Senior Policy Associate - SCALE-UPS
Position: Senior Policy Associate - SCALE-UPS
Organization: J-PAL South Asia
Project: Graduation Approach and other scale-ups
Location: Delhi
Start Date: Immediate
No. of positions: 1
Length of Commitment: 2 years
Minimum Education: Master's Degree
Work Experience: 2.5-3 years
About The Organization:
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) was established in 2003 as a research centre at the Economics Department at MIT. Since then, it has grown into a global network of researchers who use randomized evaluations to answer critical policy questions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL is propelled by a first-rate team dedicated to research, policy, training, and other vital work, supporting J-PAL's mission to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence.
J-PAL South Asia, which is based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in India, analyses and disseminates research results and builds partnerships with policymakers and NGOs to ensure that policy is driven by evidence and that programs proven effective are scaled up.
Project Description:
To deepen and expand our work in collaboration with state and central governments in India, J-PAL South Asia recently launched the Alliance for Scaling Policy Impact through Research and Evidence (ASPIRE). ASPIRE seeks to bring together governments, donors, and CSO partners with the goal of generating new policy insights and evidence to inform the design and implementation of policies and programs that improve development outcomes. ASPIRE is a joint initiative of J-PAL South Asia at IFMR and Veddis Foundation.
Through these collaborations, J-PAL SA provides policy advisory support, technical assistance, and impact evaluation support to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations. Key programmes the Senior Policy Associate will support include:
Graduation Approach Scale-up (Samaveshi Aajeevika Yojana): J-PAL South Asia is supporting the scale-up of the Graduation Approach - an evidence-based intervention targeting ultra-poor households - in partnership with the central (Ministry of Rural Development) and state governments; as well as NGO implementing partners. The Senior Policy Associate will work closely with the Policy Manager and team on a range of policy activities, including coordinating with NGO partners and government counterparts, supporting programme design and monitoring, and contributing to the dissemination of evidence and learnings.
In addition to supporting flagship scale-ups, J-PAL South Asia works closely with government partners to strengthen evidence-based policymaking through structured knowledge-sharing sessions, advisory consultations with its global network of researchers, co-developed policy memos, and technical assistance on monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
The Role:
The Senior Policy Associate will support the design, implementation, and scale-up of key programmes - including the Graduation Approach (Samaveshi Aajeevika Yojana) - in collaboration with state governments and NGO partners. They will also work on building workstreams in the Social Protection sector at J-PAL South Asia with senior leadership, researchers, and implementing partners. The Senior Policy Associate will report to the Policy Manager and collaborate closely with government partners, civil society organisations, internal staff, and J-PAL's network of researchers.
The role involves leading a component of assigned projects end-to-end; managing stakeholder relationships with government officials and NGO partners; producing high-quality policy outputs including memos, briefs, and donor reports; supporting fundraising and resource mobilisation; and contributing to J-PAL South Asia's emerging science of scale agenda. The Senior Policy Associate will also undertake field visits to support programme delivery and build ground-level understanding of implementation contexts.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Programme Management and Implementation
● Develop a thorough understanding of assigned programmes - including the evidence base, gender analysis, historical context, and partner and ecosystem details, through teachbacks and preparation of knowledge documents.
● Track key milestones and process monitoring updates in coordination with the research team; update decks, trackers, and notes based on latest information.
● Assist in preparing high-quality interim outputs, quarterly reports, and presentations for donor and partner conversations.
● Ensure accurate information flow to the Policy Manager and senior leadership by identifying and flagging risks and bottlenecks in a timely manner.
● Undertake field, department, and NGO visits to support on-the-ground programme delivery and build relationships with field-level stakeholders.
2. Stakeholder and Partnership Management
● Track trends in the social protection and livelihoods ecosystem and prepare policy notes to inform partnership strategy.
● Review relevant government department budgets and NGO partner annual reports to identify priorities and ensure alignment with J-PAL SA plans.
● Lead presentations and programme management conversations with mid-level officials in government departments and NGO partner organisations.
● Assist the Policy Manager and team in preparing background notes, memos, and presentations for senior-level government and donor engagements.
● Initiate and follow up on meetings with ecosystem partners, government officials, and implementing partners.
● Coordinate with NGO partners on programme activities, documentation, reporting, and field coordination.
● Coordination with the J-PAL Global - Social Protection team on the evidence base, and coordination with researchers/sector chairs as needed
3. Knowledge Products and Dissemination
● Write about scale-up programmes and social protection evidence in a clear, accurate, and accessible format for policy audiences - including blogs, policy briefs, and program updates
● Support the preparation of public goods for assigned programmes, such as toolkits, one-pagers, and case studies.
● Work closely with the Communications team to support the development of a dissemination plan and participate in regular reviews.
● Assist in organising and preparing for dissemination events and social media campaigns aligned with project priorities.
4. Fundraising and Resource Mobilisation
● Coordinate with the team in preparing proposals, concept notes, and other fundraising efforts.
● Prepare required collateral for specific fundraising conversations
5. Organisational Learning
● Develop knowledge and a deep understanding of evidence-based scaling through literature review and internal sharing sessions.
● Work with sector teams to identify opportunities for adding programmes to the scale menu and developing associated collateral.
Desired Qualifications & Experience:
● Education and Experience: Master's degree in economics, public policy, international development, social work, or a related field, with 2.5-3 years of relevant work experience.
● Sector Knowledge: Prior experience in social protection, livelihoods, or a related sector strongly preferred. Familiarity with public systems and government processes — at the state or central level, is highly desirable.
● Research and Evaluation: Exposure to impact evaluations, randomised controlled trials, or other rigorous evaluation methods preferred. Comfort engaging with process monitoring data and programme evidence.
● Writing and Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to produce high-quality policy documents, reports, and presentations for diverse audiences. Prior experience contributing to fundraising proposals or donor communications is an advantage.
● Field Experience: Demonstrated experience working in the field, with comfort engaging community-level stakeholders, implementing partners, and government officials at district or block level.
● Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to build and manage relationships with government officials, NGO partners, and other ecosystem actors at multiple levels.
● Time Management: Proven ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality outputs in a dynamic environment.
● Language: Proficiency in English required; working knowledge of Hindi (or other regional languages) is an advantage.
● Travel: Willingness to travel frequently for field visits and government engagements
● Flexible, self-motivated, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player.
● Ability to work well in unstructured and evolving environments.
Note on Work Authorizations: Candidates must have work authorization to work in India.
How to Apply:
If you are interested in this position, please click on the apply button on the JD; first-time users will be asked to sign up and upload your CV, cover letter, references, and academic transcripts.
For any queries, please write to recruitment.jpalsa@ifmr.ac.in.