Myanmar Development Institute

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

The Myanmar Development Institute (MDI) is an economic think-tank to strengthen the analytical capacity of the government of Myanmar.

No. of Position(s): 1
Duration of Contract: One year (Extendable). Anticipated start date of November 1, 2018
Closing Date: 23rd September 2018

The role of the Research Manager is to provide daily management and oversight of planned and on-going research projects at MDI. The Research Manager will track and coordinate research projects to ensure high-quality outputs in line with the strategic objectives of MDI, and will provide on-the-job training and mentoring to build the long-term capacities of the research team in MDI.

Duties and Responsibilities:
• Support MDI’s research program, including development of research objectives, methodologies, drafting and review, and mentoring of the MDI research team.
• Coordinate various research activities and policy-relevant research projects.
• Provide day-to-day mentorship to the research team; help identify capacity needs of research team members and develop training programs as appropriate.
• Together with the Senior Research Advisor, review research proposals submitted by researchers and provide feedback and guidance on how to proceed to next steps, including formulating a research design as necessary.
• Manage quality assurance and ensure the research outputs are delivered in a timely manner and in a form valuable for policy dialogue, including publication and dissemination processes.
• Determine the division of labor within the Institute for implementing research priorities, including delegation of operational authority as appropriate.
• Submit regular progress reports to MDI leadership.
• Develop professional working relationships with the government, policy makers and stakeholders.
• Develop, manage and contribute to the quarterly economic bulletin and other publications of the Institute.
Requirements
• PhD in economics, public policy or related field.
• At least 3 years managing and coordinating multiple research projects.
• Strong coordination and project management skills and a solid understanding of the entire research and policy development cycle. Specialization in project evaluation and cost-benefit analysis, including of infrastructure projects, is a plus.
• Proven management, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Professional writing and editing skills desirable.
• Fluency in English.
• Prior knowledge of Myanmar socio-political and economic issues a plus.
• Experience working with economic research databases including Excel, SAS, STATA, and/or R+ required.
• Attention to detail, a good leader as well as a team player.