Research Scientist – Health Impact Evaluation

About the role

The Research Scientist joins Innovations for Poverty Action’s Applied Research & Methods team to lead health‑focused surveys, audits, and impact evaluations across Sub‑Saharan Africa. The role combines technical survey design, health‑systems expertise, and field research management to generate credible evidence for malaria prevention and other health interventions.

Key responsibilities

• Design coverage survey protocols, sampling strategies, questionnaires, and quality‑control procedures.
• Serve as principal investigator for surveys, data audits, and impact evaluations, including extraction and validation of health‑facility data.
• Provide technical guidance on health‑system contexts in Nigeria and other West African countries.
• Collaborate with the Survey Delivery Unit on data‑collection platforms, field protocols, and quality assurance.
• Manage relationships with government health partners and program stakeholders to secure data‑collection access.
• Supervise and mentor field research staff such as enumerators and field coordinators.
• Write and review research proposals, budgets, and funder‑facing narratives.

Required profile

• PhD or equivalent in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, health economics, or a related social science.
• Substantive expertise in health‑systems operations and facility‑level data quality.
• Demonstrated experience conducting research or fieldwork in Sub‑Saharan Africa.
• Proven track record of writing research proposals and designing rigorous studies.

Required skills

• Survey design
• Sampling methodology
• Questionnaire development
• Data quality control
• Health‑facility data extraction and validation
• Statistical analysis