Research and Policy Analyst

The Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF) seeks a Research and Policy Analyst (RPA) to help develop cutting edge global nutrition policy analysis and thought leadership on behalf of the Foundation. Reporting to the Policy Director and working alongside a dynamic team of policy, advocacy, and research experts, the RPA will produce rigorous internal and external analyses, conduct nutrition modeling, and over-the-horizon thought leadership, including regularly conducting global political, financial, and program analysis across global nutrition issues. Work will include economic and impact modeling through platforms such as LiST and Optima, market-shaping analysis, donor scoping, literature reviews, evidence synthesis, and quantitative and qualitative surveys. The RPA will also help support a multi-million-dollar portfolio of nutrition policy grants to some of the top think tanks and policy experts in global health and nutrition, as well as UN agencies such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF. The RPA will be required to stay abreast of the latest trends across global nutrition policy, financing, and advocacy and explore and anticipate emerging issues across ECF’s 2020-2025 Strategy and organizational goals.

The RPA will perform and direct desk-based research and analysis; produce policy papers on nutrition projections and trends; and help advance sophisticated thought leadership on behalf of the Foundation. Working closely with the ECF Advocacy & Communications team, the RPA will help translate analysis into compelling new nutrition talking points, infographics, 2-pagers, videos, op-eds, photo narratives, and other advocacy and communications assets to promote scale-up and reform. The RPA will also support the Policy Director to leverage outside expertise from partners and help plan and host regular expert roundtables, webinars, and other convenings.

As a key member of the Research & Policy Team, the RPA will be expected to work seamlessly with the Eleanor Crook Foundation’s other program teams (Advocacy & Communications). The relationship between these teams is meant to be synergistic and dynamic. For example, the RPA will work to identify new, pressing research needs for consideration by the Research and Policy Team, as well as new promising donor markets and reform issues for prioritization by the Advocacy & Communications team. Simultaneously, all teams will rely on the RPA to quickly synthesize ECF’s formal position on trending policy issues, taking into account technical, policy, and advocacy considerations.

A successful candidate will be creative, analytical, curious, and highly action-oriented. They will pride themselves on rigorous analysis and attention to detail but be willing and able to move quickly and nimbly. A “sick-of-business-as-usual” attitude is required, and applicants should have an unrelenting desire to dream up big ideas with the potential to have a transformative impact on global malnutrition. The incumbent will be asked to jump in on day one to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities in global nutrition. This is a new position at the Eleanor Crook Foundation, and the person who assumes this role will be asked to build upon existing efforts to help articulate an ambitious policy agenda for the Foundation in their first 90 days.

An experienced professional who is a skilled self-motivator, highly detail-oriented, would benefit from flexible work policies and wants to have a meaningful impact on global health will thrive. The ideal applicant will be based in, or willing to relocate to, Washington, DC.

Responsibilities

Policy Analysis and Thought Leadership:

• Conduct desk-based literature reviews, evidence synthesis, policy analysis, and secondary research. Dive deep into the details of global nutrition policy, programming, and research in order to synthesize new findings and identify new areas for focus and impact.
• Carry out costing and impact modeling that provides essential new evidence to support global nutrition advocacy and reform using tools like LiST and Optima.
• Produce policy briefs, articles, models, infographics, blogs, op-eds, talking points, and other synthesis material.
• Regularly connect with nutrition policymakers and experts to synthesize opinions and insight and help socialize ideas. Conduct regular surveys of nutrition stakeholders to trends and areas of consensus and needed reform.
• Conduct regular evidence reviews across ECF priority areas in order to keep ECF and partners informed.
• Look beyond the nutrition sector to identify tactics and best practices that have worked in other areas of global health and international development.
• Maintain working knowledge of ECF’s nutrition advocacy, research, and implementation grants and findings for integration into policy efforts.
• Help bring the global nutrition community to the next level by providing high-level thought leadership, encouraging and contributing to bold, outside-the-box thinking.

Manage ECF’s Policy Grants Portfolio

• Supporting the Policy Director and Policy Program Officer, help manage relationships with ECF policy grantee (or prospective grantee) organizations and deepen relationships with existing grantees.
• Foster ECF’s growing grantee coalition, including identifying synergies across grants and creating and managing strategic fora for cross-grantee collaboration and learnings.
• Provide expert policy advice to ECF’s community of partners. For example, provide thought leadership to ECF’s technical or advocacy grantees to ensure that the whole-of-Foundation investments benefit from the policy team’s insights, analysis, and expertise.

Help Develop and Execute a Foundation Policy Agenda

• Support the Policy Director to develop and implement a robust policy leadership agenda. This will require the RPA to understand and assess ECF’s current focus areas and survey the broader policy landscape to evaluate can’t-miss opportunities to drive impact.
• Help establish and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of potential partners to advance and nuance ECF’s strategic objectives and support our grantee efforts.

Required Qualifications, Skills & Attributes:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in global health or international development. Prior experience working on global nutrition and/or at relevant UN agencies, multilateral institutions, or bilateral donor agencies is a significant plus!
• At least 2 years of experience in epidemiology and statistics, health economics, cost-effectiveness analysis, public policy, or a closely related field. Prior experience with development financing is a plus!
• Demonstrated ability to perform in-depth analyses and present findings in clear and compelling ways.
• Proven experience working across multi-stakeholder processes.
• An ability to step back from current practice and imagine future frontiers in research, advocacy, and policy.
• Confidence to envision change – even when it stands against the status quo – and to inspire action in others.
• High level of interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity to effectively interact with all levels of US and internationally-based partners and staff.
• Ability to clearly and consistently communicate ECF priorities and expectations.
• Ability to hold partners to high standards of excellence while maintaining positive relationships.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Capacity to work both independently and as a member of a team.
• Aptitude at managing competing priorities, remaining accountable for ambitious deadlines, and building coalitions of the willing in the process.
• Ability to be flexible and generate rapid analysis across issue areas.
• Extremely strong analytical and creative thinking abilities.
• A can-do, productive attitude. A self-starter who will come to the table with creative ideas and be open to collaborative brainstorming. A strong interest in global nutrition is a must!
• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g. Public Health, Nutrition, Statistics, Public Policy, etc.).

Desired Skills & Attributes:

• Analytical thinker
• Attentive to detail
• Strategic and creative thinker
• Proficient in epi/stats
• Strong communicator
• Adept logistician
• Excellent writer
• Socially perceptive
• Self-Starter
• Intellectually curious
• Highly collaborative
• Risk manager
• Compassionate

Salary commensurate with experience. To apply, please send your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to: hiring@eleanorcrookfoundation.org.