International Researcher
Mathematica seeks researchers with international development and evaluation expertise committed to contributing to the evidence base of what works to improve a range of outcomes in developing country contexts. We are seeking researchers who want to be part of our growing team of international evaluation researchers and who are passionate about helping to identify programs that result in better development outcomes. Researchers will join Mathematica’s international research division and contribute to our rapidly-growing portfolio of impact evaluations and related research of interventions in education, health, agriculture, and infrastructure in various countries across the globe.
Candidates should have strong analytic skills and be able to design rigorous evaluations of international programs, conduct analyses, write reports, and present findings to policy and research audiences. Field experience in developing countries, including working closely with stakeholders such as implementers and data collection firms, is strongly preferred. Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential.
New researchers collaborate with senior staff to design rigorous methods for evaluating programs and policies, conduct analyses, draft reports, present findings to policy and professional audiences, and publish in professional journals. Our research staff consists of over 150 doctoral-level researchers with degrees in economics, public policy, public health, statistics, psychology, education, sociology, demography, and related fields. We offer our employees a team-oriented work environment, competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package, and employee ownership. We encourage and provide support for staff to participate in conferences and publish journal articles. We strongly encourage applications by researchers of all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups.
Responsibilities: • Contribute to designing and implementing rigorous evaluations of development programs across sectors and in a variety of environments • Conduct analyses, write reports and papers, and present findings to funders and country-level stakeholders and at research conferences • Travel to the field to discuss and execute rigorous designs working with local partners • Help to develop and implement capacity building efforts in rigorous evaluation to local stakeholders and funders • Contribute to the growth and development of our research projects, including helping to identify new business opportunities and writing strong proposals in the development or global health areas
• PhD or equivalent in economics, public policy, public health, sociology, or a related social science • Strong quantitative and/or qualitative analytical skills • Field experience in international development research is strongly preferred • Highly motivated and self-directed, with strong interpersonal skills • Excellent written and oral communication skills, and the ability to convey complex technical issues to a broad and diverse audience • Ability to work well in teams
Company overview:
Mathematica is an internationally-recognized nonpartisan research organization that conducts social policy studies in the areas of health, education, nutrition, child development, and related topics in the United States and in developing countries. Our mission is to improve public well-being by bringing the highest standards of quality, objectivity, and excellence to bear on the work we do for government agencies, private foundations, and other private sector organizations. Mathematica has a rapidly-growing portfolio of impact evaluations across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, in education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, democracy and governance, and a variety of other fields. In addition to hundreds of impact evaluations conducted domestically, Mathematica has conducted randomized or quasi-experimental studies, or other rigorous evaluations in over 30 countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and former Soviet Republics in the past five years alone. Mathematica provides staff with a stimulating, team-oriented work environment and a strong commitment to quality, analytic rigor, and meeting our clients' needs. Selected examples of the kinds of evaluations we're conducting include: • Early grade reading, in Latin America and the Caribbean: examining the impact of teacher training, curriculum development and other education reform efforts in USAID-funded countries, using a mix of experimental and quasi-experimental designs. (Client: USAID) • Scholarship and support services, Africa and other countries: examining the effectiveness of scholarships and support services to youth, with a focus in Africa, to expand access to education and to build a new cohort of leaders, prepared to support equitable socioeconomic growth. (Client: MasterCard Foundation) • Girl-friendly schools program, Burkina Faso: conducted an impact evaluation of school construction in rural villages with low female enrollment rates, using a randomized design. (Client: MCC) • Farmer training program, Armenia: examined the impact of farmer training and improvements in irrigation infrastructure using clustered random assignment and matched comparison group designs, respectively. (Client: MCC)
• Population and Reproductive Health (PRH) program, Global, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the U.S.: serving as the lead evaluation and learning partner for the Packard Foundation’s PRH program; designing and implementing a 7-year comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan for the PRH program and its four subprograms (Global, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and U.S. subprograms), in collaboration with PRH program team and local partners; the MEL effort will include a range of evaluations and MEL activities. (Client: David & Lucile Packard Foundation) If you are applying to interview with Mathematica at the ASSA/AEA conference, please indicate your attendance in your cover letter and submit your application by December 1, 2015. While applications will be considered until the positions are filled, applicants are encouraged to apply by December 1, 2015. A cover letter, CV, and writing sample or job market paper must be submitted at the time of application. Additionally, three letters of recommendation should be submitted directly by your references to HumanResources@mathematica-mpr.com Available Locations: Princeton, NJ; Washington, DC; Cambridge, MA; Oakland, CA; Chicago, IL; Ann Arbor, MI We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. |