Agriculture Program Manager
The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) at UC Berkeley seeks a full-time Program Manager to lead the Center’s agriculture research program. The program builds a rigorous, policy-relevant evidence base about how agricultural technologies, information, financial services, and integration into markets can improve the lives of smallholder farmers who make up a majority of the world’s poorest people.
CEGA is a West Coast hub for research on global development, with a network of 120+ academic researchers extending across the University of California, Stanford University, and the University of Washington. Our faculty affiliates design and test solutions for the problems of poverty, generating actionable evidence for policy-makers in low-and middle-income countries. Through careful matchmaking, competitive grant-making, and research dissemination activities, CEGA ensures that the scientific evidence we produce improves the lives of people living in poverty.
CEGA is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion – please read our values statement here.
Responsibilities
Reporting to an Associate Director, the Agriculture Program Manager will assume responsibility for implementing CEGA’s Agriculture program, particularly the Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI, see atai-research.org) in close collaboration with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT. ATAI is CEGA’s largest and longest running research program, operating since 2009 with multi-million dollar investments from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UK Aid.
The Program Manager will demonstrate extensive project management skills, and thorough knowledge of impact evaluation. They will closely collaborate with and integrate insights from faculty, partners, and sponsors of international development research to effectively manage (i) grant competitions, (ii) partnership development, (iii) evidence dissemination, (iv) philanthropic and aid agency donor relationships, and (v) potentially support fundraising to expand CEGA’s research footprint.
This is a challenging opportunity for candidates who are passionate about impact evaluation, global development, and rural development specifically. You should have a strong desire to expand and deepen skills in research management, strategic planning, partnership development, and communications and be energized to contribute to the long-term success of a dynamic research center.
Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:
● Manage the competitive research grant-making processes including drafting requests for proposals (RFPs), tracking applications, coordinating peer review, etc.
● Deepen expertise in randomized evaluations and the evidence base on agriculture and rural development; stay up-to-date on relevant research and policy developments.
● Facilitate the dissemination of research findings to partners and other stakeholders. Present at convenings with policymakers; identify publication outlets, update program websites, and draft policy briefs, articles, and blogs related to research findings.
● Regularly solicit and integrate insights from faculty, leadership, and partners on program development.
● Cultivate new and existing partners; conduct outreach to policy-makers, implementing organizations, and other stakeholders.
● Manage initiative-related conferences and large matchmaking convenings, including strategic development of agendas, recruitment of partners, coordinating press coverage, etc.
● Facilitate the development of a public data platform, and the meeting of associated milestones. Includes hiring and managing graduate students and other personnel working to harmonize, analyze, and display funded research outputs.
● May mentor one or more Associate, including work plan design, performance management, and professional development.
● Manage multi-year large-scale budgets and financial tracking for the initiative.
● Lead program monitoring and evaluation, including development of CEGA program outcome indicators and measurement, detailed workplans, and integration of findings into program performance.
● Support CEGA leadership in pursuing strategic opportunities to fundraise and expand CEGA activities by developing concept notes and drafting grant proposals, monitoring external research and policy initiatives relevant to the Center’s sector areas, and supporting partnership development, outreach, and communication.
● Participate in center-wide management activities, internal work groups, performance management, process documentation, and strategic planning.
Required Qualifications
● Bachelor’s degree (in economics, public policy, public administration, international affairs or a related field) with a focus on economic development.
● 4+ years of professional experience in an academic, non-profit, or social enterprise setting.
● Commitment to scientific, evidence-informed international development policy, and understanding of economics and impact evaluation.
● Exceptional communicator, both verbally and in writing.
● Strong financial management skills.
● Well-organized, with strong administrative skills and outstanding attention to detail.
● Self-directed, intrinsically motivated; proven capacity to manage work independently, multitask, collaborate, and adapt to change, while meeting time-sensitive deadlines.
● Strong skills in short- and long-term planning, analysis, problem-anticipation and -solving; ability to independently investigate solutions to challenges, and anticipate leadership/sponsor needs.
● Ability to use discretion and work effectively with colleagues at all levels and various backgrounds. Demonstrated ability to work diplomatically with diverse constituencies, displaying cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Preferred Qualifications
● Master’s degree (in economics, public policy, public administration, international affairs, or a related field) with a focus on economic development.
● At least 2 years working specifically on impact evaluation(s), e.g. supporting similar research programs, and/or experience coordinating empirical research projects in a developing country, such as overseeing field data collection and analysis.
● Knowledge of rural development and smallholder agriculture, and a love of learning.
● Experience writing research proposals, managing grants, and interacting with donor organizations.
● Adept at translating complex scientific findings into accessible, non-technical language.
● People management skills.
● Experience working in MS Office, Google Suite, Wordpress, Salesforce, and Adobe Creative Suite.
Salary & Benefits
Compensation is commensurate with experience. UC Berkeley offers a competitive benefits package. For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit: http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/forms_pubs/misc/benefits_of_belonging.pdf
How to Apply
Online application is required. Please click on the green Apply Externally button and search for Job ID# 17779.
We ask that you submit a brief cover letter and resume as a single PDF attachment when applying. The cover letter should be no more than one page, and include (1) your specific interest in working with CEGA, (2) your main qualifications for the responsibilities listed above, and (3) how you will contribute to diversity and inclusion on the UC Berkeley campus and within CEGA, including through life experiences and activities you have been involved in. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Hiring staff will first review applications by 5/15/21 and applications submitted after this date will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Please note this position is not eligible for US visa sponsorship, though foreign nationals with permission to work in the US are encouraged to apply.