Ethiopia Country Director, Innovations in Poverty Action (Ethiopia)
IPA Ethiopia is the organization’s newest country program and has the potential to heavily impact evidence-based policy in the country. The office will open in the second half of 2025. The Ethiopia Country Director will establish research, policy, and administrative operations in the country, with a focus on establishing strong relationships with key stakeholders—including national and regional governments, donors, researchers and key partners. The Country Director position provides an exciting opportunity to work with IPA senior Global, Regional, and Program leadership to set the strategic direction of a new country program and provide leadership to multiple simultaneous research and policy projects. The Country Director will provide oversight of all projects, staff, and office operations in Ethiopia. The position will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the ideal Country Director candidate will be able to commit to the position for a minimum of three to five years. IPA is looking for ambitious candidates who wants to shape a unique country program that will champion evidence creation through rigorous research and help to drive evidence-based policy making in Ethiopia for years to come.
Responsibilities
Country Office Strategy, Planning, and Management 40%
Collaborate with the Chief Global Programs Officer and Regional Director to develop IPA Ethiopia’s strategic direction in line with IPA’s global and regional strategic ambition;
Collaborate with the Regional Director to develop sub initiative priorities, strategies and action plans;
Serve as IPA’s legal representative in Ethiopia and lead the wide-ranging functions related to the setting up and registering of the Ethiopia IPA office (establishing local office registration and space, staff recruitment, implementing data management and security protocols, establishing cross- function country office policies and procedures, identifying survey firms and vendors);
Ensure compliance with all Ethiopian regulatory and statutory requirements;
Provide supervision and support to administrative staff, overseeing human resources, IT, procurement, operations, and finance;
With support from the Global Finance and Grants teams, ensure compliance with national and organizational financial procedures, approve expenditures, and make accurate spending projections;
Oversee the management of project budgets and donor reporting, with support from the Research Managers, Research Associates, and administrative staff, and in coordination with IPA’s Global Grants team;
Ensure that country office structures are supported by incoming revenue through country spending projections/forecasting and management.
Project Oversight 25%
Oversee and manage a team composed of national and international Research and Policy Managers, Research and Policy Associates, and Field Managers, whose responsibilities include project design, partner engagement, management of data collection, data management and analysis, and writing of research reports, all in close collaboration with the Academic Investigators;
Build systems and structures to ensure that the implementation of research and policy activities follows IPA’s research quality standards and processes while adhering to specific project protocols and Investigator guidance;
Spearhead skills training and resource/information sharing for staff; and work to incorporate best practices and lessons learned in research, policy, and operations by other IPA offices and research affiliates.
Business Development 15%
In collaboration with the Global Business Development team and in dialogue with the IPA Research and Policy teams, lead the development of potential projects with meaningful research and policy potential;
Guide in project design, ensuring alignment with IPA’s mission and goals, and oversee budgeting during the proposal stage;
Identify and cultivate fundraising opportunities through a deep understanding of the national development priorities and through engagement with Ethiopian policy makers, researchers, and partners.
Stakeholder Management 10%
Develop and maintain high-level relationships with key government ministries and agencies, national and international implementing partners, and donors;
Build, manage, and deepen relationships with academic researchers who work and partner with IPA in Ethiopia;
Represent IPA Ethiopia with international, national, and local level partners;
Work with IPA’s Global Policy, Sector Programs, and Right Fit Evidence teams to prioritize sectors for IPA Ethiopia’s engagement;
Oversee capacity building of local development partners in evidence-based policy making and impact evaluations.
Risk Management 10%
Set safety and security standards and parameters for the country program to ensure the safety and security of all staff and visitors;
Work with internal and external teams to monitor the safety and security concerns for all IPA operations and staff in country, review project-specific safety and security plans before the start of field work, and act as primary contact in crisis management;
Lead the identification of potential risks (e.g., legal, financial, political, operational) associated with establishing and operating the office and develop mitigation strategies and plans, both at the country office and project-level.
Qualifications
Required
At least 8 to 10 years of combined research and management experience with increasing responsibility;
An understanding of randomized control trials (RCTs), survey design and implementation;
In-depth knowledge of the Ethiopian policy context, and extensive experience interacting with partners, government officials and other key stakeholders in a LMIC context (specific Ethiopia experience strongly preferred);
Successful track record of managing administrative and programmatic teams in an NGO or non-profit setting;
Understanding of quantitative and qualitative data collection, measurement, and instrument development;
Strong attention to detail, with a quality-focused mindset;
Ability to work independently and problem-solve, as well as enlist the support of other teams within the organization;
Strong project management, budgeting and financial management skills;
Demonstrated experience in proposal writing, preferably for international policy and research work;
Experience with presenting research findings at public forums, including to non-research focused audiences;
Strong written and oral communication skills and complete fluency in English;
Full proficiency in at least one of Ethiopian’s national languages;
Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work successfully with diverse constituencies;
Entrepreneurial mindset, adept interpersonal skills, and a good sense of humor during adversity are essential.
Master’s degree in international affairs, international public policy, development economics or field related to international economic development.
Preferred
Experience with leadership in an Ethiopia context strongly preferred.
Reports to
Deputy Regional Director, East Africa and Asia
Deadline to Apply
March 17th, 2025
Location
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Application Instructions
About IPA
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and advances what works to improve the lives of people living in poverty. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of people living in poverty. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence of which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to a tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 1,000 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.
Safeguarding at IPA
At Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), we are committed to creating a safe and respectful environment for all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults. As IPA adheres to strict safeguarding principles, selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards. By joining IPA, you become part of a team dedicated to ethical conduct, social responsibility, and meaningful impact in the fight against global poverty. Together, we work to create a better world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive with dignity and respect.