Senior Policy Associate

REQUIRED:

Bachelor's degree with training in economics, international development, public policy, or a closely related field. PREFERRED:
Good understanding of research methodology and/or econometrics as part of your coursework; a Master's degree; a minimum of four years of relevant work experience; or training in economics, including intermediate-level economics and econometrics.

The position will be based in Cambridge, Ma, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with two in-person work days per week.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Only applications following all instructions at the bottom of this page will be considered.

Applicants must apply through the MIT Jobs portal and complete this form.

8/3/2026

SENIOR POLICY ASSOCIATE, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), to contribute to this mission of promoting evidence-informed policy. The Senior Policy Associate will support the Global Deputy Executive Director, Global Director of Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives, and Global Director of Policy & Communications in high-priority strategic, operational, cross-team initiatives, partnerships, and policy outreach.

J-PAL is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of over 390 affiliated professors at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty. The Policy & Communications Group plays a key role in translating research by J-PAL affiliates into actionable poverty alleviation policies around the world.

Staff connect the dots between economics and policy and are passionate about working with organizations to form partnerships for evidence-informed development policy.

A full job description is available, here.