WBG Pioneer - LSMS Survey Innovation Fellow

WBG Pioneer - LSMS Survey Innovation Fellow

Job #: req37637 Organization: World Bank Grade: T4 (no-fee) Location: Washington, DC,United States Hiring Manager:Amparo Palacios-Lopez

Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 8/12/2026 (11:59pm UTC)

Description

WBG Pioneers, the World Bank Group’s Internship Program, offers undergraduate and postgraduate students a high impact learning experience at the heart of global development. Participants gain hands on experience in a diverse and dynamic environment, contribute fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, and connect with international professionals working to end poverty on a livable planet.

The Development Economics Survey Unit (DECSU) in the World Bank Group’s Development Economics Vice Presidency supports the production and use of high-quality household survey data in low- and middle-income countries. Through the Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) program, DECSU advances methodological innovation in household survey design, implementation, and data quality, with a focus on improving the evidence available for development policy and research.

As part of this agenda, DECSU has implemented a study in El Salvador to estimate women’s willingness to pay for center-based childcare, examining how different service attributes shape demand. Building on prior work using discrete choice experiments (DCE) to study women's preferences in El Salvador, this study focuses specifically on childcare provision and the attributes that matter most to families, particularly mothers, when choosing whether to use and pay for formal childcare services.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Fellow will be part of the team to conduct the data analysis and paper writing about the study. The data collection process has concluded, and the data has been prepared for analysis. It will also provide the Fellow with practical experience in survey methodology, field experiment implementation, and applied quantitative research.

The scope of work includes supporting analyzing micro-level data, contextualize findings with broader literature and assist in drafting high-quality academic outputs. The Fellow may also contribute to research outputs and develop an independent research question using project data, in consultation with the research team.

Selection Criteria

• Currently enrolled in, or in the final year of, a relevant master’s or PhD program.
• 0–3 years of relevant professional experience.
• Academic background in economics, public policy, statistics, data science, development studies, or a related field.
• Strong analytical, quantitative, research, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience or demonstrated interest in household surveys, impact evaluation, data quality, or development research.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.