Website Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
We are a research organization dedicated to discovering and advancing what works to improve the lives of people living in poverty.
Research Manager Job Vacancy at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) – Dar es Salaam, October 2025
Position: Research Manager
Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (with work across Eastern Africa: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia)
Job Type: Full Time
Application Deadline: 13th November 2025
Posted: 3 minutes ago
About Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a global research and policy nonprofit organization that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty challenges. IPA works with top researchers, policymakers, and development partners to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine interventions that improve lives.
Since its founding in 2002, IPA has conducted over 1,000 evaluations in 52 countries, generating evidence that has informed hundreds of successful programs reaching millions of people worldwide.
Job Summary
IPA is seeking an experienced and dynamic Research Manager to join its Consumer Protection Research Initiative (CPRI) — a global program focused on strengthening consumer protection in digital financial services (DFS).
The initiative partners with financial regulators and market actors to identify, measure, and reduce consumer risks such as fraud, hidden fees, over-indebtedness, and poor redress mechanisms.
This role will oversee a portfolio of regulatory partnerships and research activities across Eastern Africa, including work in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The Research Manager will be part of IPA’s Financial Inclusion Program, collaborating with regional country teams and supporting data-driven policy research to enhance consumer protection frameworks.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Leadership and Project Oversight
- Lead IPA’s regulatory partnerships under the CPRI, ensuring each engagement delivers actionable insights.
- Work with regulators to identify policy priorities and co-design research or data initiatives.
- Oversee implementation of regulator-led pilots, translating research findings into practical tools for supervisory use.
- Manage project planning, budgeting, and coordination with IPA leadership, partners, and funders.
2. Stakeholder Engagement and External Representation
- Serve as the main liaison with regulatory partners in assigned countries (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia).
- Coordinate technical engagement on data collection, market monitoring, and SupTech pilots.
- Represent IPA in high-level meetings and share research insights with government and policy partners.
3. Research Quality and Technical Oversight
- Supervise the research process — from design to data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
- Ensure adherence to rigorous data and ethical standards.
- Support data interpretation and create actionable policy insights.
- Contribute to technical deliverables, including policy briefs, presentations, and reports.
4. Team Management and Mentorship
- Supervise Research Associates and field-based teams across country offices.
- Provide training, mentorship, and performance guidance.
- Ensure compliance with IPA’s operational and research standards.
5. Operational and Financial Oversight
- Manage project budgets, expenditure tracking, and donor reporting.
- Ensure timely completion of deliverables and project milestones.
6. Cross-Cutting Organizational Contributions
- Document lessons learned and best practices from regulator partnerships.
- Contribute to knowledge-sharing through workshops, toolkits, and dissemination events.
- Collaborate with global and country teams to align activities regionally.
Qualifications and Experience
- Education: Master’s degree in Economics, Public Policy, Public Administration, or a related field emphasizing data-driven policy analysis.
- Experience: 3–5 years in the financial inclusion ecosystem, preferably working with regulators or policy institutions.
- Proven experience in research design, policy analysis, or data analytics projects.
- Proficiency in Stata, R, or Python is an advantage.
- Strong ability to interpret and communicate quantitative results for policy audiences.
- Demonstrated experience engaging with senior regulatory counterparts.
- Excellent organizational, analytical, and writing skills.
- Experience working across multiple countries or remotely managed teams.
Reports To
Associate Director, Consumer Protection – Financial Inclusion Program
Safeguarding at IPA
At IPA, we are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all, especially children and vulnerable adults. Selected candidates must adhere to IPA’s safeguarding principles, ensuring ethical conduct, social responsibility, and integrity in all professional interactions.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should apply by 13th November 2025.
For more details and application instructions, visit the IPA website:
🌐 www.poverty-action.org
💡 Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) – Using Evidence to Improve Lives and End Poverty Worldwide.
To apply for this job please visit workforcenow.adp.com..