[Postdoctoral Fellow] Institute for Economic and Social Research at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Indonesia (LPEM FEB-UI)

Job Description

J-PAL Southeast Asia, based at the Institute for Economic and Social Research at the University of Indonesia (LPEM-FEB UI), seeks a qualified applicant for the position of group is looking to hire a Postdoctoral Fellow who is interested in supporting the expansion of J-PAL’s training and capacity building portfolio and conducting their own research using randomized evaluations to reduce poverty.

J-PAL’s training activities focus on introducing policymakers to randomized evaluation methods; building data analysis and field research skills of evaluation specialists, researchers, and research staff at J-PAL and its partner organizations; and hosting training workshops for practitioners on topics including how and when to conduct randomized evaluations, generalizing insights across settings, and applying evidence to inform policy. The Postdoctoral Fellow may spend up to 50 percent of her/his time on independent research. She/he will be eligible to apply for funding from J-PAL’s research initiatives.

This is a unique opportunity to work directly with senior leadership at J-PAL, interact directly with high-level external stakeholders, co-author articles in high-profile publications, and get a ring-side view of strategic planning and leadership at an innovative and growing organization.

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Teaching

• Lecture, TA, and in some cases serve as course coordinator for online, open-enrollment, and custom trainings including Evaluating Social Programs, J-PAL 101x and 102x, and other offerings.

Course improvements and new course development:

• Ensure high continued quality, precision, and accuracy of existing course content through updating lectures and case studies;
• Support the Training group in developing new training courses related to generating and applying evidence from randomized evaluations that engage diverse audiences without compromising — possible examples include introductions to randomized evaluations for philanthropists and donors, guide for applying evidence contexts (applying a generalizability framework), workshops on using evidence for journalists;
• Support the Training group in adopting new education technologies and innovative teaching methods (flipped classrooms, online courses, etc.) and evaluating the effectiveness of such innovations in order to develop J-PAL best practices.

Research public goods (conditional on organizational need and time available):

• Contribute to improving uptake and use of research transparency activities, such as trial registration, data publication, and replication;
• Help lead efforts to support randomized methods research and the development of new tools for J-PAL research projects (such as the development of code, packages, programs, etc.) that increase the efficiency of research staff.

Independent research (50 percent of role):

• Carry out or contribute to original research projects related to applied microeconomics, policy, poverty alleviation, or randomized evaluation and methods of causal inference.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate should have strong writing and communication skills, ability to remain highly organized despite ambiguity, interest in working with the senior management of J-PAL SEA, and passion for international development make you an ideal candidate for the Postdoctoral Fellow.

• Education: A PhD in economics, public policy, or a related field;
• Experience: Demonstrated experience in starting new, policy-relevant research projects and have at least one working paper, with published journal articles could add advantage;
• Communication: Thoughtful, clear, and concise communicator. The candidates should be comfortable engaging with senior leadership and providing direct upward feedback. Able to adapt your communication style to suit different audiences to ensure your intentions and messages come across clearly;
• Organization: A strategic thinker, able to handle multiple projects at once, meet deadlines, and effectively manage your time, have a clear and strong vision and appreciation for how the work improves the ED’s productivity and thereby contributes to the productivity of the organization itself;
• Willingness to travel: This position requires travel to meet with senior policymakers in governments, NGOs, foundations, and international development organizations;
• Language skills: High-level of proficiency (fluent or native) in English and Indonesian;
• Working permit: Indonesian citizenship or already have a working visa to work in Indonesia;
• Commitment: The ideal candidate will be able to stay at J-PAL for at least three years.

Note on Work Authorization: The candidate must have work authorization in Indonesia (either by being an Indonesian national or otherwise)