OPPORTUNITY
This is a great position for someone that enjoys a fast-paced environment supporting learning and adaptive management of a critical USAID-funded learning project supporting Ethiopia’s resilience.
- Do you enjoy being engaged in a new and exciting project?
- Can you imagine starting your day with a solid technical team and having the opportunity to regularly engage with wide range of stakeholders, including other USAID implementing partners and their key stakeholders?
If yes, please READ ON.
PURPOSE & NEED
The Director for Learning, Advocacy, and Change lead the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) components of the USAID Ethiopia Resilience Learning Activity (RLA). The Director for Learning, Advocacy, and Change will provide vision; articulate strategy and tactics for improving resilience learning and evidence uptake through communities of practice and community learning events; develop and transfer tools and methods to implementing partners; and monitor and report on progress and results. The Director for Learning, Advocacy, and Change will employ and model best practices and principles for the use of evidence, adaptive management techniques, and organizational change. This is a Key Personnel position, so the final hiring decision is subject to approval by the project prime and USAID. Responsibilities and qualifications are outlined below.
EI is a partner on RLA, a five-year learning project (2022-2027) implemented by the US-based small business, LINC. RLA provides support with learning processes and frameworks and the development and consolidation of learning and research agendas. We support resilience partners with adaptive management, results measurement, and the increased integration of systems thinking and rapid feedback into their respective toolboxes. Our ultimate objective is to build a common understanding and direct investments in resilience-building strategies and interventions that demonstratively result in more resilient households, communities, and systems.
About Environmental Incentives
At Environmental Incentives, our purpose is to create the conditions for human and natural communities to thrive. We do this by helping our partners improve the performance of conservation and development programs. Our clients trust us to design and support implementation of programs that (1) use evidence to develop effective strategies within complex systems, (2) center local stakeholder experiences and facilitate collective action, and (3) produce results that support learning about what works. Environmental Incentives is a certified B Corporation with offices located in Washington, DC, South Lake Tahoe, San Diego, Nairobi, and Lima (pending registration). Our remote staff and consultants are based in multiple states within the United States, and across five continents.
OBJECTIVES AND DELIVERABLES
The following provides some near-term objectives and deliverables related to this position.
Engage partners and enhance collaboration for learning.
- Work with RLA leadership and technical team to understand the stakeholder landscape and to develop a partner engagement strategy targeted to facilitating sharing of knowledge and resources.
- Support collaboration among implementing partners and other stakeholders to discuss findings from research studies, evaluations, and assessments and identify how they can adapt program implementation to improve the sustainability of outcomes.
- Design and implement an annual pause-and-reflect event to update the learning agenda, learning plan, and the direction of the communities of practice.
- Establish and maintain strategic relationships with resilience partners to be regularly informed of new knowledge and learning products for wider sharing and facilitating the uptake of resources, new knowledge, and practices.
- Identify focal points and decision-makers among key stakeholders to leverage support and resources to achieve the objectives of RLA.
- Provide adaptive management and CLA expertise to RLA and USAID’s resilience projects.
- Build trusting, collegial, and productive relationships with USAID’s resilience implementing partners, especially CLA, MERL, and Learning Partner leads.
- Seek opportunities to create added value for RLA products and processes.
Convene learning-focused Communities of Practice
- Lead the successful convening of RLA’s community of practices working with the adaptive management specialist, RLA’s technical points of contact and consultants.
- Lead the process of identifying, hiring, and onboarding of lead technical facilitators/experts for each of the communities of practices.
- Design and implement adaptive management training and guidelines that can be integrated with Community of Practice activities.
- Provide strategic vision and oversight for learning material production.
Lead Work Processes for CLA
- Set overall vision and update RLA’s strategy for broad learning and adaptation support across the project’s four objectives.
- Plan for, oversee, and manage RLA’s delivery of key CLA elements of the work plan.
- Initiate scoping, identify needed resources and change management, and manage the delivery of multiple products or streams of work. Ensure products are delivered on time, on budget, and meet RLA’s and EI’s quality standards.
- Provide key insight, vision, and direction across RLA’s CLA-relevant implementation.
- Liaise regularly with RLA’s leadership and technical team to formulate new ideas and strategies.
- Lead RLA’s internal pause-and-reflect events.
- Provide quality assurance and technical oversight for learning activities and products.
