Results, Learning & Research Director at Mercy Corps

The Position

The Results, Learning & Research Director is responsible for driving the learning agenda of the Jobtech Alliance, steering a learning community of actors interested in jobtech, and evaluating the results of the initiative itself. You will have a key role in driving the overall strategy of the Jobtech Alliance. Expect us to move fast, make mistakes, learn a lot, and re-start a few times. You’ll be traveling 0% of the time across different African markets.

Key Responsibilities

LEARNING STRATEGY AND AGENDA

• Develop an overarching learning strategy for the Jobtech Alliance covering the learning agenda and key questions, process for learning generation and dissemination, and engagement of both start-ups and other research actors in the process
• Continue to evolve both learning agenda and strategy for knowledge generation based on emerging experiences with the Jobtech Alliance

RESULTS STRATEGY AND MEASUREMENT

• Develop strategy and tools for data collection and measuring impact of the Jobtech Alliance at the level of jobseeker, business and ecosystem (to satisfy both above learning agenda and donor requirements)
• Oversee implementation of the results measurement system, including direct management of MEL Officer
• Lead development of evaluation reports for the Jobtech Alliance community and donors

MANAGING LEARNING PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY

• Develop relationships with existing research collaborators in the jobtech space (including the ILO) and new ones
• Host a network of jobtech researchers and learning stakeholders to share, collaborate and advance learning of the sector

LEARNING & RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Manage research projects responding to key learning themes. This could involve contracting other research partners and contributing technically, or managing research teams directly.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• A minimum of 10 years experience across the economic development and start-up spaces. This could involve roles in consultancy, research, impact evaluation or adjacent functions. We welcome diversity of experience.
• Proven track record of setting up Monitoring & Evaluation systems to assess impact achieved by private sector partners.
• Visionary thinker, with capacity to see key themes in an emerging sector and set a trendworthy learning agenda.
• Demonstrated capacity to manage relationships and partnerships with other researchers or research organizations.
• Outstanding analytical capacity, with capacity to bring clarity for others and make quick decisions.
• Experience working in or with jobtech platforms is a strong plus.
• Competence in French is a strong plus