Director of Research and Operations – Evidence Fund

Director of Research and Operations – Evidence Fund

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
Palladium is seeking a Director for an upcoming project with FCDO to support the commissioning, production and dissemination of operationally relevant primary research to inform policy and programmes.

The 3-year global programme will create a single coordinated, research and evidence platform that supports urgent, mid- and longer-term knowledge generation, synthesis, translation and engagement. The programme will inform how best to reduce global poverty – primarily through commissioning of different types of evidence to ensure that decisions, programming, and policies are achieving intended development impacts, with maximum value for money.

The programme will present an opportunity to:
* Maximise the impact of FCDOs investments and capture learning across programme;
* Build capacity by engaging strategically with local and regional suppliers and markets; and
* Strengthen research uptake and inform programme and policy decisions.

Responsibilities
* The Director acts as the central point of leadership for the programme and shall be responsible for representing the programme, maintaining strong working relationships with FCDO, relevant local entities, other programmes, as well as with corporate Palladium staff. They will bring together the strategic vision and the operational implementation to ensure successful performance and delivery of outputs and results. They will bring significant expertise to guide the senior management team in their responsibilities to help maximise impact and value.
* The Director will be responsible for developing strong working relationships. These relationships will be with the programme’s contact points within FCDO, as well as regional and country offices, and also with supply chain organisations delivering research, evaluation and peer review for the programme.
* The Director will lead a lean, high-performing core team and will ensure good staff management practices including appropriate resource allocation, recruitment, performance appraisals and professional development.
* The Director will provide guidance, oversight and quality assurance for all project activities, outputs and deliverables. They will assume overall responsibility for the effective implementation of work plans to ensure delivery is on time, within budget, meets client expectations and is contractually compliant.

Required Qualifications:
* International portfolio and supplier management experience at a senior level, particularly in relation to strategic leadership and delivering donor development funds (essential)
* Proven experience of translating a programme vision into operational delivery across number of sub-suppliers, delivery components and countries.
* Proven ability to lead and facilitate workshops and lead elements of the communications strategies to maintain the programme’s global visibility.
* Expertise in the management and delivery of complex global research and evaluation including ensuring effective quality assurance and peer review
* Strong record of delivering complex global FCDO and other institutional donor programmes.
* Strong track record of managing delivery of suppliers through commercial mechanisms/frameworks.
* Strong track record of managing risk, and adaptive and flexible approaches to delivery in complex portfolios.
* Expertise in working cross-sectors, bringing together political, economic and development issues.

Location
Country: England
City: London