Deputy Director, Sector Programs at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

Position Summary

• IPA’s Sector Programs provide expertise and leadership to identify and address critical evidence gaps in key topic areas including Education, Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Development, Financial Inclusion, Human Trafficking, Intimate Partner Violence, Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Assistance, and Social Protection. A new program on Climate and Environment is expected to launch in 2024.
• IPA sector teams work with leading researchers, program implementers, policymakers, funders, and IPA country offices and global teams to:
• identify questions and knowledge gaps that are important and policy-relevant,
• identify promising interventions and policy solutions,
• develop projects addressing key knowledge gaps through rigorous evaluations and high-quality data,
• share results and lessons with decision-makers and help bring effective programs to scale.
• 20+ sector staff representing seven sector programs and research initiatives share project results and lessons widely through presentations, evidence reviews policy briefs, and blog posts. Where possible, sector programs also raise funds for and manage research initiatives providing funding for rigorous evaluations on policy-relevant topics. Recent examples include the Displaced Livelihoods Fund supported by IKEA Foundation, the Human Trafficking Research Initiative supported by the US Department of State, and the Consumer Protection Research Initiative supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Sector programs work with academic and policy advisors to develop research and learning agendas for the research initiatives and design funding calls and selection processes to select high-quality research projects, from travel grants and pilot projects to full-scale impact evaluations.
• IPA is strengthening our efforts to move evidence to policy and practice by leveraging existing evidence and developing new studies to create bodies of evidence more intentionally. IPA recently released the report Best Bets: Emerging Opportunities for Impact at Scale, featuring 14 promising interventions across multiple sectors that IPA will support in taking to scale through evidence and policy work.
• The Deputy Sector Programs Director is a new leadership position that will work with the Sector Programs Director to support IPA’s sector teams in setting ambitious strategies and fulfilling their missions. This will involve providing support to existing sector programs and developing new programs in high-impact, high-policy influence areas.

Responsibilities

• The Deputy Sector Programs Director will work closely with the Sector Programs Director to provide leadership and strategic guidance for the current execution and future growth of a portfolio of IPA sector programs. The Deputy Sector Programs Director will take on a portfolio of multiple sector programs to manage, supporting relevant sector directors and sector staff in a wide range of activities and work streams, from high-level relationship building, research project development and management, financial and grant management, program and donor development, and developing a network of academic researchers, including expanding the representation of researchers from low and middle-income countries leading IPA projects. The specific portfolio of sector programs will be defined in part based on the background and interests of the successful candidate.
• The successful candidate will have a strong track record in the development of thematic research agendas; comfort translating academic research into policy recommendations; strong networking capabilities with academic researchers, funders, and implementers; and a strong management track record with senior leaders.
• Core responsibilities include the following:
• Lead sector directors and provide tactical guidance to develop sector visions, scope, and research agendas;
• Support sector directors’ fundraising efforts to support core sector activities and new research studies;
• Cultivate and support global policy outreach and policy relationships in relevant sectors, in collaboration with IPA’s Policy team;
• Recruit, mentor, and manage sector directors in line with the sector program functions;
• Work closely with the Sector Programs Director, the Senior Director of Business Development, and the Chief Research and Policy Officer to identify new sector program opportunities, and attract researchers, implementing partners, and funders to support and collaborate with the new programs;
• Attract new principal investigators and develop research opportunities that answer key questions in the relevant sectors;
• Represent IPA at high-level external policy and research events and meetings with key players in the sector and establish positive long-term relationships with stakeholders;
• Ensure smooth administration of sector programs, including oversight of sector directors on programmatic, financial, and grant management, and be the main senior representative for the sector programs team for a wide range of organizational strengthening efforts with functional support teams such as Finance, IT and HR;
• Provide clear and consistent internal communications and collaboration with other IPA programmatic units, in particular with Global Programs, Policy, and Right-Fit Evidence  

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Economics, Public Policy, International Development, or a related field
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience (six minimum with a Ph.D.) in international development, research, and/or policy fields with expertise in at least one relevant IPA sector:
• Strategic thinker with a strong vision for how to develop and maintain key partnerships with donors, international development practitioners or academic researchers that will lead to groundbreaking research and position IPA as a major voice in the sector;
• Familiarity with quantitative research, randomized evaluations, and international development policy and programs with expertise in one or more topic areas;
• Excellent verbal and written communication, client management and presentation skills;
• Demonstrated success in fundraising; experience in proposal writing required;
• Experience building and managing teams and programs and successfully working across departments and teams;
• Demonstrated project management skills, including budgeting, grant management and reporting, attention to operational and research details, and ability to manage multiple projects efficiently;
• Notable experience with field research or program implementation in low and middle-income countries a plus;
• Experience organizing policy events as well as producing policy resources and publications a plus;
• Personal characteristics that are highly valued include analytic ability, curiosity, humor, self-awareness, collaboration, and humility.