Job description

About IDinsight

IDinsight uses rigorous evidence to help leaders improve lives. They tailor a wide range of data and evidence tools, including randomized evaluations and machine learning, to help decision-makers design effective programs and rigorously test what works to support communities. IDinsight works with governments, multilaterals, foundations, and innovative non-profit organizations in Asia and Africa. They work across a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, education, health, governance, sanitation, and financial inclusion. Their team is made up of exceptional economists, data scientists, policy experts, and development professionals.

Visit www.IDinsight.org for more information.

About the Associate Director - East Africa Position

The Associate Director - East Africa (AD-EA) will report to the East Africa Regional Director and be supported by other Directors in the Region and IDinsight’s CEO. The Associate Director East Africa will assume critical responsibility for driving large pieces of IDinsight’s work and strategy in the East Africa Region. The AD-EA will be supported by high-quality research teams, an excellent operations team that ensures a well-functioning organization, and a communications team to help amplify the Director’s voice in policy circles. They will be also provided with bi-annual performance reviews (including feedback from peers and direct reports) to help them continuously grow and learn as professionals.

 The AD-EA will be provided significant autonomy to leverage IDinsight as a platform to drive social impact (in consonance with their mission and strategy), while also being held accountable to clear goals that they will set for themselves in consultation with the Head of Africa and other leaders at IDinsight. 

Each Director role at IDinsight is unique and tailored to specific individuals’ strengths. However, at a high level, the AD-EA role will include the following:

• Develop and lead high-impact opportunities: Building on their experience, expertise, and networks, the Associate Director - East Africa will help conceptualize, secure, fundraise, and execute impactful initiatives that use data and evidence to drive change. All initiatives should be in line with IDinsight’s mission and strategy but can take various forms, ranging from direct client-service engagements to amplify their partners’ impact, to contributing to public knowledge products aimed at infusing data and evidence into important social sector debates.
• Lead, mentor and guide project teams: Project leadership involves liaising with senior clients regularly, ensuring the highest standards of research quality and ethics, overseeing and mentoring teams (usually 3-5 Managers, with 10-15 members in total), ensuring a safe and enabling atmosphere for colleagues, and keeping within project budgets. Most importantly, Directors are expected to set and drive their projects toward achieving social impact.
• Be a thought leader, a trusted advisor, and an advocate for data-driven reforms: In addition to leading projects, Directors will be expected to apply their considerable experience, expertise, and skills to shape evidence-informed action within one or multiple sectors, regions, or specializations. This includes writing in leading newspapers and journals, speaking at important conferences, harnessing relationships and networks within the impact community to develop trusted advisory positions with senior leaders, and participating in consultative councils within governments, foundations, and/or non-profits.
• Contribute to IDinsight strategy: The AD - EA will be responsible for working closely with Africa and global leadership teams to craft, refine and execute on realizing IDinsight’s strategy in East Africa.
• Support organizational development: The AD - EA will also be involved in contributing to global and regional operations such as recruitment, onboarding and performance reviews. They will be expected to support IDinsight to remain an impact-first, values-based, and nimble organization even as they grow.
• Exemplify IDinsight’s mission and values: Ensuring a strong alignment between incoming Associate Directors and IDinsight’s values is an important priority for them. Associate Directors are the face of IDinsight both externally and internally and will be expected to always and unambiguously exemplify their mission and values.

This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya and will likely include a good amount of domestic and international travel (up to 30% dependent on exact role and subject to adjustments due to COVD-19) in order to fulfill the responsibilities mentioned above. Additionally, due to the COVID-19 crisis, they are currently working remotely until it is possible to safely and responsibly resume working from the office. 

Career Development

Career and skill development is a priority for all IDinsight employees. IDinsight’s entrepreneurial culture allows for the role to be tailored to individual passions, goals, and preferences. IDinsight is also committed to facilitating work-life flexibility to maximize professional satisfaction and sustainability. 

Does this sound like you?

• An advanced degree (Master’s or Doctoral), preferably in public policy, economics, gender, livelihoods, public administration, or business.
• 10+ years of experience using data and evidence to improve social impact, ideally in East Africa
• Deep passion for development and social impact, and strong alignment with IDinsight’s vision and mission;
• Record of building strong stakeholder and client relationships, especially with governments, Foundations, and non-profits in the East Africa Region
• Record of impactful thought leadership and advocacy around important social and/or technical issues;
• Fluency in the role of data and evidence tools – such as impact evaluations, representative surveys, monitoring systems, and/or machine learning – to create insights and impact;
• Ability to be an inspiring leader in a dynamic, multicultural, and values-based environment;
• Attitude to thrive in an entrepreneurial setting, and be able to adapt to dynamic growth and change;
• Eagerness to be a lifelong learner with keen intellectual curiosity and sense of humor;
• Willingness to travel as needed and to work with remote colleagues;
• Excitement to work across multiple development sectors

IDinsight understands that no one candidate will be able to excel in all these attributes. Instead, they are looking for leaders who significantly peak in certain attributes, while meeting a minimum threshold in all attributes.

IDinsight is growing and evolving quickly. They may suggest other suitable roles to candidates who apply, based on the overlap between IDinsight’s needs and candidates’ experience and qualifications

If you have any questions concerning the role kindly send your CV in pdf to Reynold Owuor at reynold@shortlist.net with cc to Sarah Ndegwa at sarah@shortlist.net, If interested click on this link to apply: https://www.shortlist.net/jobs/4735