Evidence Attendant

We are a leading evidence and advisory business for governments, multilateral organizations, and the private sector. With our roots in the world’s oldest and best-known social research businesses, we have been partnering with clients across the globe to answer the next generation of public policy challenges for almost ninety years. 

Today, we work at the intersection of data, technology, and human understanding. Our specialist teams create the evidence required for decision making, and advise clients on national statistics and longitudinal programs, public policy design and evaluation, ground-breaking behavior change programs, and public opinion trends.

We pioneer technologies that support new ways to reach and connect with citizens, often in challenging and hard-to-reach environments. We speak with hundreds of thousands of citizens every year on behalf of clients who trust us to define the gold standard of data integrity. We use our unique data ecosystem to provide the first evidence that enables governments to respond quickly at times of crisis. In the everyday, we continuously invest in our expertise in behavioral science and social change to tackle the world’s most pressing social, environmental, and economic challenges.

From advising governments on gender equality in the workplace, to providing the measure of national inflation, transforming the citizen experience of public services, or improving access to education in lower income countries – our consultants work across the breadth of public policy to build the quality of the public realm.

Role Description

The company’s Vice President Technical will provide overall strategic direction and technical leadership across the Development Practice (DP) to grow talent across the globe and in Washington DC. The primary focus of our Vice President Technical will be to provide technical and scientific leadership and oversight in the design and implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) social and behavior change, data science, research and strategies, programs, evaluations, and tools.  He/she will ensure that the company adheres to the highest standards of quality and rigor in our design and implementation work.  He/she will work closely with the company’s scientists, researchers globally to grow the practice at the country-level, across our regions and in line with our global.  Part of this role will be to engage and immerse in the company Division’s strategies to grow the practice with a diverse client base.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical

• Lead the company’s Development Practice Technical work providing technical guidance, support, and advice to domestic and international clients, including US Government clients, bilateral and multilateral agencies, UN agencies, philanthropic clients, various other domestic government and non-government stakeholders and global private sector clients.
• Oversee the design, methodology, implementation, analysis, and evaluation of programs of work.
• Oversee the preparation and administration of the implementation of projects, annual work plans, budgets, and pricing in fulfillment of development practice work streams and projects, aligned with our strategic objectives and goals, and within the allocated budgets.
• Strengthen, maintain, and coordinate closely with the company’s global practice leads and ensure learning and compliance flows through at the country level.
• Lead, write and manage creation of high quality, insightful and analytical reports for Development Practice clients and ensure deliverables meet client, stakeholder, and company quality standards.
• Manage and mentor local talent as we grow this area of expertise, ensuring skills and knowledge required is in place or is recruited to deliver to project specifications. 
• Lead annual performance process and quarterly flourish conversations with staff, while identifying HIPO’s for future business leadership roles.

Business Development

• Serve as the technical lead/advisor for business development working in partnership with Global BD and technical directors.
• Develop both long term and short-term strategies that will yield results through capture, positioning, partnering, strong writing and sound budgets.
• Provide critical input into weekly technical meetings for Senior Leadership meetings.
• Develop sound financial and technical BD skills for and across the technical teams in the DP practice to deliver to client objectives while also delivering strategic solutions that further stimulate client interest and funding opportunities.
• Establish and maintain close working relationships with donor/client organizations, local government agencies, private sector client groups, non-government stakeholders, including high-level officials in government ministries and election management bodies, NGO’s, bilateral multilateral and others in the donor community and International Development funders who are keenly engaged in the areas of social and behavior change and where funding sources are targeting behavior change initiatives.
• Grow and develop local team talent and work with our teams to deliver strategies in their markets with current and new clients.
• In collaboration with DP leadership, develop technical communications strategy that feeds into the overall DP communications strategy. 
• Oversee the company development practice technical webinars, seminars, training, and client events in market and/or across other markets.
• Lead and/or contribute to written proposals, technical papers, briefing papers, thought pieces, website content, both program-specific and non-program specific.
• Represent the company’s Development Practice in global, regional, national, and sub-national events, e.g., international conferences and events, client, and stakeholder briefings, brainstorming sessions, stakeholder webinars, and other fundraising activities, as speaker, spokesperson, presenter, or panelist on behavior change.

Management/Operations

• Manage, oversee, and supervise day-to-day management of the company’s Development Practice technical team and work.
• Lead the process of developing and accessing human resources support around social and behavior change within the country. 
• Build excellent working relationships with local and development practice teams (to facilitate strength in business development and program management at a global level and across the company’s behavior change teams.
• Support monthly and quarterly reporting on SBC to senior leadership while also supporting the Head of Business Development with business development targets and system reports for SBC.

CAPABILITIES  

Essential Experience

• A minimum of 12+ years’ experience with a master’s degree, PHD preferred in sociology, international relations, public administration, geography, public health and/or geoscience.
• Candidates have led single and multi-country projects funded by USAID, multi-lateral and/r bilateral donors in an area the DP works in.
• Proven track record and solid experience in the field of International Development, program management and/or managing survey, MEL, Data Science and/or Social and Behavior change, business development; financial and budget management skills; outreach and engagement in areas the company works in; communications and presentation experience with global clients and in global international development forums.
• Experience of working and negotiating with clients at USAID, other USG organizations, the UN, USG governments, Foundations and Private sector space
• Excellent financial track record in writing winning USAID proposals. 
• To qualify for this position, the candidate must have a proven record of winning and leading successful USAID and other donor projects without supervision and have the confidence to lead competitive bids.
• Mentor and train staff
• Ability and skills to inspire, mentor, grow and support technical teams across the Development Practice and in the company, demonstrating strength of maturity, diplomacy, and cultural sensitivity.
• Fluency in English (verbal and written) required and an ability to write excellent, through provoking and insightful SBC reports and articles a must.  Proficiency in French desired.
• Ability to lead and write highly analytical reports with superior insights and recommendations is required and with limited editing and/or rework.  Ownership of outputs is an expectation. 
• Travel will likely be required with this position when it is safe to do so.  The company prioritizes the safety and health of our staff and will only allow travel when it the pandemic is under control.
• Standard office environment with shared office space with other company Divisions exists but currently most of our team continue to work remotely.  The company will provide a laptop, screens, etc. and access to systems is all available for remote working.  Decisions related to a return to office (part-time/remote working options) remain open in 2021 but candidates need to be available for internal and external client meetings in our DC office as and when necessary and safe.