Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), is an international non-profit research organization. Based in New Haven, CT, with offices in Washington, D.C. and worldwide, IPA works with development partners and academic researchers to create and evaluate approaches to solving development problems, to communicate “what works” in development and to scale up successful projects in a variety of fields, including health, education, microfinance, governance and agriculture.

Position Summary:

IPA seeks a Country Director in Ghana to oversee one of its largest country offices. This position provides a unique opportunity to be closely involved in cutting-edge research and to work with top academics. Country Directors oversee multiple impact evaluations at a time in a range of sectors, including agriculture, rural finance and savings, small and medium size enterprises, health, education and others. The Ghana Country Director will also manage a team of more than 50 local and international staff, oversee all country office operations, lead strategic planning and project development for the country office, oversee capacity building of local staff and partners, and lead the dissemination of results to local practitioners and policy makers. The position provides the opportunity to guide the research program in the country, spend significant time in the field, direct in-country operations and manage relationships with key players in development organizations, donors, academia, and government. The Ghana Country Director will also contribute to IPA’s continued expansion by initiating new partnerships and projects in the country.

The position requires close interaction with academic researchers, donors, local government agencies, and other NGOs. The Ghana Country Director will also provide ongoing oversight of all project and office operations, including finance and human resource systems, data collection, in-house data entry, and a short-term staff payroll of up to 250 individuals at any given time.

Responsibilities:

Develop and implement IPA Ghana’s strategic plan, in line with IPA’s global plan and mission.

•   Identify priority research questions and key concerns for policy makers and initiate and manage the development of corresponding new research proposals;
•   Develop new relationships in order for the country office to maximize its impact;
•   Lead and initiate project development with researchers, funders and partner organizations; and
•   Ensure that country office structures can be supported by incoming revenue.

Manage external relations

•   Represent IPA Ghana in national and local government agencies and partner organizations. Manage relationships with current and potential IPA partner organizations;
•   Oversee capacity building of local development partners in evidence-based policy making and rigorous impact evaluations;
•   Oversee targeted dissemination, encourage scale up of successful projects; and
•   Manage relationships with and provide services to Principal Investigators.

Oversee and initiate high-quality research

•   Oversee project design and budgeting during the proposal stage to ensure evaluations meet IPA standards;
•   Ensure that IPA research is implemented according to IPA’s quality standards and Principal Investigators direction;
•   Oversee data collection and data entry operations for all studies and ensure projects meet IPA’s research protocols;
•   Expand the capacity of the country office to program and conduct electronic surveys;
•   Build systems and structures to build staff capacity and ensure overall data quality; and
•   Work to incorporate best practices and lessons learned in research and operations by other IPA offices and research affiliates.

Ensure sound operations of the IPA Ghana

•   Oversee and manage a team of Project Managers, Associates and Coordinators, whose responsibilities include project design and implementation, data collection, data management and analysis, and reports;
•   Oversee and manage human resources, IT, finance and other support staff with Senior Management within IPA  country program;
•   Coordinate office and country-wide meetings and trainings;
•   Oversee office administration, including human resources, information technology, project budgets and accounting; and
•   Oversee hiring of long-term IPA staff in the country program.

Oversee finances for the IPA Ghana

•   Ensure proper compliance with financial procedures, approve expenditures, make accurate projections and ensure overall compliance.

Mitigate and manage risks

•   Take steps to mitigate risk and to safeguard the organization’s reputation; and
•   Oversee procurement, safety, billing and security and ensure organizational legal compliance.

Qualification Required & Experience

•   Master’s degree in international affairs, international public policy, development economics, or field related to international economic development;
•   A minimum of 5 years of management experience;
•   Experience developing new projects and knowledge of human resource and financial management;
•   Experience with budgeting and project planning;
•   Passion for connecting rigorous research to policy makers and practitioners and communicating what works and what does not work in development;
•   Ability to lead a large and complex country program and oversee rigorous impact evaluations;
•   Commitment to leading a diverse team and building staff capacity;
•   Ability to communicate effectively across cultures with multiple stakeholders including international and local academic researchers, government officials, NGO partners, enumeration teams, and study participants;
•   Experience living and working in Africa is required;
•   Experience managing funds from multiple donors required; specific experience with USAID Cooperative Agreements preferred;
•   Excellent management and organizational skills and ability to work independently;
•   Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player;
•   Strong quantitative skills and familiarity with randomized controlled trials; and
•   High proficiency in English; strong oral and written communication skills.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Please follow the application instructions below.  Any applications or CVs submitted outside this process will not be considered.  Note, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview. Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

1) Send an email to  jobs@poverty-action.org, following these instructions exactly:

•   In the subject line: Copy exactly the following position line:100961IPAGhana, Country Director
•   In the email body: Put your full name, first (given) name followed by last (family) name
•   Attachments: Please attach ONLY your cover letter and resume

Closing Date: 31 July, 2013

2) Complete the J-PAL/IPA common application.

Please do not include any text besides your name in the body of the e-mail. Adding extra text will interfere with the processing of your application.

IPA is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer

All persons shall have the opportunity to be considered for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.