International Center: Employment Opportunities-Senior Researchers

Employment Opportunities: Senior Researchers

Position overview
Mathematica seeks senior researchers committed to contributing to the evidence base of what works to improve a range of outcomes in developing country contexts. We welcome researchers with experience in designing and leading impact evaluations in Africa, Asia, and/or Latin America who want to be part of our rapidly growing team of international evaluation researchers and who are passionate about helping to identify programs that result in better development outcomes. Senior researchers will join our research team and work as part of our new Center for International Policy Research and Evaluation to help continue to build our portfolio of international evaluation efforts.
Candidates should enjoy working in a collaborative environment that emphasizes quality, rigor, critical thinking, teamwork, and staff development. The position may be filled in any of our six offices located in Ann Arbor, Cambridge, Chicago, Princeton, Oakland, and Washington, DC.

Responsibilities

Lead and direct multidisciplinary evaluation teams in the implementation of rigorous evaluations of international programs and/or serve as a principal investigator (PI) on quantitative or qualitative evaluation design and implementation, and execute evaluations in complex and changing environments
Develop and implement capacity building efforts in rigorous evaluation as part of our impact evaluation projects;
Contribute to thought leadership in the field of international development by presenting program evaluation findings to academic and policy audiences, and providing guidance on integrating evaluation findings into practice.
Serve as a key team member leading the growth and development of Mathematica’s Center for International Policy Research and Evaluation, including developing new business opportunities, writing winning proposals, and expanding the scope of Mathematica’s international work.
Mentor the development of junior staff as part of project work and business development.
Represent the organization in meetings with clients and potential clients, policymakers and academics.

Qualifications

Advanced degree in economics or a related social science, PhD preferred but not required.
10 or more years experience in international development research, with a focus on leading impact evaluations in Asia, Africa or Latin America
Established publication record
Experience in evaluation design, preferably experience with quantitative and qualitative methods, and ability to strike balance between rigor and feasibility of implementation
Highly motivated, self-directed, with strong interpersonal and management skills. Proven ability to lead and manage project teams including coaching and mentoring team members.
Experience working with government, NGO and donors
Superb written and oral communication skills, and the ability to convey complex technical issues to a broad and diverse audience. Experience collaborating and communicating effectively with a wide range of professionals and cultures.
Fluency in Spanish, French, or Hindi is a plus.

Company overview

Mathematica is an internationally recognized nonpartisan research organization that conducts social policy studies in the areas of health, education, nutrition, child development, and related topics in the United States and in developing countries. Our mission is to improve public well-being by bringing the highest standards of quality, objectivity, and excellence to bear on the work we do for government agencies, private foundations, and other private sector organizations. Mathematica has a rapidly growing portfolio of impact evaluations across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa, in education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, democracy and governance, and a variety of other fields. In addition to hundreds of impact evaluations conducted domestically, Mathematica has conducted randomized and quasi-experimental studies in over 20 countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and former Soviet Republics in the past five years alone. We are establishing an International Policy Research and Evaluation Center (CIPRE) to house and expand this rapidly growing body of work.

Selected examples of the kinds of evaluations we’re conducting include:

Girl-friendly schools program, Burkina Faso: conducted an impact evaluation of school construction in rural villages with low female enrollment rates, using a randomized design. (Client: MCC)

Farmer training program, Armenia: examined the impact of farmer training and improvements in irrigation infrastructure using a clustered random assignment and matched comparison group designs respectively. (Client: MCC)

Family health initiative, Bihar, India: leading the evaluation work to assess the effects of a variety of interventions aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality and improving child health, using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. (Client: Gates Foundation)

Dropout prevention, India, Tajikistan, Cambodia, and Timor Leste: examining the impact of four school dropout prevention programs across four countries, using a randomized design. (Client: USAID)

Early grade reading, in Latin America and the Caribbean: examining the impact of teacher training, curriculum development and other education reform efforts in USAID-funded countries, using a mix of experimental and quasi-experimental designs. (Client: USAID)

Mathematica provides staff with a stimulating, team-oriented work environment, with our strong commitment to quality, analytic rigor and focus on meeting our clients’ needs. Our research staff consists of over 100 doctoral-level researchers with degrees in economics, public policy, statistics, psychology, education, sociology, demography, and related fields. We offer our employees competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits package, as well as the advantages of employee ownership.

To learn more about this position, please contact the center directors.

To apply for a senior researcher position

Visit our website at https://careers.mathematica-mpr.com/applicants/Central?quickFind=52104 and review our posting for Senior International Researcher. Applications must be submitted online. Questions may be addressed to HumanResources@mathematica-mpr.com

As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer we strongly encourage applications by researchers of all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups.