Associate Director/Director - East and Southern Africa

Associate Director/Director - East and Southern Africa

About IDinsight

We amplify social impact by partnering with leaders to develop tailored solutions. Our mission is to improve lives with data and evidence. We transform how the world fights poverty.

IDinsight is a global nonprofit that equips leaders with the data, evidence, and technology to improve lives at scale. We partner with governments, NGOs, multilaterals, and funders to support decisions at every stage of their impact journey – from bold pilots to nationwide scale-ups. Our teams bring rigorous evidence and practical insights so leaders can make informed decisions that truly change lives. With our partners, we are pioneering the next frontier of social impact, where data and technology accelerate progress for millions. We help leaders overcome the three main barriers to impact:

1. Figuring out what works
2. Learning and improving
3. Reaching and operating at scale

We work in multiple countries across Asia and Africa. Our work spans a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, education, health, governance, sanitation, financial inclusion, and other areas.

We have expertise in a variety of rigorous approaches and methodologies, which we tailor to each client's needs and constraints. To achieve a positive social impact, we:

• Support our partners with the full ‘data and evidence’ value chain – from primary data collection to data systems, monitoring, evaluation, and learning tools, and data science
• Inform funding decisions – toward high-impact initiatives and away from less effective programs or approaches
• Create cutting-edge AI-for-good products that make the delivery of social interventions and learning tools more cost-effective and scalable.

Our diverse, growing team of roughly 250 outstanding colleagues operates in nearly two dozen countries worldwide. Learn more about our mission, values, and principles at www.IDinsight.org.

Job Description

The Associate Director/Director will report to the Regional Director and will be supported by other Directors in the Region and IDinsight’s CEO. The Director will help drive major parts of IDinsight’s work and strategy in the Region. The Director will be supported by high-quality research teams, an excellent operations team that ensures a well-functioning organisation, and a communications team to help amplify the Director’s voice in policy circles. They will also be provided with bi-annual performance reviews (including feedback from peers and direct reports) to help them continuously grow and learn as professionals.

The Director will be provided with significant autonomy to leverage IDinsight as a platform to drive social impact (in accordance with our mission and strategy), while also being held accountable for the clear goals they set for themselves, in consultation with the Regional Director and other leaders at IDinsight.

Each Director role at IDinsight is unique and tailored to the strengths of specific individuals. However, at a high level, this role will include:

• Develop and lead high-impact opportunities: Building on their experience, expertise, and networks, the Director will help conceptualise, secure, fundraise for, and execute high-impact initiatives that use data and evidence to drive change. All initiatives should be in line with IDinsight’s mission and strategy, but can take various forms, ranging from direct client-service engagements to amplifying our partners’ impact, contributing to public knowledge products aimed at infusing data and evidence into important social sector debates.
• Lead, mentor, and guide project teams: Project leadership involves liaising with senior clients regularly, ensuring the highest standards of research quality and ethics, overseeing and mentoring teams (usually 3-5 Managers, with 10-15 members in total), ensuring a safe and enabling atmosphere for colleagues, and keeping within project budgets. Most importantly, Directors are expected to set and drive their projects toward achieving social impact.
• Be a thought leader, a trusted advisor, and an advocate for data-driven reforms: In addition to leading projects, Directors will be expected to apply their considerable experience, expertise, and skills to shape evidence-informed action within one or multiple sectors, regions, or specialisations. This includes writing for leading newspapers and journals, speaking at important conferences, leveraging relationships and networks within the impact community to develop trusted advisory roles with senior leaders, and participating in consultative councils within governments, foundations, and/or non-profits.
• Contribute to IDinsight strategy: Alongside other senior leaders, the Director will support the Regional Director, working with regional and global leadership teams to craft, refine, and execute IDinsight’s strategy in the region.
• Support organisational development: The Director will also contribute to global and regional operations, including recruitment, onboarding, and performance reviews. They will be expected to support IDinsight to remain an impact-first, values-based, and nimble organisation even as we grow.
• Exemplify IDinsight’s mission and values: Ensuring strong alignment between incoming Directors and IDinsight’s values is a priority for us. Directors are the face of IDinsight, both externally and internally, and will be expected to consistently and unambiguously exemplify our mission and values.

