Research Manager at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

Company: Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) | Job Title: Research Manager | Location: Abuja, Nigeria | Employment Type: Full-time

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit organisation that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. 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 the world’s poor.

Job Summary

IPA Nigeria is seeking a Research Manager to lead innovative research initiatives in the Nigeria Country Office. Based in Abuja, the successful candidate will drive evidence-based solutions through rigorous research methods while building strong partnerships across the country.

As a key member of the Nigeria Management Team, the Research Manager will help shape research initiatives that combine local expertise with global insights to advance IPA’s mission of evidence generation and poverty reduction.

The position is based in Abuja, Nigeria, with extensive travel to project sites across the country. The Research Manager will oversee an initial portfolio of projects and manage approximately three to five projects, including supporting the recruitment of project management staff, interacting with Principal Investigators (PIs), and coordinating with partner organisations and government stakeholders at local, state and national levels.

The projects will include large-scale surveys across several Nigerian states, with each project expected to have one or two permanent staff members and up to 50–100 short-term staff during data collection periods.

The successful candidate will work closely with IPA’s country, regional and global teams to align research management and administrative structures for the Nigeria Country Office. As a core member of the management team, the Research Manager will also contribute to policy and procedure development, new project development, stakeholder outreach and capacity building.

Responsibilities

Research Leadership, Team Management and Technical Oversight

• Coordinate directly with Research Associates to ensure timely and accurate discussions around project milestones, deliverables and research development.
• Lead two to four research studies in Nigeria.
• Oversee research design, sampling strategies and data management protocols.
• Provide technical leadership in quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Supervise research staff and manage project finances.
• Ensure timely delivery of high-quality project deliverables.
• Monitor project budgets and donor compliance.
• Manage project work plans and documentation.
• Support staff transitions and maintain institutional knowledge.

Partnership Development and Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain relationships across West Africa with potential and active partner organisations involved in the Gender and Digital Connectivity project.
• Engage with researchers, implementers, funders and other relevant stakeholders to support research and project development.
• Coordinate effectively with partner organisations and government stakeholders at local, state and national levels.

IPA Nigeria Country Office Management and Support

• Keep the Country Director informed of developments across projects in the portfolio.
• Serve as a key link between the field office, project staff and Principal Investigators.
• Respond to calls for proposals in coordination with PIs and IPA’s Business Development team.
• Support the development of new projects for the Nigeria office by establishing relationships with researchers, implementers and funders and developing project opportunities and proposals.
• Contribute to country office initiatives and policy development.
• Promote best practices across projects.
• Drive the adoption and dissemination of research findings through various channels.
• Identify opportunities for systematic improvements.
• Support organisational learning and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Economics, Demography, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Policy, International Development or a related quantitative or social science field.
• A Master’s Degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Minimum of five years of professional project management experience, with a focus on research management and social science or economic field research.
• Proficiency in data analysis, including advanced Microsoft Excel.
• Experience with at least one statistical software package such as Stata, R or Python.
• Experience with data collection platforms such as SurveyCTO or ODK.
• Hands-on experience designing, strengthening or implementing data collection systems, managing field teams and conducting survey design.
• Proven ability to manage multiple programmes or workstreams simultaneously, including coordinating stakeholders, tracking progress and managing deliverables.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical analysis into clear, structured and policy-relevant insights for non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to train, coach or mentor others.
• Willingness to work as part of a team and identify connections between different workstreams.
• Cultural and political sensitivity and the ability to work successfully with diverse constituencies.
• Passion for making data-driven decision-making a reality in the development sector.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should apply online through the official application portal:

Apply for the Research Manager position

Application Closing Date: Not Specified