Impact Analyst

Overview

Reports To: Impact Evaluation Manager
Job Type: Full-time, Exempt
Region: Central America & Mexico – United States
Location: The US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, or Colombia
Start Date: Immediate
Contact: Please apply on our company website.

About Root Capital:
Root Capital invests in the growth of agricultural enterprises so they can transform rural communities. These businesses purchase crops such as coffee, cocoa, or grains from smallholder farmers. With growth, they become engines of impact that raise incomes, create jobs, empower women and young people, sustain peace, and preserve vulnerable ecosystems. Root Capital supplies these businesses with vital resources: access to capital, targeted advisory services, and trade and technical partners. We work in hard-to-serve geographies where others don’t. To date, we have loaned $1.2 billion and trained nearly 1,600 enterprises to improve the lives of six million people in farming communities.

About our Impact Team:
Root Capital’s Impact Team holds three main functions: we monitor, measure, and manage the social and environmental performance of our Lending program; we track the implementation and uptake of our Advisory Services; and we conduct deep-dive evaluations to understand the impact of our Lending and Advisory services on our client businesses, as well as their contributions to smallholder communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia. We design monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems; collect and analyze data from hundreds of businesses and thousands of farmers a year; and communicate our findings internally and externally to inform our work and contribute evidence to the broader fields of agricultural finance and enterprise capacity building.

Position Overview:
The Impact Analyst will support the Impact team with impact evaluation study coordination, research, data cleaning and analysis, and reporting on Root Capital impact evaluations.

The Impact Analyst will support activities across the impact evaluation process, including coordinating and developing survey tools and enumerator training, and coordinating data collection efforts with consultants and data collection firms, and conducting data cleaning and preliminary data analyses. The Impact Analyst will also create data visualizations, prepare preliminary summaries of data analysis and/or research findings for internal and external audiences, and contribute research assistance and copy editing for evaluation reports, conduct literature reviews on developments in evaluation methodology, and support study administration.

The Impact Analyst will report to the Impact Evaluation Director, and will collaborate closely with the entire Impact team, as well as Root Capital staff across our global offices. This role represents an exciting opportunity for candidates with a passion for monitoring, evaluation, and learning to apply and deepen their technical expertise within a global, cross-functional and multicultural team committed to rigorous impact measurement.

Responsibilities:
Impact Evaluation Implementation (80%)

Study coordination and oversightCoordinate and manage relationships with data collection consultants and data collection firms
Conduct and/or manage sampling, survey piloting, data collection (using data collection applications), and quality control of study implementation
Coordinate study participants (i.e. obtain client approvals, recruit consultants, manage consultant contracts and invoices, organize and lead meetings and presentations for both internal and external parties).
Manage impact study budgets for specific impact studies
Study Preparation, Instruments and Data CollectionConduct literature reviews and assist in survey development and programming for Root Capital impact evaluations
Assist in the preparation of preliminary research documents and IRB protocols required for studies
Draft and edit materials for enumerator training; coordinate enumerator training and data collection efforts in rural communities in Latin America, Africa and Indonesia as needed
Data Cleaning, Analysis, and ReportingPrepare and present summaries of data analysis and/or research findings for internal and external audiences
Clean data according to Root Capital Impact MEL standards and conduct preliminary analyses of quantitative and qualitative data; ensure that data is accessible and properly formatted
Provide research assistance and copy editing for impact evaluation reports; ensure methodological accuracy and quality of reports written or supported by third parties.
Conduct analyses leveraging organizational data for key cross-cutting learning questions, as required (for example, specific EPF analyses)
MEL Support (10%)

Social and Environmental ReviewerReview the Social & Environmental Metrics, Additionality Rating, Social & Environmental Scorecards, Clients Profile and Loan History, Impact Ratings, and Impact Return Hurdles to assess if loans move to next stage of approval.
Compile questions and communicate directly with Loan Officers to validate potential environmental and social performance concerns.
Fulfill administrative procedures to complete S & E review.
Advisory Data Analysis for MEL effortsClean and prepare raw data for analysis; conduct in-depth data analysis with guidance from MEL Lending or Advisory Managers, as required
Collaborate on the design of global dashboards and reports on M&E findings
Organization-Wide MEL Capacity Building and Knowledge ManagementConduct literature reviews and desk research to inform programs and M&E systems
Coordinate reflection meetings regarding M&E findings and assist in preparing material relevant for staff training or awareness creation workshops
Fundraising and Programmatic Support (10%)

Provide programmatic and fundraising staff with impact study learnings and insights for proposal development.
Serve as a liaison with current and prospective impact evaluation donors and external technical advisors; represent Root Capital’s impact evaluation approach in front of prospective donors
Perform other relevant duties as assigned.
Required Skills and Experience:
Master’s degree in international relations, economic development, social sciences, environmental sciences, or related field; familiarity with impact investing and/or agricultural finance strongly preferred.
At least one year of professional experience in survey research, including data collection, cleaning and analysis, or other relevant work incorporating quantitative and qualitative research, ideally in a low- or medium-income setting.
Knowledge of experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluation methods. Strong analytical abilities and quantitative skills.
Proven experience and skills in developing monitoring, evaluation, and learning tools, including Theory of Change and Logical Frameworks.
Advanced proficiency in Stata, R, Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Experience with data collection platforms (like SurveyCTO or KoboToolbox), qualitative data analysis software (NVIVO or MAXQDA) or GIS software (ArcGIS or QGIS) and Salesforce preferred.
Superior written and oral communication skills in English. Working proficiency (ability to read and write internal communications and converse with internal staff) in Spanish required. Proven ability to produce clear reports for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Meticulous attention to detail.
Self-starter with ability to flexibly manage multiple tasks in a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment.
Willingness to travel to rural communities in Latin America, Africa and/or Indonesia 1-2 times per year.
Service-oriented mindset with the ability to proactively and creatively identify and address program needs.
Commitment to Root Capital’s mission.
Must be authorized to work in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua or Colombia.
Applications
More information about Root Capital is available at www.rootcapital.org. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply using the form below as soon as possible, making sure to include a resume and cover letter that describes your interest, qualifications, language abilities, salary requirements, and how you learned of the position. Finalist candidates will be required to provide at least three work-related references.