(Senior) Director, Impact Strategy & Innovation

Evidence Action

5d•Remote

About The Position

Evidence Action is seeking a senior leader to own the strategic growth and transformation dimensions of its Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation (MLE) function at a critical organizational moment. This role sits at the intersection of technical rigor, organizational leadership, and external credibility. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in program evaluation and evidence systems, strategic instincts to frame and solve complex organizational problems, a growth-oriented mindset to embrace ambiguity and transformation, and the interpersonal sophistication to lead through change in a matrixed global organization. The position reports to one of Evidence Action's Executive Vice Presidents, Programs, and works closely with the Global Leadership Team (GLT) and the Director, Program Monitoring and Evaluation. Evidence Action is open to considering exceptional candidates at both the Director and Senior Director levels, depending on experience and fit.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning in a global development context, including experience working within an organization that both directly implements programs and provides technical assistance to governments, with 5+ years in a senior leadership role within a matrixed organization
Advanced degree in a relevant field (economics, public health, social science, statistics, or related)
Expert in program evaluation design and methodology; including impact evaluations, process evaluations, and mixed-methods approaches with real-world experience managing large-scale evaluations from design through dissemination
Demonstrates a track record of developing Directors or senior leaders and strengthening leadership bench capacity. Can provide strategic direction to senior technical leads while empowering their domain ownership.
Experience building or transforming MLE systems within an organization, not only as an external consultant or researcher, with a track record of leading change through to implementation
Can fluently switch communication styles across donors, board members, and non-technical audiences to drive effective conversations and move stakeholders to decisions.
Familiarity with the application of data technology and AI to strengthen MLE implementation and decision-making in a global development context

Nice To Haves

Publications, conference presentations, or other external thought leadership are a strong positive signal.

Responsibilities

Lead organizational MLE strategy.
Own and drive Evidence Action's approach to new program evaluation, including design and oversight of major evaluations and quality assurance of evaluation methodology and findings.
Develop and maintain centralized MLE systems for sharing, tracking, and applying evidence internally and externally, including at the regional level.
Lead the development of Evidence Action's learning agenda, identifying the highest-value learning questions across the program portfolio and ensuring findings inform program design and organizational decision-making.
Provide strategic MLE oversight for new program development and accelerator processes, ensuring MLE is strategic and embedded from the earliest stages.
Identify and address cross-program monitoring blind spots and systemic risks, translating complex tactical challenges into clear diagnoses and actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
Champion the strategic use of data, technology, and AI to strengthen monitoring and decision-making.
Serve as a senior thought leader in the practical application of monitoring data and external champion for our MLE function with donors, board members, government partners, and peer organizations.
Manage external reviewers, vendors, and consultants, including critically evaluating their recommendations, while maintaining strong, constructive relationships.
Partner closely with Cost-Effectiveness and other internal evidence functions to ensure coherence across Evidence Action's evidence approach.
Contribute to board and donor level communications on MLE progress, methodology, and organizational learning.
Provide direction and leadership to the MLE Strategy team, including direct management of the Director, Program Monitoring and Evaluation.
Set team goals and priorities, create clarity on roles and responsibilities, and foster a high-performing, psychologically safe team culture.
Develop team members' capabilities and build a platform for ongoing professional growth.
Manage the team's budget effectively and make resourcing recommendations aligned to organizational priorities.
Collaborate with program and organizational leadership to plan resources and recruit for strategic bandwidth within the MLE team.