Position Summary

The Senior Director Global Communications is a senior leadership role responsible for expanding and leading all aspects of IPA’s integrated strategic communications strategy. The role ensures that IPA’s voice and brand continues to lead the field of rigorous evaluation and policy translation and that the organization’s communications continually improve based on clear metrics and KPIs. The Senior Director will develop and execute a new marketing and communications strategy to expand the conversation on evidence use and lift up the diversity of IPA’s voices for the dual purpose of 1) growing IPA’s impact and influence in the world and 2) reaching partner audiences (donors, funders, policy makers, and implementers). This highly collaborative role will take inputs and ideas from across the organization (country teams, policy team, sector colleagues, senior leadership, and technical specialists), and from partners and researchers around the world and create cohesive and high impact communications strategies and products to create meaningful impact in the lives of people living in poverty. They will report to the Chief Partnerships and Philanthropy Officer and work closely with other senior leaders to develop and lead IPA’s communications strategy. They will support the senior management team, including the Executive Director, on all internal and external communications for the advancement of the mission and vision of the organization.

The Senior Director of Global Communications will supervise a high performing and growing communications function including an associate director, managers of content, of social media and website and design, along with their teams. The highly collaborative, fast growing, and well-respected team is both responsive to internal stakeholders and colleagues – from country offices, sector programs, policy, and philanthropy teams – while providing focus and consistency across the organization to elevate awareness and create engagement with target audiences.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader and communicator; knowledgeable about global development, rigorous evidence, and at least one or two sectors; and possess an entrepreneurial spirit. Success in this role will require strong instincts to “catch the moment” with the right messages and angles to advance IPA’s strategic goals while prioritizing many tasks and needs at any given time.

The right candidate will be intellectually curious, ask probing questions that get to the heart of the matter, and will possess a clear understanding of the role of communications in policy, systems, and mindset change. Critical thinking, creativity, strong decision making, and flexibility are key attributes for success in this role.

Responsibilities

40% – Lead IPA’s marketing strategy

• Develop and oversee global communications strategies serving a dual policymaker and donor audience, to promote, enhance, and protect the organization’s brand and advance its mission.
• Equip and empower staff in our 20 country offices to effectively and strategically communicate with decision- makers at the country-level.
• Lead IPA’s marketing strategy, emphasizing evidence use and impact in improving lives, while lifting up local voices that are at the heart of our work.
• Push the evidence community forward in both evidence use and diversity, using IPA’s comparative advantage and leveraging communications, marketing, and digital tools.
• Lead communications for donor and funders audiences––from annual reports, to videos, new media, and fundraising appeals, working closely with the Philanthropic Partnerships and Business Development teams.
• In collaboration with the associate director, develop high-influence strategic partnerships with reporters and decision-makers, and oversee IPA’s media strategy and social media messaging, including writing or ghost-writing popular audience pieces, and managing online or media-based reputational risks.
• Serve as communications advisor to IPA’s senior leadership.
• Create opportunities for, ghost write, and support senior IPA leadership in speaking or writing in high-level forum

40% – Lead IPA’s communications function and team

• Act as vision-setter and operational lead for all internal and external communications across the organization, identifying and resourcing gaps, taking advantage of opportunities for growth and development, and executing on strategies.
• Lead a highly productive and creative team of writers, designers, and communications experts.
• Define and lead the production of IPA’s communications products for policy audiences, working closely with the policy team, and in collaboration with external and internal experts to define, prioritize, and ensure the highest quality content, reaching the right policymakers and decision-makers with evidence, at the right time.
• Advise programmatic leads on dissemination strategies and oversee external-facing documents and media summarizing and synthesizing program area evidence and key findings.
• Manage resources and budget for the global communications team.
• Create communications partnerships and orchestrate conversations, in partnership with other IPA leadership, that lead to innovation and meaningful impact in the world.

20% – Support senior leadership in & provide coaching to senior staff and take lead in knowledge management.

• Support senior management team in effective internal communications by ghost writing, reviewing and suggesting internal communications products and strategies.
• Provide coaching, training, and tools to senior staff to improve IPA’s communications capacity throughout the organization.
• Contribute expertise to organization wide knowledge management and learning efforts.

Qualifications

Required

• 10-15 years of experience in the field(s) of communications, marketing, policy outreach, and/or international development.
• Experience in a start-up or entrepreneurial environment is a plus, as is experience expanding the visibility of a niche brand.
• An exceptional written and verbal communicator, with the ability to effectively position the organization and to communicate its vision and plans to a range of audiences.
• Exceptional ability to present complex information in clear simple language to a range of audiences and to effectively translate academic research into clear policy lessons.
• Experience in and comfort interacting with high-level contacts in public policy, for example public sector employees in developing country governments, NGOs, foundations, donors, and multilateral aid agencies.
• Thrives in big picture thinking and strategy while holding the details needed for exceptional execution.
• Flexible, self-motivated, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, collaborative team player, and willing to roll up sleeves to produce (not only delegate).
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead a high-performing team in a lean organization with competing priorities.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated people and financial management experience and leadership skills, including managing and leading across teams and managing up to executive leadership.
• Knowledge of randomized trials and experience in multiple sectors is strongly preferred.
• Willingness and ability to travel occasionally as needed
• Masters in communication, journalism, public policy, public administration, international development or related fields are strongly preferred
• Language Requirements: English essential, Spanish and/or French would be a plus
• Physical Requirement: ability to work at a desk

Preferred

• Experience working in one or more of the countries where IPA has country offices would be a plus.

Compensation:

IPA’s compensation structure is designed based on the labor market for the specific geographic location where the employee is located. We are offering the following salary ranges for this position:
– D3 is classified as “Senior Director” on IPA’s global job structure.
– For US-based employees, the starting annual gross salary is $120,000 with a maximum of $160,000
– The salary for locations outside of the US will vary depending on IPA’s salary scale ranges for that specific location.

Actual base salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, business sector, and geographic location.

Reports to

Chief Partnerships and Philanthropy Officer

Location

NYC, Washington, DC, or IPA country office

About IPA

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence of which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to a tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 900 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

IPA’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

As an organization, IPA is dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations through evidence and policy. We also recognize how important it is for our staff to reflect the diversity of the places where we work and the communities we work with. As such, IPA is committed to hiring from a diverse pool of candidates, from a range of backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives. We know that this makes our work stronger and more responsive to the challenges faced by those we work with and for and we encourage people from historically underrepresented groups to apply. Click here to learn more about IPA’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Innovations for Poverty Action is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected class. IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you believe you require such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please contact us at jobs@poverty-action.org or via phone at 1-202-386-6200. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by the specified position. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs@poverty-action.org. Please note that only qualified applicants will be contacted by the hiring manager