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Post:Country Director, Accra, Ghana
Organization:Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA),
Reports to: Director, Country Programs
Location:Accra, Ghana
Commitment: Three years
Start Date: As soon as possible
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), is an international non-profit research organization. Based in New Haven, CT, with offices in Washington, D.C. and worldwide, IPA works with development partners and academic researchers to create and evaluate approaches to solving development problems, to communicate 'what works' in development and to scale up successful projects in a variety of fields, including health, education, microfinance, governance and agriculture.
Position Summary:
IPA seeks a Country Director in Ghana to oversee one of its largest country offices. This position provides a unique opportunity to be closely involved in cutting-edge research and to work with top academics. Country Directors oversee multiple impact evaluations at a time in a range of sectors, including agriculture, rural finance and savings, small and medium size enterprises, health, education and others. The Ghana Country Director will also manage a team of more than 50 local and international staff, oversee all country office operations, lead strategic planning and project development for the country office, oversee capacity building of local staff and partners, and lead the dissemination of results to local practitioners and policy makers. The position provides the opportunity to guide the research program in the country, spend significant time in the field, direct in-country operations and manage relationships with key players in development organizations, donors, academia, and government. The Ghana Country Director will also contribute to IPA's continued expansion by initiating new partnerships and projects in the country.
The position requires close interaction with academic researchers, donors, local government agencies, and other NGOs. The Ghana Country Director will also provide ongoing oversight of all project and office operations, including finance and human resource systems, data collection, in-house data entry, and a short-term staff payroll of up to 250 individuals at any given time.
Responsibilities:
- Develop and implement IPA Ghana's strategic plan, in line with IPA's global plan and mission.
- Identify priority research questions and key concerns for policy makers and initiate and manage the development of corresponding new research proposals;
- Develop new relationships in order for the country office to maximize its impact;
- Lead and initiate project development with researchers, funders and partner organizations; and
- Ensure that country office structures can be supported by incoming revenue.
- nd security and ensure organizational legal compliance.
Qualifications:
- Master's degree in international affairs, international public policy, development economics, or field related to international economic development;
- A minimum of 5 years of management experience;
- Experience developing new projects and knowledge of human resource and financial management;
- Experience with budgeting and project planning;
- Passion for connecting rigorous research to policy makers and practitioners and communicating what works and what does not work in development;
- Ability to lead a large and complex country program and oversee rigorous impact evaluations;
- Commitment to leading a diverse team and building staff capacity;
- Ability to communicate effectively across cultures with multiple stakeholders including international and local academic researchers, government officials, NGO partners, enumeration teams, and study participants;
- Experience living and working in Africa is required;
- Experience managing funds from multiple donors required; specific experience with USAID Cooperative Agreements preferred;
- Excellent management and organizational skills and ability to work independently;
- Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player;
- Strong quantitative skills and familiarity with randomized controlled trials; and
- High proficiency in English; strong oral and written communication skills.
DISCLAIMER:
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by the Country Director. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs@poverty-action.org.
Deadline to Apply: August 15, 2013
How to Apply
http://unjobs.org/vacancies/1375693710602
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