Job Vacancy: Senior Associate, New Program Development

August 5, 2021

Evidence Action

Our organization was founded in 2013 to address a big gap in the fight against global poverty–many of the most promising interventions are either implemented at a very small scale, or not at all. We set out to address this gap by building programs that would scale evidence-based and cost-effective interventions, leading to significant improvements in quality of life for hundreds of millions of people.

Our model worked. In less than a decade, our two flagship programs, the Deworm the World Initiative and Dispensers for Safe Water, have grown to measurably impact over 280 million people each year. This success is achieved through the dedication and talent of our staff, the hard work of our partners, and the commitment of our supporters.

By 2024, we seek to double our impact. We are strengthening and expanding our existing programs, and working to identify a new generation of evidence-based and cost-effective interventions that we can scale to reach millions more.

About the Position

The Accelerator is working to identify, research, design, and scale Evidence Action’s next generation of flagship programs. We are investigating multiple program areas to identify health or health-adjacent interventions that have a strong evidence-base, are highly cost-effective, and have a large potential to scale.

We are seeking a dynamic, entrepreneurial Senior Associate who can research, design and manage the launch of high-quality new programs. S/he will have strong strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities and be adept with quantitative analysis. S/he will bring superb interpersonal skills and work collaboratively and effectively with Evidence Action team members across the organization as well as external partners and country governments.

Duties & Responsibilities

Conduct desk-based research to rapidly assess the potential of new programs by estimating the total addressable market, cost-effectiveness, evidence-base, strategic fit, and funding opportunities of promising interventions.
Design and manage early stage field activities, program scoping, and piloting of new programs in select countries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and within Kenya. Use the results from these activities to inform the design of program implementation.
Work with cost-effectiveness and MLE staff to design, develop, and continuously refine cost-effectiveness models, monitoring frameworks, theories of change, and program evaluations.
Coordinate stakeholders and manage work flow across time zones and departments to efficiently and simultaneously drive multiple programs through the Accelerator development process.
Lead operational efforts necessary to design and launch program implementation, including budget design and management, work plans, statements of work and memorandums of understanding, product procurement, and IRB procedures.
Coordinate activities between Evidence Action and local implementing partners throughout different stages of new programs, including local permissions, compliance, and reporting.
Conduct stakeholder outreach (study authors, implementing organizations, donors) to solicit feedback on new programs, their design, key gaps, and whether there is interest in collaborating with Evidence Action.
Develop and nurture mutually beneficial relationships with partner organizations (e.g., implementing organizations, government officials, academic researchers).
Lead and participate in high-stakes meetings; present the business case for potential programs to donors and governments.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as public health, international development, public policy, economics, statistics, or business; Master’s degree preferred.
2-4 years’ work experience in a demanding, results-oriented environment; background in management consulting, public health delivery, WASH, or nutrition is a bonus.
Excellent quantitative and qualitative analytical skills; experience using large data sets and quantitative analysis to drive decision making.
Prior experience in reviewing academic literature, performing cost-effectiveness analyses, and synthesizing large quantities of data and evidence for decision making in program design and implementation.
Strong task management and organizational skills; proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
Experience in effectively communicating and negotiating with, presenting to, and managing a variety of stakeholders in multicultural settings, including researchers, implementing partners, donors, and government officials.
Advanced writing and presentation skills; ability to communicate complex research methodologies and findings to a non-technical audience clearly and succinctly.
Ability to independently represent Evidence Action in high-stakes meetings with government stakeholders and major donors.
High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace; familiarity with Stata, R, SPSS, or other statistical packages is a bonus.
Preferred experience living and working in low-income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Verbal and written fluency in English.
Kenyan nationals encouraged to apply.