Research Manager, Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab, Morocco-UM6P / J-PAL / CID

Organization : Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab (MEL)

Language requirements : English is mandatory (French and Arabic will be preferred)

Length of Commitment : Two years with the possibility of renewal leading to an indeterminate contract

I- Job summary

The MEL is looking to hire a Research Manager (RM) to build and coordinate its research infrastructure and efforts. The RM is expected to contribute to MEL’s mission of fostering a culture of evidence-based policymaking in Morocco. He / she will be responsible for overseeing a dynamic portfolio of randomized impact evaluations conducted in collaboration with a team of researchers and in partnership with key stakeholders, including Ministries, public administrations, NGOs, and philanthropic organisations. Additionally, the RM will contribute to the development of research technical resources and public goods, aimed at both internal capacity building and external dissemination. This position will be based in our offices at UM6P’s campus in Rabat.

About the Morocco Innovation and Evaluation Lab (MEL)

The MEL is a collaboration between the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Center for International Development (CID) at Harvard. The MEL emerged from the Morocco Employment Lab, an initiative that was launched in 2020 in partnership with the Millennium Challenge Account - Morocco Agency (MCA-Morocco) and hosted by the Policy Center for the New South. With the support of Community Jameel, the lab is expanding its work beyond employment into sectors such as education, social protection, firm growth, agriculture, and environment.

The MEL works in close collaboration with the public, private, NGO, and philanthropic sectors in Morocco to conduct evaluations that speak to their priorities and share rigorous evidence to inform their decisions.

About the position

The position offers a unique opportunity for the RM to gain first-hand research management experience on projects at the forefront of economic research and public policy. The RM will work closely with Principal Investigators and lead, mentor and supervise a team of (Senior) Research Associates working on various randomized evaluations and ensuring the evaluations are feasible, well-implemented, and that every aspect meets the highest quality standard. The RM will provide administrative oversight, risk assessment and risk mitigation strategy on the projects implementation from start to finish, identify staffing needs, support in hiring as well as more efficient resource allocations in each project, which also includes supervision of budget management and monitoring. During the course of project implementation, the RM will need to ensure compliance for all aspect of the projects including the fulfillment of J-PAL and CID’s quality standards, while at the same time build and maintain strong relationship with Principal Investigators, diverse research partners and balancing the needs / interests of the multi stakeholders involved in the evaluations, including donors. The RM will also write proposals for new projects, adapt existing proposals for new funding opportunities, develop budgets, liaise with other organization units, and write and edit reports, presentations and manuscripts.

RMs are expected to solicit input from other professional staff and draw on the resources, especially the technical expertise, available within J-PAL. We see RMs as key drivers in improving functionality, knowledge and compliance across the vertical by leveraging standardized processes, in order to strengthen the research infrastructure. In the course of executing their roles and responsibilities, we expect RMs to build theoretical and applied knowledge around designing, implementing and running randomized evaluations, ethics and data methods, while also contributing to processes and practices within the organization.

The RM will be based in Rabat, but is expected to be able to travel to rural and urban project sites across Morocco. The RM will be directly supervised by the MEL’s Director, and will closely work with Principal Investigators, key partners, senior staff from J-PAL and CID, and field staff to perform a variety of research tasks.

This position is offered as a fixed-term contract, with the possibility of renewal leading to a permanent contract. As a core function of MEL, the RM position plays a key role in the organization's continuity plan and long-term strategy. Depending on the experience of the selected candidate, the title position will be defined as “Senior Research Manager” or “Research Manager”.

II- Key responsibilities

Research management and support

• Build and coordinate MEL’s research infrastructure by developing and implementing research processes and protocols aligned with international best practices and ethical standards.
• Provide guidance and oversight to Research Associates on research activities as well as mentor direct reports to enhance both their technical and managerial competencies
• Collaborate with Principal Investigators (PIs) on the design and implementation of data collection plans, while providing deep local context and cultural sensitivity to the PIs.
• Ensure compliance with J-PAL and CID’s research protocols across all project activities to maintain the integrity and the quality of research.
• Support the hiring and onboarding of local team members for the effective execution of research activities.
• Play an active role in researchers onboarding.
• Assist with hiring survey firms, including drafting clear and comprehensive terms of reference.
• Manage project timelines and keep all relevant stakeholders, both internal and external, apprised of project progress.
• Flag potential issues — such as delays, changes to scope of work, overspending, data quality concerns or threats to validity — and recommend proactive solutions.
• Assist in preparing detailed budgets and work plans in coordination with the finance team / PIs as well as the Policy team, where relevant.
• Lead local Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications.
• Engage with local authorities and undertake administrative procedures to ensure all data collection authorizations are obtained.

Relationship management

Reporting and Communication

Contribution to the organization

III- Requirements

Skills

Language requirements