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ASSISTANT MANAGER / MANAGER RESEARCH

Position Summary:

Experience in managing or publishing research in topical areas such as climate change, green industrial policy, socioeconomic development and inclusion, fiscal policy, or public financial management would be a strong advantage.

We are seeking a motivated and impact-oriented Assistant Manager/Manager to shape credible, policy-relevant research that informs IDEAS’ advocacy. The position involves both project and team management responsibilities, stakeholder management, as well as quality assurance in the execution of research. The role offers a mix of research supervision as well as direct participation in research, with the opportunity to build a research portfolio within IDEAS. The ideal candidate would demonstrate the ability to guide team members in executing research, devise sound research methodology, and establish processes for data management and credibility.

Candidates with more extensive management and leadership experience, as well as a strong track record in relevant published policy research may be considered for a more senior role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Guide the implementation of research projects from inception to completion, including the design of research frameworks, scoping, methodology, and ensuring credibility in the execution.
• Oversee the execution of research projects to meet objectives, anticipating and mitigating key risks, reporting on issues, and facilitating coordination between internal and external stakeholders.
• With the senior management, identify research priorities, gaps, and emerging trends within the research pillar, and propose strategies to address them.
• Ensure research outputs—including policy briefs, reports, and presentations—meet high standards of quality, relevance, and timeliness.
• Contribute to leading the research team by fostering a collaborative work environment while maintaining adherence to research protocols and organisational policies.
• Collaborate with research leads and guide research team members to ensure effective research processes, providing technical input, editorial feedback, and coaching where needed.
• Engage with key external stakeholders, including policymakers, partners, and funders, to ensure research relevance and impact.
• Represent the organisation at meetings, conferences, and policy forums as necessary, building a wide network with stakeholders to support research initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with the Advocacy and Events team to shape effective dissemination and advocacy strategies for research findings, including policy dialogues, public forums, media outreach, and stakeholder briefings.
• Other responsibilities that may be assigned as related to furthering the organisation’s research and advocacy strategy within the Assistant Manager / Manager’s research portfolio.

Requirements:

• A Master’s degree in economics, public policy, public financial management, development studies, or a related field.
• At least 4–7 years of relevant experience in policy research, think tanks, academic institutions, or similar settings, with experience in engaging policymakers being an advantage.
• Strong understanding of research design, methodology, and data analysis, with experience in developing well-structured datasets being a strong advantage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to produce policy-relevant outputs such as policy papers, briefs, and engagement decks.
• Demonstrated leadership and project management experience, including working with multidisciplinary teams and managing timelines.
• Ability to think strategically, provide constructive coaching and guidance, and adapt to dynamic policy and research environments.

2 positions available

EXECUTIVE / SENIOR EXECUTIVE RESEARCH

Position Summary:

We are seeking highly motivated and strongly analytical individuals to join our research team. As a research executive or senior executive you would contribute to IDEAS’ evidence-driven thought leadership and advocacy on competitiveness and sustainability policies to build a better Malaysia for all. The Research Executive will support the design and execution of research projects, anchor data collection and analysis, and co-author policy papers, briefs, and reports. This role requires a keen interest in economic policy, attention to data management and credibility, and a strong ability to translate data into impactful policy insights. The ideal candidate would demonstrate an ability to communicate structured, analytical findings from research, and ownership for the timeliness and quality of their work.

Candidates with more extensive experience and a strong track record in policy research, with demonstrated effectiveness and leadership, may be considered for a more senior role.

Research experience in topical areas such as climate change, green industrial policy, socioeconomic development and inclusion, fiscal policy, or public financial management are considered strong advantages.

Key Responsibilities:

Research Planning and Execution:

• Conduct literature reviews and participate actively in shaping research scope, analytical frameworks, and methodology.
• Support the execution of primary research activities such as surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions.
• Collect, clean, organise and analyse data using relevant quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Ensure timeliness and accuracy of individual deliverables and interns’ assignments.
• Stay abreast of current policy developments and emerging trends relevant to research focus areas.

Report Writing and Presentation:

• Draft policy reports and briefs with credible findings, and clear and concise narratives.
• Present research findings to internal and external stakeholders through written reports and oral presentations.
• Contribute to the development of thought leadership pieces and media engagement such as press statements, media briefs, and op eds.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate on research with internal teams and external stakeholders, including government agencies, industry associations, and academic researchers.
• Participate in meetings, workshops, and conferences to exchange knowledge and insights.
• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders to support research initiatives.
• Provide expertise and insights to stakeholders and respond to inquiries within research area.
• Contribute to media engagement activity in collaboration with the Advocacy and Events team.

Requirements:

• Master’s in economics, public policy, political science, international development, climate/environmental studies, or a related social science field. A Bachelor’s degree with relevant research experience can also be considered.
• At least 1–3 years of relevant experience in policy research or data analysis, preferably in a think tank, academic institution, development organisation, or public sector setting.
• Strong research skills, including literature review, data collection, and policy analysis. In particular, a demonstrated ability to draw an appropriate level of findings from analysis would be an advantage.
• Familiarity with both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Proficiency in data analysis and visualisation tools (e.g. Excel, STATA, R, or similar) would be an advantage.
• Strong writing and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce structured and concise outputs for diverse audiences.

2 positions available