Job description

The Director of Data and Impact must be a seasoned professional with significant experience in data-based decision making in an impact context, and/or monitoring and evaluation, who is passionate about building business as a way to transform Africa, and is familiar with Africa’s SME support ecosystem.

You will be the custodian of AMI’s impact story and evidence base, responsible for translating our programme data into clear impact metrics and narratives for stakeholders. Reporting to the CEO, you will be part of a Nairobi-based senior leadership team, working particularly closely with our learning and partnership teams. You will be the first hire in your team with opportunity to build out the team gradually in line with strategic priorities.

The Director of Data and Impact will be responsible, with support from the leadership team, for sharpening and maintaining AMI’s own impact strategy. Your team will also lead impact reporting for large client-funded programmes from designing logframes, through to managing reporting schedules.

Working with our Communication and Partnerships teams, you will ensure our impact is communicated powerfully both to specific partners and broader stakeholders.

You will also work with AMI’s research, data and product teams to support large research projects,including a Randomised Control Trial (RCT) currently underway with researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to rigorously test and refine AMI’s learning model.

Beyond reporting, your team will be constantly mining our impact data to capture insights that help us continuously learn and improve our model. Your responsibilities with therefore include overseeing the structuring of AMI’s central data warehouse, and how it is used to provide business intelligence and support decision making.

Skills and Attributes

• Ability to develop and manage a complex M&E, impact and data strategy
• Ability to oversee reporting and impact measurement to multiple stakeholders
• Sophisticated understanding of Africa’s SME support ecosystem
• Ability to lead a team of analytical professionals
• Ability to think strategically and creatively, and to execute methodically.
• Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively. Excellent proposal writing and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to use hard data and metrics to back up assumptions, tell powerful stories and develop strategic recommendations.
• Ability to structure data storage and reporting requirements (does not need to build systems,but to oversee technical experts)
• Ability to synthesize insights from multiple data sources
• Thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. Works well under pressure.
• Enthusiasm and commitment for AMI’s vision of transformation through skills and enterprise development.
• Work well with people. Culturally adept. Ability to communicate effectively across different levels, with local and international teams and stakeholders
• Willingness to engage in robust debate alongside deep respect for others
• Rock-solid integrity
• Experience with and interest in academic research methods, such as RCTs and others (preferred but not essential)

Qualifications & Experience

• At least 8 years work experience, with at least 5 in M&E/international development
• Experience managing teams
• Experience with organisational data storage/ reporting systems
• Robust experience managing reporting for large international funders and institutions
• Experience working in an entrepreneurial environment, ideally within Africa’s SME/entrepreneur support ecosystem
• Masters degree or equivalent experience
• AMI will consider candidates from any country, but preference will be given to African nationals. Candidates must be willing to live in Nairobi and free to travel across Africa.