Program Manager (Transparency)

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) seeks a motivated Program Manager to support our flagship research transparency initiative, the Berkeley Initiative for Transparency in the Social Sciences (BITSS), and related activities.

This is an opportunity for candidates who are passionate about the credibility of social science research; want to contribute to positive change within the scientific community; and have a strong desire to expand and deepen their skills in project management, strategic planning, fundraising, and partnership development.

About CEGA

CEGA generates innovative research and ideas that leaders can use to improve policies, programs, and people’s lives. Headquartered at the University of California, Berkeley, our academic network includes nearly 200 faculty, over 70 scholars from low- and middle-income countries, and hundreds of graduate students–from across academic disciplines and across the globe–to produce rigorous evidence about what works to expand education, health, and economic opportunities for people living in poverty. 

CEGA is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion – please read our values statement here.

Position Detail

The Program Manager will manage the implementation of all programmatic activities that fall under CEGA’s research transparency portfolio, including fundraising and financial management, coordination of research activities, BITSS program communications, and organization of BITSS-related events and trainings. The Program Manager will be a proactive team player with strong project management experience, awareness of threats to research credibility and promising approaches to mitigate them, and general knowledge of the academic research process. Specific responsibilities include the following:

Fundraising and Financial Management (30%)

• Work with CEGA Executive Director Carson Christiano, BITSS Faculty Director Edward Miguel, and Staff Scientist Fernando Hoces de la Guardia to develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy for BITSS, draft concept notes and proposals, and manage relationships with several current and prospective funders.
• Manage multi-year, multi-million dollar budgets, with numerous funding sources including grants, gifts, revenue, and contracts.
• Track expenses and payments and reconcile program finances on a monthly basis.  

Program Implementation (40%)

• Oversee implementation of all programs under the BITSS portfolio, identifying and leveraging synergies with other CEGA programs.
• Develop and maintain research and capacity building partnerships, and conduct outreach to policy-makers, implementing organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate the scale up of the Social Science Reproduction Platform (SSRP) and Social Science Prediction Platform (SSPP), liaising with partners, collecting feedback, and making recommendations for platform improvement.
• Manage operations for research projects led by BITSS scholars, such as recruiting study participants and research staff, and procuring software and other research materials.
• Provide technical guidance, on occasion, related to research transparency and reproducibility inquiries from CEGA staff and faculty, BITSS Catalysts, and other partners.
• Manage competitive grant-making processes as appropriate, including RFPs, peer review, contracting arrangements, and project monitoring.
• Lead performance management by gathering and analyzing data, recommending and implementing changes to program design based on metrics, and writing program plans, quarterly performance reviews, budget milestones, and theories of change. Aspirationally, identify and pursue opportunities for rigorous impact evaluations of BITSS activities.
• Develop expertise in research transparency subject matter (publication bias; p-hacking; pre-analysis plans; pre-results review; selective reporting; reporting guidelines; evidence aggregation; reproducibility; open data; ethics; and privacy; as well as how these translate to policy analysis); stay up-to-date on relevant research and policy developments.
• Mentor interns and other junior collaborators, as appropriate, including work plan design, performance management, and professional development.

Events and Communications (20%)

• Design and implement BITSS events in collaboration with CEGA’s Events and Communications Team, including negotiating contracts with vendors, developing timelines, budgets, agenda, and materials; coordinating media capture; overseeing logistics; synthesizing lessons learned; suggesting content improvement; making intellectual contributions to event programming, for example designing agendas and selecting speakers and participants; and speaking at events.
• Lead promotional outreach and community building for the SSRP and the SSPP, for example developing newsletters, FAQs, and promotional materials, and identifying opportunities to present to relevant audiences, and presenting themselves.
• Develop and coordinate content for the BITSS website, newsletter, blog, YouTube, Twitter, and community channels.
• Manage the dissemination of research and BITSS activities to policymakers and partners, including conceptualizing briefing materials and managing their production, monitoring media coverage, and managing relationships with relevant stakeholders. 

Center-wide responsibilities (10%)

• Participate in center-wide activities, including participation in internal working groups, maintenance of the CEGA Wiki, process documentation, center event planning and management, and performance management.
• Support mainstreaming of research transparency across CEGA programs, including strengthening (and conceptualizing processes for enforcing) CEGA’s Transparency Policy.

Required Qualifications

• BA/BS in Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health, Public Policy, or related fields.
• Well-versed in issues related to research transparency subject matter (publication bias; p-hacking; pre-analysis plans; selective reporting; reporting guidelines; reproducibility; open data), and solutions for improved transparency (pre-registration and pre-analysis plans, data sharing, version control software, and other).
• Strong financial and project management skills and familiarity with academic research grant-making.
• Strong skills in short-term and long-term planning, analysis, problem-anticipation, and problem-solving; ability to independently investigate solutions to challenges and anticipate leadership/sponsor needs.
• Demonstrated interest in and knowledge of evidence-based policy-making.
• Self-directed, intrinsically motivated; proven capacity to manage work independently, multitask, and be responsive to time-sensitive deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong and effective interpersonal skills in working with colleagues at all levels. Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality. Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work diplomatically with diverse constituencies. 
• Takes ownership of professional development. Highly coachable, anticipating and integrating guidance and direction.
• Strong competency with MS Office and Google Suite applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• MA/MS in Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health, Public Policy, or related fields.
• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience
• Familiarity with journal review processes
• Previous quantitative research experience
• Experience with productivity tools such as GitHub/Git, Slack, Salesforce, and Trello.
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (including Adobe InDesign and PhotoShop)
• Sense of humor with a positive attitude in approaching challenges and uncertainty

Salary and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with CEGA’s compensation model; the approximate annual range for this position is $90,000 – $110,000.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted through the UC Berkeley jobs website jobs.berkeley.edu, using Job ID#68464.

Please submit your cover letter and resume as a single attachment when applying. In addition to a current CV, candidates should submit a cover letter outlining (1) qualifications for the responsibilities listed above, (2) specific interest in the position, and (3) three academic and/or professional references. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Please note CEGA will only hire individuals who are eligible to work in the US, either through an Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa or as a result of being US citizen or permanent resident.