Research Associate

Job Summary
The Research Associate (RA) leads the data collection and management of the main Philippine Socioeconomic Panel Survey (PSPS) and related surveys. The RA will supervise project field staff, including the field managers and enumerators, while ensuring timely submission of deliverables to donors and partners.

As the technical lead for the program, the RA will ensure that the data collection and monitoring tools are in place. The RA will also assist the policy team in developing new

relationships and the Research Manager in developing fundraising proposals.

Responsibilities
Field Management

• Oversee the data collection in Western Visayas.
• Directly supervise field staff and manage project finances.

Technical Leadership

• Serves as the technical lead for the program implementation, ensuring that monitoring and data collection tools are working properly.
• Closely monitors compliance to research design, research protocols, and data security standards.
• Work with Principal Investigators (PIs) on post data collection activities, such as data cleaning and analysis.

Partner Management

• Maintain strong, collaborative relationships with external partners, PIs, and the internal team.

Qualifications

• 2 years of project management experience
• Extensive experience supervising data collection, teams of field workers, and survey design and implementation
• Extensive experience conducting social science or economic field research
• Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work successfully with diverse constituencies
• Strong written and oral communication skills and complete fluency in English
• Advanced experience and skills in Stata or R, and SurveyCTO or ODK programming language
• Master's degree (or equivalent) in economics, political science, international development, public policy, or other related field
• Experience working in Philippines
• Experience working with IPA or with affiliated organizations
• Prior experience working with academic researchers in the fields of economics or quantitative political science

Reports to
Senior Research Manager

Application Deadline
November 21st, 2025

Location
Philippines

About IPA
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 the 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.