Communications Associate - J-PAL Global

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (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 more than a thousand affiliated researchers 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 affiliated research into actionable recommendations for poverty alleviation policies around the world. J-PAL is recruiting a Communications Associate to contribute to our mission of transforming rigorous research into better policies that reach people most in need. This is a hybrid position based in Cambridge, MA, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Staff are expected to be in the office at least two days per week. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

• Strategic communications (25%): You will serve as a core member of J-PAL's communications team, helping develop multi-platform communications strategies for new research results, policy guidance, and the launch of major J-PAL partnerships and initiatives. You will also serve as a liaison for communications leads in J-PAL's seven regional offices, helping to develop regional strategy, troubleshoot challenges and brainstorm new approaches, and provide guidance and training in collaboration with other members of the Global team.
• Translating complex research into engaging, plain-language content (20%): You will work with J-PAL's subject matter experts to translate research results and policy guidance into engaging communications content, including writing and editing weekly blog posts, monthly newsletters, and regular email campaigns. You will also serve as lead project manager and editor for J-PAL's annual report, collaborating with internal teams and regional offices totell the story of J-PAL's successes, challenges, and innovations.
  
  You will produce compelling, accessible content for J-PAL's digital channels, including our website, social media and provide writing support for major initiatives like the Evidence Effect campaign. Additionally, you will collaborate closely with senior staff and researchers to draft, ghostwrite, and edit thought leadership pieces that connect their work to broader themes in global development.
• Supporting J-PAL's social media presence (20%): You will develop and execute quarterly strategy and daily content for J-PAL's Linked In, X, Blue Sky, Facebook, and Instagram accounts that engage our target audiences of researchers, policymakers, and partners. This includes collaborating with our Digital Communications Associate and J-PAL's designers and video team to develop content tailored for social platforms, helping internal subject matter experts translate complex research findings into plain language suitable for broad audiences, and regularly analyzing and presenting on metrics to identify and act upon user trends.
• Email marketing (15%): You will work with the Communications Manager and design team to advance our email marketing strategy, surfacing new innovations and developing creative journey-based email campaigns that engageand educate our stakeholder audience and prompt concrete policy action.
• Media engagement (10%): You will work with the Communications Lead and subject matter experts to conduct desk research on prospective media targets, draft media pitches and press releases, and track trending topics in the news, to help raise awareness of policy-relevant research results and promote evidence-informed decision making among wider audiences.
• Leading alumni engagement (10%): You will work with the Digital Communications Associate to create and edit J PAL's quarterly alumni email newsletter, developing new written and multimedia features to showcase former J-PALstaff who have gone on to serve in leadership positions in government, nonprofits, the private sector, and academia.

The ideal candidate is creative and analytical; a strong, clear, and compelling writer and editor; familiar with quantitative impact evaluation methods; has professional experience in communications; and has a strong interest in J-PAL's mission.

• Education: You hold at least a bachelor’s degree withsome coursework in economics (econometrics,statistics, and/or quantitative analysis training is a plus). Do you have a demonstrated academic…