Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is Hiring: Associate Director – Right-Fit Evidence

Location: Bogotá, Colombia (with flexibility in other IPA offices in Africa, Latin America, or the US)
Application Deadline: July 25, 2025

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), a leading research and policy nonprofit, is seeking an Associate Director within its Right-Fit Evidence (RFE) Unit. This role offers a dynamic opportunity for a senior professional to lead the delivery of a diverse portfolio of evidence and learning advisory services. The successful candidate will help drive IPA’s mission to bridge the gap between evidence and action in global development.

As part of the RFE leadership team, the Associate Director will support and guide organizations—including implementing partners, funders, and government agencies—in making data-informed decisions that lead to meaningful development outcomes. By shaping strategies and systems that align with real-world needs, this role enables stakeholders to unlock the full potential of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) practices.

Key Responsibilities

1. Delivery of Advisory Services (65–75%)
The Associate Director will lead multiple client-facing engagements across sectors such as education, technology, agriculture, and livelihoods. These projects vary in size and complexity, requiring high levels of autonomy and expertise.

Responsibilities include:

• Designing and facilitating MEL-related workshops, including theory of change and learning plans.
• Providing technical assistance for the development and implementation of MEL systems and learning frameworks.
• Supporting implementer communities of practice in collaboration with funders.
• Advising donors—including philanthropic foundations and bilateral aid agencies—on grantmaking, learning systems, and evidence use.
• Occasionally leading the design, analysis, and documentation of evaluations and research studies.
• Offering technical guidance to IPA’s country and policy teams, especially in engagements with government stakeholders.
• Managing and mentoring teams, including managers and advisors, across multiple projects.

2. Business Development and Thought Leadership (15–20%)
The Associate Director will contribute to the growth of IPA’s advisory services by cultivating client relationships and identifying new engagement opportunities.

Key activities include:

• Leading the development of new client projects, often in collaboration with IPA’s sectoral, country, and policy teams.
• Representing IPA at external events and conferences to build visibility and credibility.
• Producing and disseminating public goods, such as toolkits, guides, and white papers, to strengthen global evidence use.

3. Organizational Leadership (10–15%)
As a senior leader within the RFE Unit, the Associate Director will shape IPA’s strategic vision and internal culture.

Responsibilities include:

• Leading specific components of the unit’s annual strategic plan.
• Contributing to the development of internal systems and service innovation.
• Supporting a positive and inclusive team culture grounded in IPA’s values.
• Providing subject matter expertise and mentorship in areas such as sectoral focus, evaluation methodologies, or systems change.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience.
• Deep understanding of MEL system design, evidence use, and data strategy.
• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills.
• Experience translating complex questions into practical metrics and learning tools.
• Excellent client engagement and stakeholder communication abilities.
• Proven track record in team leadership and project management.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, and train technical staff.
• Experience working in low- and middle-income countries.
• Master’s degree in public policy, development economics, international relations, or a related field. PhDs and MBAs are also welcome.
• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in consulting, professional services, or technical assistance in international development.
• Multi-sectoral experience in humanitarian or development sectors.
• Familiarity with funders, philanthropic organizations, and government institutions.
• Prior experience producing and sharing policy-oriented content or public goods.
• Expertise in data science, qualitative methods, or tech-driven MEL.
• Familiarity with tools such as Salesforce, SurveyCTO, Tableau, Power BI, and SQL.
• Experience with randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or large-scale evaluations.

For further information and to apply, please visit IPA official page.

Location and Compensation

This position can be based in any of IPA’s country offices, particularly in Colombia or several African countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, or Côte d’Ivoire. IPA’s compensation structure varies by geographic location. For US-based candidates, the salary ranges from $93,000 to $115,000 per year, based on experience and internal equity.

Candidates must have existing authorization to work in their country of residence. IPA’s ability to sponsor work permits varies by location.

About IPA

Innovations for Poverty Action is a nonprofit dedicated to discovering and promoting effective solutions to global poverty. Through partnerships with decision-makers and researchers, IPA ensures that evidence leads to improved policies and programs for the world’s most vulnerable communities.

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the hiring organization. For any inquiries, please contact the hiring organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.