Senior Technical Advisor for Data and Digital Development, Center for Applied Learning and Impact

Job Description

Who we are:

IREX is an independent, nonprofit, global development organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. IREX has an annual portfolio of more than $90 million, managed and implemented by our global team of 400 staff working in 100+ countries.

The Center for Applied Learning and Impact (CALI) is IREX’s dynamo of thought leadership and innovation. It also develops practical recommendations to enhance impact and learning, and it measures the achievement of the four IREX impact goals. CALI collaborates with teams across the organization to catalyze and test new technical products and approaches that support IREX’s strategy. Comprised of technical advisors, the CALI team spearheads strategic initiatives and partners with IREX’s business development, strategic partnerships, and strategic communications teams.

Who you are:

You’re passionate about applying digital technologies and agile approaches that catalyze innovation and bring about tangible results for people and communities, as they solve problems they have identified. You thrive in collaborative environments, bringing new ideas to life, leading initiatives, and demonstrating results. You have experience advising global development organizations or programs on how to responsibly, ethically, and effectively integrate digital tools to foster community and learning.

While you may be a generalist capable of speaking across technological and technical disciplines, you have deep expertise with harnessing tangible products and services that help communities and individuals. A doer, you excel at taking initiative and ensuring that expectations are met, and goals are achieved.

You are also familiar with methods, tools, and approaches to cultivating improved data quality and use for decision-making. This includes developing methods yourself and some familiarity with monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) approaches, and strategies to assess and improve data use.

You’re a strong and empathetic communicator with familiarity teaching and facilitating digital, data, and innovation concepts to professionals in different settings, including civil society and government audiences.

You work best when you are entrusted to lead and apply new innovations, provided space to build and grow, invited to proactively define how you contribute to the organization.

What you’ll do:

The Senior Technical Advisor for Data and Digital Development plays a key role in advancing IREX’s impact in the world by integrating digital development and data use into IREX’s capabilities, thought leadership, programs and new business.

You’ll shape and help drive strategic organizational priorities related to advancing the use of data for sustainable development. You will also lead the development and productization of innovative technical products in service of these priorities. Core duties include:

• Design programs and technical products for use in current programs or initiatives or to include in business development proposals, leveraging strong technical knowledge and experience with research and the practice of digital development and data-informed decision-making.
• Apply lean and agile product development principles to productize these technical resources, including conducting user research and developing pricing and business models.
• Develop practical recommendations to include digital technologies in programs or products to deepen their impact or bring them to scale.
• Test and integrate new tools into current and new IREX programs.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with partners, donors, and thought influencers.
• Reach strategic audiences through public speaking and publishing.
• Conduct sectoral scans to help keep IREX abreast of digital development trends and opportunities.

The Senior Technical Advisor also supports the entire Strategy and Development Group, where CALI is situated, with research and writing, product development and testing, learning and innovation, external outreach, and strategic partnership development. As directed, s/he may also provide targeted assistance to the Global Programs Group focused on capacity building and product testing or integration. You will also be IREX’s primary guide into the latest good practice, debates, and discourse pertaining to digital development, data use, and innovation methods applied to sustainable development contexts.

All told, you will play a key role in defining and implementing IREX’s approach to advancing its impact using digital technologies, data, and innovation approaches.

Your experience:

• Bachelor’sdegree in relevant field, with a master’s degree in a relevant field strongly preferred.
• 8+ years of researching, testing, and applying digital development, data use and innovation tools and approaches to projects in developing countries, with substantial international field experience required.
• Demonstrated experience with capacity building for non-specialist staff in digital development, data use and innovation.
• Demonstrated experience in digital development, data use and innovation consulting and/or program implementation with major donors such as USAID, the US Department of State, MCC, DfID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Demonstrated experience documenting, analyzing, and comparing different digital development, data use and innovation approaches and their applications in various contexts.
• Demonstrated understanding of best practices and approaches to digital development, data use and innovation. Familiarity with current research, technical frameworks, and on-the-ground implementation approaches in the digital development, data use and innovation fields.
• Demonstrated, established network of client, partner, and practitioners in the field. Partnership experience between various sectors, including civil society organizations, private business, and/or government.
• Experience with monitoring, evaluation and learning related to digital development, data use and innovation.
• Experience with education, youth, citizen engagement, institution strengthening and information and media, or related fields strongly preferred.

Your skills:

• Excellent research and technical writing skills and a track record of producing strong technical products.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, high level of reliability, and track record of follow-through.
• Excellent oral communication skills with the ability to present the results of efforts through high visibility public speaking engagements, etc.

• Outstanding interpersonal, intercultural and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of innovation methods to support learning and adaptation and learning.
• Demonstrated ability to plan strategically and creatively to meet specified objectives.
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including governments, private sector, civil society, etc.
• Strong facilitation and capacity building skills.
• Ability to learn through feedback and collaboration with others across the organization.
• Ability to carry out evaluation and learning activities.
• Fluency in English required; proficiency in additional language(s) preferred.
• Familiarity with skills and tools to analyze data are preferred.

IREX will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008.

Successful candidates are subject to background screenings

This position is eligible for Telework.

This position is NOT eligible for Immigration Sponsorship

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

EOE – Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity.

All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. AA/EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled

About the Organization

ABOUT IREX

IREX is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information.