Research Analyst

The Development Impact Measurement Department (CDI) is part of the Economics & Private Sector Development Vice Presidency (CEDVP). It is responsible for developing methodologies and assessing the development impact of IFC investments. This includes implementing the ex-ante development impact framework (the Anticipated Impact Measurement and Monitoring System or AIMM); measuring development impact during the investment project life cycle; conducting ex-post empirical evaluations; and collaborating with and convening the global impact investing community. 

The Department is seeking to recruit an ETC Research Analyst to support the implementation of its impact evaluation program covering selected IFC investment and advisory projects. The department’s impact evaluation program seeks to evaluate investment and policy reform programs at scale, develop innovative data systems and data analytics tools for real-time decisions, use causal inference analysis to identify mechanisms to improve results, and help build IFC’s internal and client capacity to strengthen the decisions of private sector development programs. 

The ETC will work closely with Senior Economists, Economists, and other Research Analysts in the Department under the general supervision of the Manager for Development Impact Reporting. We are looking for a motivated and dynamic professional, with strong data management and statistical skills and experience in applied microeconomic data collection, analysis and research. The position is based at IFC’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The position may also involve travel and fieldwork, subject to project needs and safety considerations.

Duties and Accountabilities

The key responsibilities of the Extended Term Consultant will include, but not be limited to: 

• Provide technical support on the design of selected impact evaluations and implementation and completion of ongoing evaluations, including conducting academic literature reviews, designing baseline and follow-up surveys, supervising survey firms, undertaking data cleaning and analysis, and contributing to writing relevant reports.
• Assist as needed in preparations for surveys and qualitative research initiatives, including planning fieldwork activities and finalizing data collection instruments.
• Coordinate teams comprised of stakeholders that may include IFC operations and investment staff, external researchers, private sector clients, government and non-government collaborators, field staff, data analysts, and survey firm teams.
• Prepare project work plans, budgets, etc.
• Conduct data analysis for impact evaluation and other analytical outputs using STATA, including data management and cleaning tasks; inspect, perform logic and consistency checks on, clean, merge, and transform raw data; run regression analysis and produce tables, figures, and other analytical outputs.
• Support the delivery of impact evaluation training for CDI and other IFC staff, project and implementing partner staff, and other primary stakeholders in line with the projects’ objectives.
• Provide support on the preparation of progress reports to management.
• Support the team with monitoring and reporting for trust funds and donors.

Selection Criteria

• Minimum of Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in economics, international development (including economics and econometrics) or related field;
• Two years + of relevant professional experience in applied research, including impact evaluations (experimental/ quasi-experimental methods). Experience of working on evaluations with private sector clients is strongly preferred;
• Fieldwork experience in carrying out primary data collections for impact evaluations or similar research, including survey design and implementation;
• Excellent analytical and quantitative skills, including a strong (micro-)econometrics background and the ability to use STATA;
• Behavioral competencies that facilitate dialogue with private sector stakeholders, country partners, and country teams, including listening skills, capacity development skills, and ability to adapt advice to the local institutional realities;
• Excellent analytical and quantitative skills, including a strong econometrics background and general economic knowledge and analytical skills. Demonstrated track record of working with economic data, analytical tools, and models to conduct economic analyses and produce user-friendly written outputs; understands underlying statistical concepts.
• Teamwork, collaboration, and inclusion – Commitment to teamwork, knowledge-sharing, and ability to influence and network across organizational boundaries. Collaborates with team members and contributes productively to the team’s work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view. Demonstrated ability to coordinate and motivate teams and group efforts across organizational boundaries.
• Fluent in English. Knowledge of additional languages spoken is a plus.
• Willing and able to undertake travel.
• Familiarity with the IFC’s operations and procedures is preferred.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=28173&site=1