Resilience Learning Agenda Development and Update
- Lead the development and regular updating of the USAID Ethiopia Resilience Learning Agenda
- Establish a system to routinely check the status and progress towards the current learning agenda.
- Engage USAID and resilience implementing partners in a participatory process to update the learning agenda to ensure that the evolving nature of resilience learning in Ethiopia is captured.
- Closely work with the research team to develop and regularly update the resilience research agenda.
Oversee the Implementation of RLA’s Knowledge Management System and Communication Plan
- Provide strategic guidance and oversight to the communications specialist in actively promoting social media presence and RLA portal content development.
- Support the communication team and ensure the RLA portal remains engaging, rich in resilience learning products, and a space for ongoing partner engagement.
- Other tasks as needs emerge across RLA.
Team Leadership
- Provide overall strategic direction and support to CLA team including organizing team to deliver expected outputs.
- Provide oversight and technical input for all CLA-related workstreams.
- Consistently meet RLA needs using best practices and encourage best practices among teammates.
- Direct or support the work and professional development of a small CLA team.
- Mentor team and identify opportunities for professional growth in CLA.
- Provide input into CLA team performance evaluations.
First 3 Months
- Orient to the role, tasks, objectives, and goal for this position.
- With the RLA Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party of Programs, and EI’s Project Lead, develop a personal work plan for the first 12 months of work.
- Review RLA’s research to date and understand/ contribute to RLA’s plan for applying the learning.
- Lead- or co-facilitate one or more learning-focused communities of practice and CLA training sessions. A minimum of five years of experience implementing USAID-funded projects is desirable.
- Connect professionally with the CLA/Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) partner leads in USAID’s (and other development partners’) resilience activities, sharing information and building collegial connections.
BASE STATION
The position will be based in USAID Ethiopia RLA’s office in Kirkos, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
We are offering a competitive starting salary and full benefits package that goes beyond statutory requirements in many instances.
QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Qualifications
- Master's degree in a related field and 9+ years relevant experience.
- A minimum of 8 years of experience managing teams and providing oversight and leadership, of which at least 2 years of providing CLA and MEL expertise to donor-funded projects.
- A minimum of five years of experience training and facilitating large groups.
- Previous experience implementing USAID or donor-funded projects.
- Advanced professional proficiency in English.
- Speaking: Able to use the language fluently and accurately on all levels normally pertinent to professional needs.
- Reading: Able to read fluently and accurately all styles and forms of the language pertinent to professional needs.
- Native fluency in Amharic: reading, writing, and speaking.
Preferred Qualifications
- A minimum of 5 years of experience implementing USAID-funded projects.
- Experience managing the work of staff and coaching other team members in your area of technical expertise and creating client deliverables in that area.
- Experience managing multiple client relationships, including co-creating visions of success with clients and executives and managing the contributions of multiple expert contributors and teams to deliver a variety of products that support that vision.
- Demonstrate experience in anticipating audience needs early in the process and taking a user-centered approach to product development.
- Previous similar experience with other non-USAID donor-funded projects.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Excellent planning, management, and communication skills.
- Ability to work in teams.
- Proactive approach to the role and understanding when to be reactive.
- Strong process management skills and ability to produce quality products as scheduled.
- Excellent attention to detail and organization skills.
- Ability to summarize and repackage technical information in clear, compelling language.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities and to communicate effectively in setting and refining priorities.
- Ability to work effectively under pressure to carry out specific, results-oriented tasks, given constraints in time, information, and logistical support.
- Proficiency with MS Office suite and Google Apps.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Legally authorized to work in Ethiopia with no restrictions
- Criminal background check required
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit your application no later than February 16, 2024. On a rolling basis throughout the application period, we will review applications and contact qualified candidates for additional information.
ENVIRONMENTAL INCENTIVES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
We are committed to developing an inclusive work environment for all employees, where diversity of thought, style, culture, and skill is valued in support of individual performance and potential, as well as our business goals and mission. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or and other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This Organization Participates In E-Verify.
Reasonable Accommodation:
Applicants with disabilities may contact Environmental Incentives coordinators via telephone, e-mail, and other means to request and arrange for accommodations. If you need assistance to accommodate a disability, you may request an accommodation at any time. Please contact Human Resources:
Patrice Gulledge
Human Resources Director
Phone: (202) 525-2450
E-mail: pgulledge@enviroincentives.com
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