Principal Advisor – The Office of Evaluation and Oversight
JOB DETAIL
Principal Advisor – The Office of Evaluation and Oversight
The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.
The Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) is responsible for evaluating all aspects of the IDB Group’s work. OVE undertakes independent and systematic evaluations of the IDB Group’s strategies, policies, programs, activities, delivery support functions, and systems. It disseminates the evaluations’ findings so that recommendations for improvement can be used in the design, appraisal, and execution of new operations, providing oversight and support for enhancing the effectiveness of the IDB Group’s evaluation system.
About this position: We are looking for a Principal Advisor to support the OVE Director’s work who is eager to strengthen methodologies, oversee quality assurance processes, lead discussions on the evaluation strategy and the work program, and facilitate evaluation capacity building within OVE and externally.
What you’ll do:
- Provide Leadership on OVE’s Operations: Support the OVE Director in managing OVE comprehensively, actively engaging in the leadership team, and contributing to strategic decisions regarding work programs, budget, staffing, and other critical matters. Assist the OVE Director in interactions with IDB’s boards, senior management, and internal stakeholders and in representing OVE in peer evaluation networks and platforms.
- Strengthen Evaluation Methodologies and Foster Innovation: Provide intellectual guidance in broadening evaluation methodologies in OVE products and services, including the informed integration of data science applications. Collaborate with evaluation teams to ensure the quality and robustness of evaluation design. Spearhead the establishment of standards and tools for data collection, management, analysis, and presentation, ensuring consistency across OVE’s products and services.
- Support Quality Assurance of OVE Deliverables: Review evaluation reports and products, providing timely feedback to evaluation teams through all stages of the evaluation process. Assist the OVE Director in clearing reports and products. Promote high standards and reliability in evaluation designs, offering guidance on methods and practices to enhance quality.
Contribute to internal and external evaluation capacity development and knowledge sharing: Lead OVE’s learning agenda on evaluation methods, produce learning materials, and advise the OVE Director on staff learning requirements. Provide leadership on OVE’s external capacity development mandate and partnership engagements. Enhance OVE’s knowledge focus and international standing as a leading independent evaluation.
What you’ll need:
- Education: Ph.D. (or equivalent) in economics, social sciences, public policy, or related field, with in-depth knowledge of evaluation in international development.
- Experience: The successful candidate should be a recognized knowledge leader in the field of evaluation in international development with at least 10-15 years of relevant hands-on experience. The following dimensions are desirable for the position:
- Superior level of understanding of the design and delivery of complex evaluations. Strong practical understanding of designing and conducting rigorous multi-level, multi-site, and theory-based evaluations under real-world evaluation parameters of time, resource, and data constraints to advise all OVE teams working on a wide range of evaluation topics.
- Advanced knowledge of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods, including data science applications. Advanced knowledge of evaluation design challenges and how to address them. Demonstrated capacity to provide intellectual leadership on evaluation methods and issues within and outside the IDB. Experience advising evaluation teams on evaluation design and methods and engaging in evaluation capacity-building activities.
- Advanced knowledge of evaluation processes and products in the context of Multilateral Development Banks. Knowledge and understanding of Multilateral Development Bank operational strategies, processes, and instruments. Knowledge and understanding of OVE products and processes.
- Significant experience in representing an independent evaluation function among peers and partners and speaking on behalf of the function on evaluation products, processes, practices, and methods.
- Strong analytical, critical thinking, and writing skills; in-depth knowledge of evaluation and research methods; mature judgment and ability to conceptualize and prioritize issues.
- Excellent communication, diplomatic, and negotiating skills, with demonstrated personal solid maturity, balanced judgment, and a track record of building and maintaining partnerships with colleagues and counterparts. Excellent teamwork and interpersonal skills, capacity to motivate, develop, and supervise teams, and ability to operate collaboratively across organizational boundaries. Extensive experience in managing staff and consultants.
- Language: Proficiency in English required. Additional knowledge of Spanish, French, or Portuguese is a plus. Spanish is highly desirable, so if you are not proficient, we will ask you to commit to learning once you join us since the skill is essential for long-term success in this role.
Key skills
- Mentor and develop.
- Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
- Focus on clients.
- Communicate and influence.
- Innovate and try new things.
Requirements
- Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries. We may offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your eligible dependents.
- Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.
Type of contract and duration
- International staff contract, 36 months initially, renewable upon mutual agreement.
What we offer
The IDB Group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee’s life. These benefits include:
- A competitive compensation package, including an annual base salary expressed on a net-of-tax basis
- Leaves and vacations: 24 days of paid time off + 8 personal days + sick leave + gender- neutral parental leave
- Health Insurance: IDB Group provides employees and eligible dependents with a robust medical benefits program that covers medical, dental, vision, preventive care, and prescription drugs.
- Pension plan: defined benefit pension plan that provides financial security and supports employees in planning their future.
- We offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your family when it applies
- Hybrid and flexible work schedules
- Health and well-being: Access to our Health Services Center which provides preventive care and health education for employees.
- Development support: We offer tools to boost your professional profile, such as mentoring, 1:1 professional counseling, training and learning opportunities, language classes, mobility options, among others.
- Other perks: lactation room, daycare center, gym, bike racks, parking, spouse career program, and others.
Our culture: At the IDB Group, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work, willing to try new approaches without fear, and where they are accountable and rewarded for their actions.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) are central to our organization’s core values. We celebrate all dimensions of diversity and encourage women, LGBTQ+ people, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job interview process. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at diversity@iadb.org to request a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.
Our Human Resources Team reviews carefully every application.
About the IDB Group
The IDB Group, composed of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), IDB Invest, and the IDB Lab, offers flexible financing solutions to its member countries to finance economic and social development through lending and grants to public and private entities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
About IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, it is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance, and training to public and private sector clients throughout the region.
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