Project Manager (Myanmar)
● Reports to: Rocco Macchiavello (LSE), Amit Khandelwal (Columbia GSB)
● Location: Yangon, Myanmar
● Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis
● Desired Start Date: 15th June 2019
● Length of Commitment: At least 1 year, ideally 2 years
In partnership with the International Growth Centre, the research team is working with a variety of policymakers on Myanmar’s private sector development. We are seeking to appoint a Project Manager (PM) that will supervise and coordinate a number of different projects. The position involves a mix of engaging with policymakers and stakeholders as well as developing research opportunities.
Work Summary:
The Project Manager will lead the following initiatives:
1. Supervision of the Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Project: The research team is implementing a monitoring and evaluation exercise to measure the spillovers from the zone to the rest of the economy. To measure spillovers, the research team is supporting the Management Committee in three ways: 1) by collecting primary survey-based and administrative data from firms and employees at the zone; 2) by supporting an English-language training program to foster the development of human capital; 3) by implementing a randomized control trial (RCT) to measure skill transfers from FDI companies to middle-level Myanmar managers. The PM will supervise the field team based and manage the relationships with all relevant stakeholders, including the Thilawa Management Committee, Ministry of Commerce, and vendors.
2. Fostering Research Team Agenda on Private Sector Development: The IGC regularly receives requests from policymakers for advice on private sector development initiatives. A strong partnership with the Ministry of Commerce has been forged to study a variety of initiatives related to export promotion. The Project Manager is expected to take a leadership role in forging these
relationships with stakeholders, to develop the potential for the research project and to be able to respond to short-term policy requests.
Position Summary:
1. Develop an understanding of the research objectives of the team
2. Lead field data collection.
3. Maintain relationships with policymakers, private companies, and other stakeholders involved in any of the above projects.
4. Regularly communicate with the research team. 5. Monitor the logistics, budget, and timelines of the projects
Qualifications Desired:
1. Bachelors or Masters degree in economics, public policy, or social science
2. Very strong desire to pursue a PhD in Economics
3. Experience managing research projects (e.g., organizing data, cleaning data, data management, survey design and implementation)
4. Knowledge of data analysis using STATA and other packages
5. Interest in researching private-sector development in a fast-growing country
6. Experience working with policymakers
Please send a one-page CV and a cover letter to R.Macchiavello@lse.ac.uk if you are interested in the position with the subject line: “Application for Project Manager”. Please cc: ak2796@gsb.columbia.edu and sanghyun.park@theigc.org.
Feel free to reach out to any of us if you have any questions.
