with internal and external stakeholders, including local government partners, donors, research partners, and IPA management.
• Assist in developing new relationships within the social protection sector and other relevant areas.

Compliance and Monitoring (5%)

• Ensure compliance with all administrative, legal, and IRB/regulatory requirements for project implementation.
• Monitor project timelines and deliverables, proactively flagging any potential delays.

Qualifications

• At least 2 years of full-time experience in research or a sector-related field.
• At least 2 years of experience managing field teams or people.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex field logistics and make autonomous, on-the-ground decisions to maintain project momentum.
• Field experience within the development sector.
• Strong STATA skills.
  Experience in survey design and programming using SurveyCTO, Survey Solutions, or a similar platform.
• Experience with quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Strong professional writing skills.
• Strong client-facing and presentation skills.
• Fluency in English and Filipino.
• Good adaptive skills and willingness to travel to remote field locations.
• Ability to learn new tools and processes quickly and work independently.
• Passion for data-driven decision-making in the development sector and economics research.
• Completes work reliably and to deadline.
• Master's degree in economics, public policy, social science, or a related field. At least 3–5 years of significant full-time work experience directly related to the tasks and project may be considered in lieu of a master's degree.
• Proficiency in Excel macros and in SurveyCTO or Survey Solutions programming. (preferred)
• Proficiency in other local Philippine languages. (preferred)
• Experience living and working in the Philippines. (preferred)

Location

This is an office-based position with a hybrid component, located in Ortigas or Davao City, Philippines. The role requires approximately 40% travel to field sites. Candidates must be able to travel to remote field locations and work extended hours during field visits and event organization.

Reports To

Associate Research Manager, IPA Philippines Country Office

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 these 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.