Technical Director, Impact Evaluation, Social Impact, Arlington, VA

Job Description

The Technical Director (TD) has senior level technical service delivery responsibilities on projects and is qualified to serve in the following roles: Project Director, Team Leader, Principal Investigator, and/or Senior Technical Advisor. He/she also plays a significant role in proposal development and in creating and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders among SI’s clients and partners. The TD is a thought leader and technical resource in the company. He/she is a recognized expert in impact evaluation as well as in a particular sector/content area in which SI works such as democracy and governance, economic growth, conflict and crisis, education, etc.

Social Impact will consider full-time and part-time candidates for this position.

Responsibilities:

Service Delivery (75-90%)

• Serves as Principal Investigator/Team Leader, Chief of Party (COP), Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) or other senior technical roles in leading SI evaluation teams, providing technical quality assurance, introducing and infusing new technical approaches and methods, and representing SI in the wider development community.
• In cases where they are not serving in a leadership role on a project, the TD may serve in the capacity of the Senior Technical Advisor (STA) on specific projects, providing technical advice and quality assurance services to the team implementing the contract. In this role, the STA will provide guidance to internal Team Leaders and oversight to external team leaders in terms of technical quality.
• Is engaged throughout the evaluation cycle, with responsibilities including conceptualizing evaluation designs, leading scoping trips, designing sampling strategies, developing instruments, overseeing data collection, designing and carrying out analysis, and disseminating results through written reports and conference presentations.
• Troubleshoots, coordinates, and enhance the technical quality of the work of SI’s staff in the above listed areas, including provision of support and on-the-job learning for SI staff across SI’s entire portfolio of evaluation projects.

Business Development/Revenue Generation (5-15%):

• Serves as the technical lead or as a technical writer on multiple proposals a year.
• Applies advanced technical knowledge and skills to develop winning technical approaches for SI proposals.
• Identifies technical experts and team leaders to be included on proposals. Interviews and assesses technical capacity of the proposed staff.
• Provides guidance on the development of a budget in terms of time needed to carry out particular technical tasks.
• Contributes to the identification of new opportunities for SI, and monitors upcoming initiatives carried out by various international donors.

Thought Leadership (1-5%):

• Is a recognized technical expert in the industry in impact evaluations (applying both qualitative and quantitative methods) and in a sector in which SI works, and applies that expertise to SI projects and proposals.
• Develops knowledge assets and new technical approaches to differentiate SI in the marketplace.
• Participates in relevant external communities of practice and represents SI at technical conferences, meetings, and with clients.

Other Functions (1-5%):

• Serves as a coach/mentor to junior technical staff (Technical Specialists, Senior Technical Specialists). While the Technical Director is not the supervisor of these staff, the technical coaching provided by the TD is an important aspect of the junior staff members’ professional development.
• Supports internal initiatives at the departmental and company level, as time permits.

Qualifications:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated expertise in leading impact evaluations from start to finish, including familiarity with IE methodologies as well as experience with large-scale surveys and data collection. This includes academic training and practical experience in quantitative research/evaluation and statistical analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee and lead multiple complex projects simultaneously and provide advice and guidance in a timely fashion.
• Ability to travel overseas for short-term assignments.
• Fluency working in Stata or similar statistical software package.
• Demonstrated expertise in at least one technical sector related to SI’s work.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment and communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Able to work effectively under tight deadlines.

Education and Experience:

• A minimum of a Masters, plus 10 years of relevant professional experience or a Ph.D. with 7 years of professional experience in relevant subject area (economics, statistics, public policy, development, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience leading/conducting impact and performance evaluations or research on donor projects/activities.
• Demonstrated experience managing and providing technical guidance for impact and performance evaluations including both experimental and quasi-experimental designs.
• Field experience in managing large-scale data collection activities and surveys.
• Experience working in developing countries.

Preferred:

• Experience working with USAID, MCC, DOS, USDA, DFID and other donors.
• Fluency in foreign languages, particularly French.
• Demonstrated experience in developing, updating, and delivering training on impact and performance evaluation.

Come join our energetic and innovative team! We offer you the opportunity to play a leading role in the growth of our company, work as part of a creative and committed team, and make a difference in the well-being of our world.

To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website: http://www.socialimpact.com .

SI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls.

About the Organization

Social Impact (SI) is a global development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits.