Senior Associate, Programs and Partnerships

The organization:

Development Gateway: An IREX Venture (DG) is an international non-profit organization with team members based in more than 10 countries worldwide. For over 20 years, DG has researched data ecosystems, built digital tools to support those data ecosystems, and advised on data strategy and digital transformation to strengthen decision-making, transparency, and service delivery. DG has expertise in deploying digital tools in agriculture, health, aid management, data & data strategy, extractives, information management systems, open contracting & procurement, and beyond. We support a variety of partners in over seventy countries around the globe to better collect, analyze, visualize, and use data by building digital tools, creating strong incentive structures and processes, and providing training and support.

We are a creative and dynamic group of people based around the globe. We value hard work, innovative thinking, a commitment to teamwork, humility, and a good sense of humor.

Job Description

The Senior Associate is responsible for supporting the Director of Programs in the management of DG’s projects and programs, business development, as well as handling client relationships and internal operations pertaining to your region. Our projects include (i) implementations of data management, visualization and dissemination tools, (ii) related data management and analysis services, (iii) technical training, and (iv) applied research on how data and technology influence development.

In this role, provide advisory support to projects, support product innovation, lead business development across strategic business units as well as develop partnerships with critical government and private-sector entities to support DG’s work. A wide degree of creativity, latitude and responsibility is expected, along with travel.

The Work You Get To Do

Business Development and Engagement

• Serves as an active lead in identifying and developing new business opportunities.
• Presents on DG’s work at conferences and events, and builds relationships with government ministries, civil society and implementing partners, and regional funders.
• Leads and supports proposal preparation in close coordination with the BD team. Reviews proposal budgets and technical approaches.
• Identifies trends and regional conversations to feed into organization communication outputs including developing white papers, blog posts, or other thought pieces that advance DG’s positioning in key technical and policy fora.
• Serves as regional facilitator between IREX and DG

Program Management

• Manage project teams providing technical expertise and/or IT tools to make using data easier for governments and international organizations.
• Collaborate with partners and technical staff to ensure that project milestones are met on time, within budget, and done to client satisfaction.
• Lead collaborative design and decision-making processes within project teams and with partners.
• Work closely with clients to understand data use challenges and document technical needs.
• Build relationships with national and subnational government ministries, CSOs, NGOs, and/or private sector partners to successfully enable data sharing and data use.
• Manage program budgets, including allocating resources and leading financial reporting.
• Make decisions on process improvements and strategic adjustments, to ensure project success. Proactively identify and address potential blockers and slowdowns, to keep projects on track.
• Identify and develop new and follow-on business opportunities.
• Provide oversight of team outputs, from both a strategic and quality perspective.

Must Have Experience

• Master’s degree preferred, Bachelor’s required. Candidates from all academic majors encouraged to apply.
• 6+ years experience in project management, technology development, business development, and/or data for international development.
• Experience managing projects, including experience with completing projects on time, with high quality, and under budget.
• Experience engaging with high-level stakeholders (for example, donors, government officials, or leadership at partner organizations) and of successfully managing client relationships.
• Experience managing team members and providing clear, regular feedback. History and commitment toward leading and creating healthy team dynamics
• History of working with diverse, remote team members in a global environment.
• Experience using data; or supporting people and institutions to make better use of data; or developing effective processes to remove decision-making bottlenecks and promote impact.
• Entrepreneurial attitude and skills. Able to work independently, manage multiple workstreams, build relationships, and proactively solve problems.
• Strong problem solving skills and are known for your commitment to continuous product and process improvement.
• Fluent in English. Strong writing skills, prioritizing clarity and accessibility.

Nice-to-have extras, but not required — please apply even without them:

• Strongly preferred: Experience managing projects involving primary data collection (qualitative or quantitative) and data analysis
• A background in public health, agriculture, education, and/or open government
• Experience working directly with funders and/or government officials
• Fluency in a second language, particularly French
• Experience using project management tools for work planning, task management, and communication
• Experience in design thinking; systems thinking; research design; or monitoring, evaluation, and learning

Position details:

Duration: This is a full-time consultancy position, with an expected start date of December 1, 2024.

Location: This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya; international and domestic travel is expected up to 30% of the time.

Compensation: Competitive hourly consulting rate of $32–$36

Contract Type: Consultancy.

To apply, visit developmentgateway.org/careers/. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and lived experience. We strongly encourage applications from people whose identities have historically been excluded in the sectors where DG works. DG does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.