Job description

About IDinsight

“We amplify social impact by partnering with leaders to develop tailored solutions. Our mission is to use data and evidence to help leaders combat poverty worldwide.”

IDinsight is a mission-driven global advisory, data analytics, and research organization that helps global development leaders maximize their social impact. 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. They work with governments, multilateral agencies, foundations, and innovative non-profit organizations in Asia and Africa. Their work spans a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, education, health, governance, sanitation, financial inclusion, and other areas.

They have expertise in a variety of rigorous approaches and methodologies, which they tailor to each client depending on their needs and constraints. To achieve a positive social impact they:

• Support clients’ use of data and evidence for routine and major decision-making.
• Inform funding decisions – toward high-impact initiatives and away from less effective programs or approaches.
• Create and share tools, knowledge, and ideas that expand the use of data and evidence for social good.

IDinsight’s diverse, growing team of 200+ outstanding colleagues operates in nearly two dozen countries around the world. Learn more about their mission and values by visiting their website.  

About the role

The Associate Director/Director will report to the East and Southern Africa Regional Director and will be supported by other Directors in the Region and IDinsight’s CEO. The Director will contribute to driving large pieces of IDinsight’s work and strategy in the East & Southern Africa Region. The Director 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 Director will be provided significant autonomy to leverage IDinsight as a platform to drive social impact (in accordance with our mission and strategy), while also being held accountable for the clear goals that they will set for themselves in consultation with the East and Southern Africa Regional Director and other leaders at IDinsight. 

This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, or Lusaka, Zambia. It will likely include a good amount of domestic and international travel (up to 30% dependent) Additionally, IDinsight is hiring 4 Directors and will be interviewing candidates on a rolling basis.

Each Director role at IDinsight is unique and tailored to specific individuals’ strengths. However, at a high level, this role will include:

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead high-impact opportunities: Building on their experience, expertise, and networks, the Director 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 amplifying their partners’ impact, 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, the role holder 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 Director will be responsible for working closely with Africa and global leadership teams to craft, refine and execute on realizing IDinsight’s strategy in the region.
• Support organizational development: The role holder 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 the incoming Director and IDinsight’s values is an important priority for IDinsght. Directors are the face of IDinsight both externally and internally and will be expected to always and unambiguously exemplify their mission and values.

Does this sound like you?

• 10+ years’ experience using data and evidence to improve social impact, ideally in Kenya or East Africa.
• An advanced degree (Master’s or Doctoral), preferably in public policy, economics, public administration, international development, business, or public health. 
• 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 & Southern 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 a sense of humor. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. 
• Willingness to travel as needed and to work with remote colleagues. 
• Excitement to work across multiple development sectors.

IDinsight is hiring for several directors to be based either in Nairobi or Lusaka. We understand that no one candidate will be able to excel in all these attributes. Instead, we are looking for leaders who significantly peak in certain attributes, while meeting a minimum threshold in all attributes. IDinsight is growing and evolving quickly. We may suggest other suitable roles to candidates who apply, based on the overlap between IDinsight’s needs and candidates’ experience and qualifications.

Persons of all gender, race, sex, orientation, age, and identity are encouraged to apply. If you have any questions concerning the role you can write to Gauri Pethe at gauri@shortlist.net and cc Shivani Nair at shivani@shortlist.net. If interested, click on the link to apply. Only candidates who could be a potential fit will be contacted.