Advisor, Right-Fit Evidence Unit

Role Overview

As an Advisor in IPA’s Right-Fit Evidence Unit, you will help organizations working in development and humanitarian settings make better use of evidence in program design and decision-making. You will work directly with funders and implementers to strengthen their monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) practices, combining technical guidance, practical coaching, and clear analysis. Reporting to an RFE Manager, you will collaborate with colleagues across the unit and IPA’s country offices.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with partners to clarify theories of change and build or improve MEL frameworks suited to their programs and decisions.
• Coach and train partner teams on MEL planning, data collection, survey design, data management, analysis, and applying findings to decisions.
• Develop advisory and analytical materials that present evidence, conclusions, and practical recommendations clearly; review work carefully for accuracy and quality.
• Tailor workshop materials to partner priorities, then organize and facilitate training, workshops, and peer-learning sessions.
• Provide feedback on data collection plans and implementation, including prototyping activities and action-focused process evaluations where appropriate.
• Maintain constructive working relationships with partner staff, including organizational leaders, and help them work through complex program and strategy questions.
• Support project delivery through workplan coordination, documentation, meeting notes, file organization, and progress tracking.
• Contribute to proposals and new engagements, share lessons across IPA, support RFE’s strategic priorities, and help improve the team’s knowledge resources and ways of working.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, statistics, public policy, international development, social science, or a related discipline.
• Two to five years of relevant experience, such as in MEL, research and development, data analysis or management, consulting, or project management.
• Strong analytical, quantitative, and conceptual reasoning skills, with the ability to assess evidence and communicate useful conclusions.
• Fluent written and spoken English, and the ability to provide hands-on technical guidance to partner teams.
• Adaptability, initiative, and sound organizational skills for managing varied assignments and competing priorities.
• Commitment to supporting evidence-informed decisions in international development.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally up to 20% of the time.
• A relevant master’s degree is preferred.
• Experience providing consulting or comparable professional services is preferred, as is familiarity with international development or humanitarian work.
• Understanding of the strengths and limitations of different data collection and evaluation approaches, including the ability to select methods appropriate to the context, is preferred. Familiarity with randomized controlled trials is an advantage.
• Professional proficiency in Spanish, French, and/or Portuguese is preferred.
• Lived or professional experience in Africa and/or low- and middle-income countries is preferred.