Resumen de posición

IPA seeks a Country Director to oversee its Francophone West Africa operations in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali. The Country Director will be based in either Abidjan or Ouagadougou with travels to the other Country Offices periodically based on project requirements (representing a 20% expectation for travel). The Country Director will work with IPA Global and key stakeholders to set the strategic direction for IPA in these countries and oversee multiple simultaneous impact evaluations in a variety of sectors, including governance, gender empowerment, financial inclusion, education and public health. The position provides the opportunity to guide the research program in three countries, spend time in the field, direct in-country operations and to interact closely with academic researchers, local government agencies, donors, and other NGOs.

The Country Director, assisted by his/her management team and more broadly a team of permanent staff and hundreds of short term field staff at any given time, will provide overarching oversight to all project and office operations in the three countries, lead strategic planning for the country program, oversee finance and operations teams, build and strengthen systems for high quality data collection, provide capacity building of local staff and partners, and lead the dissemination of results to local practitioners and policy makers. The Country Director will also contribute to IPA’s continued expansion by initiating new partnerships and projects in the countries and be a key player in the growth of the three country offices.

The position requires close interaction with academic researchers, donors, local government agencies, and other Implementing Partners. The Country Director will be assisted by a Management Team comprising an Associate Policy Director, 3 (Senior) Research Managers, 2 Policy and RFE Managers, an Operations Manager, and the FWA Security Advisor. The larger team is composed of local and international permanent staff, and up to hundreds of short-term field staff at any given time.

Responsabilidades

Oversee high-quality research 30%

●    Oversee and manage a team composed of Research Managers/Coordinators, (Senior) Research Associates, and Field Managers, whose responsibilities include project design, management of data collection, data management and analysis, and writing of research reports, all in close collaboration with the Principal Investigators;

●    Build systems and structures to ensure that the implementation of research activities follows IPA’s research quality standards and processes and Principal Investigator’s directions;

●    Spearhead skills training and resource/information sharing for staff; and

●    Work to incorporate best practices and lessons learned in research and operations by other IPA offices and research affiliates.

Policy impact and external relations 30%

●    Oversee and manage a team composed of Associate Policy Director, Policy Managers/Coordinator, and (Senior) Policy Associates;

●    Represent IPA to national and local government agencies and partner organizations. Manage relationships with current and potential IPA partner organizations and donors;

●    Develop and maintain relationships with implementing partners, the government and academia for the country office to maximize its impact;

●    Engage government partners and other stakeholders to identify research questions of interest and cultivate potential research projects in those areas;

●    Oversee capacity building of local development partners in evidence-based policy making and rigorous impact evaluations; 

●    Manage relationships with academic institutions and researchers; 

●    Develop and expand collaborations with local researchers; and

●    Oversee targeted dissemination, encourage scale up of successful interventions.

Ensure sound operations and finances 25%

●    Provide supervision and support to administrative staff, overseeing human resources, IT, procurement, operations, and finance.

●    With support from the Global Finance and Grants team, ensure compliance with financial procedures, approve expenditures, and make accurate spending projections     

●    Oversee the management of project budgets and donor reporting, with support from the Research Manager, Research Coordinator, and administrative staff, and in coordination with IPA’s global grants team.

●    Ensure that country office structures are supported by incoming revenue through country office budget planning and management.

New project development 10%

●    In dialogue with potential partners and Principal Investigators, identify and develop potential projects with meaningful research and policy implications;

●    Participate in project design and lead budgeting during the proposal stage to ensure evaluations meet IPA standards and follow- IPA’s policies and procedures and coordinate fundraising for project proposals

Mitigate and manage risks 5%

●    Set security standards and parameters for work to ensure staff safety and security; 

●    Monitor security concerns for IPA operations in country, review project-specific security plans before the start of field work, and act as primary contact in crisis management;

●    Oversee and guide the work of the FWA security advisor;

●    Take steps to mitigate risks and to safeguard the organization’s reputation;      

●    Oversee procurement, safety, billing and security and ensure organizational legal compliance; and ensure overall compliance with IPA policies, donor requirements, and the law.