This position will likely include a good amount of domestic and international travel.

Qualifications

We are looking for leaders who demonstrate:

• Deep passion for development and social impact, and strong alignment with IDinsight’s vision and mission;
• Record of building strong stakeholder and client relationships, especially with governments, Foundations, and non-profits in the
• Record of impactful thought leadership and advocacy around important social and/or technical issues;
• Fluency in the role of data and evidence tools – such as impact evaluations, representative surveys, monitoring systems, and/or machine learning – to create insights and impact;
• Ability to be an inspiring leader in a dynamic, multicultural, and values-based environment;
• Attitude to thrive in an entrepreneurial setting, and be able to adapt to dynamic growth and change;
• Eagerness to be a lifelong learner with keen intellectual curiosity and a sense of humour;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English;
• Willingness to travel as needed and to work with remote colleagues;
• 10+ years’ experience using data and evidence to improve social impact;
• An advanced degree (Master’s or Doctoral), preferably in public policy, economics, public administration, international development, business, or public health;
• Excitement to work across multiple development sectors.

We understand that no one candidate will be able to excel in all these attributes. Instead, we are looking for leaders who excel in certain attributes while meeting a minimum threshold in all attributes.

IDinsight is growing and evolving quickly. We may suggest other suitable roles to candidates who apply, based on the overlap between IDinsight’s needs and candidates’ experience and qualifications.

Professional development

Skill and career development are core to IDinsight's values and long-term impact strategy and have been noted as highlights of teammates’ experiences. IDinsighters receive significant mentorship from IDinsight leadership and support from talented peers and are given considerable autonomy when ready. They maintain professional development plans and are given "stretch" opportunities designed to strengthen a variety of skills. Real-time feedback is embedded in our culture, and a formal structure enables maximum professional growth. Additionally, teammates have access to an annual professional development stipend, which they are encouraged to use to explore their career interests and develop their skills.

Nuts & bolts

Location

This position will be based in our Nairobi office. It is not eligible for remote work.

Start date

This position will start in October 2026, with a preference for candidates who can start immediately. We expect a two-year minimum commitment, regular professional development conversations, and the potential for a long-term career at IDinsight.

Compensation & benefits

Compensation and benefits are commensurate with the qualifications and experiences IDinsight is hiring for and are competitive within the global development sector. We are especially proud of our people-focused benefits, including comprehensive international health insurance, mental health coverage, paid vacation, sick and parental leave, relocation benefits, a travel stipend, technology and work-from-home stipends, a professional development budget, and more.

Please note that, as a non-profit, we cannot provide compensation comparable to that of leading private-sector organisations.

Work Authorization

IDinsight will prioritise candidates who have work authorisation.

How to Apply

Please click the "Apply for this job online" button on the top right. Applications are due on 16 August 2026. The application will ask various questions to get to know you and will require a CV and cover letter. Please note that only candidates selected for the interview will be contacted.

Please ensure that your CV includes relevant professional and personal experience, as well as details of academic qualifications. CVs can range from one to two pages. Please note that headshot photographs, parental details, birth dates, marital status, and other personal information not relevant to the application do not need to be included in your CV. Additionally, we strongly encourage you to use your cover letter to highlight why you want to work for IDinsight specifically and what has prepared you to succeed in the role you’re applying for. A customised cover letter is an important part of IDinsight’s recruiting process, as it allows us to understand your motivations for the position, relevant skills, and writing clarity.

More information, including details on IDinsight’s hiring process and frequently asked questions, is available on IDinsight Careers. Any questions should be directed to careers@IDinsight.org.

IDinsight’s commitment to reducing power asymmetries

IDinsight is committed to non-discrimination in our recruitment, employment practices, and organisational culture, regardless of people’s age, disability, gender, gender identity, genetics, national origin, race, colour, religion or belief, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.