Calificaciones

Requerido

• A minimum of 5-7 years of relevant work experience, including 3 years in a management position; preferably experience in research and policy engagement

• Experience in developing research projects, experience with budgeting and project planning

• Experience living and working in Africa

• Master’s degree in development economics, international affairs, international public policy, or field related to international economic development

Preferido

• Demonstrated ability to lead large teams and multiple projects
• Strong quantitative skills and familiarity with randomized controlled trials is an added advantage
• Passion for connecting rigorous research to policy makers and practitioners and communicating what works in development
• Commitment to leading a diverse team in a multicultural environment and building staff capacity
• Capacidad para comunicarse de manera efectiva entre culturas con múltiples partes interesadas, incluidos investigadores académicos internacionales y locales, funcionarios gubernamentales, socios de ONG, equipos de enumeración y participantes del estudio.
• Significant exposure to human resources and financial management
• Experience in grants and contracts management, preferably in a research setting
• Excellent management and organizational skills and ability to work independently
• Flexible, auto motivador, capaz de administrar múltiples tareas de manera eficiente y un jugador de equipo
• Experience in managing social unrest or volatile countries 
• Fuertes habilidades de comunicación oral y escrita

Informes a

Director Regional, África Occidental

Fecha límite para aplicar

10 de mayo 2024.

Localidad

Abidjan, Costa de Marfil

Instrucciones de aplicación

Haga clic aquí para aplicar ahora.

Sobre IPA 

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) es una organización sin fines de lucro de investigación y políticas que descubre y promueve soluciones efectivas a los problemas de pobreza global. IPA reúne a investigadores y tomadores de decisiones para diseñar, evaluar rigurosamente y refinar estas soluciones y sus aplicaciones, asegurando que la evidencia creada se utilice para mejorar las vidas de los pobres del mundo. En las últimas décadas, se han gastado billones de dólares en programas diseñados para reducir la pobreza global, pero la evidencia clara de qué programas tienen éxito es rara, y cuando existe evidencia, los tomadores de decisiones a menudo no la conocen. IPA existe para reunir a investigadores líderes y a estos tomadores de decisiones para garantizar que la evidencia que creamos tenga un impacto tangible en el mundo. Desde su fundación en 2002, IPA ha trabajado con más de 600 destacados académicos para realizar más de 900 evaluaciones en 52 países. Esta investigación ha informado a cientos de programas exitosos que ahora impactan a millones de personas en todo el mundo. 

Compromiso de IPA con la diversidad, la equidad y la inclusión (DEI) 

Como organización, IPA se dedica a mejorar las vidas de las poblaciones más vulnerables del mundo a través de evidencia y políticas. También reconocemos lo importante que es para nuestro personal reflejar la diversidad de los lugares donde trabajamos y las comunidades con las que trabajamos. Como tal, IPA se compromete a contratar de un grupo diverso de candidatos, de una variedad de antecedentes, creencias, experiencias y perspectivas. Sabemos que esto hace que nuestro trabajo sea más fuerte y responda mejor a los desafíos que enfrentan aquellos con los que trabajamos y para quienes trabajamos, y alentamos a las personas de grupos históricamente subrepresentados a postularse. Hacer clic esta página para obtener más información sobre el compromiso de IPA con la diversidad, la equidad y la inclusión.

Innovations for Poverty Action es un empleador de igualdad de oportunidades de acción afirmativa. Todos los solicitantes calificados recibirán consideración para el empleo sin distinción de raza, color, religión, sexo, origen nacional, discapacidad, estado de veterano protegido o cualquier otra clase protegida. IPA se esforzará por hacer una adaptación razonable a un solicitante calificado con una discapacidad a menos que la adaptación imponga una dificultad excesiva en la operación de nuestro negocio. Si cree que necesita dicha asistencia para completar este formulario o para participar en una entrevista, contáctenos en jobs@poverty-action.org o por teléfono al 1-202-386-6200. Las declaraciones anteriores tienen por objeto describir la naturaleza general y el nivel del trabajo que debe realizar el puesto especificado. Las declaraciones no pretenden ser una lista exhaustiva de todos los posibles deberes, tareas y responsabilidades. La gerencia se reserva el derecho de modificar y cambiar las responsabilidades para satisfacer las necesidades de la organización según sea necesario. Tenga en cuenta que IPA nunca solicitará ninguna forma de pago a un solicitante. Se alienta a los solicitantes a confirmar la información mencionada anteriormente con IPA antes de divulgar cualquier información personal extensa a la organización. Dirija sus preguntas a jobs@poverty-action.org. Tenga en cuenta que el gerente de contratación solo se comunicará con los solicitantes calificados