Regional Director, Knowledge and Partnerships

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

REGIONAL DIRECTOR, KNOWLEDGE AND PARTNERSHIPS

The East Meets West Foundation (EMW),“the foundation for learning, healing and health", is a US-based non-governmental organization that assists disadvantaged communities in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia through programs in education, health, clean water and sanitation. Founded in 1988, EMW has a 32-year track record of innovative and effective work in Vietnam and a vast portfolio of completed projects. EMW projects and programs are known for their high quality, long -term sustainability, emphasis on results, and significant scale.

East Meets West Foundation is seeking a Regional Director, Knowledge and Partnerships to coordinate and facilitate knowledge management, and internal and external organizational learning. The incumbent will act as a focal point for building internal capacities, developing systems, tools and processes for data in order to further build the East Meets West Foundation /Thrive Network’s (EMW/TN) evidence driven decision-making agenda. Management aspects includes partnership development, grant management, and policy, advocacy and communication as it relates to the sectors of Water, Sanitation Hygiene (WASH), Education, Preventative Health, and Community Development. Working from any of the south-east Asia offices of Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam, s/he is a core member of the Senior Leadership Team of EMWF/ TN and supervises the regional team of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL). This position requires significant time spent (>50 %) in Hanoi, Vietnam, but will accommodate telecommute. This position reports directly to the CEO of Thrive Networks based in Oakland, California.

The ideal candidate has exceptional analytical skills and the ability to tell a solutions-oriented story with data. They are motivated to build relationships and collaborate on cross-functional teams to address mission-critical demands for data analysis that impact policy, practice, and outcomes. The role balances internally focused responsibilities with significant external facing strategic partnership development.

KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING MANAGEMENT:

The position manages organizational level monitoring, evaluation and learning activities including providing technical oversight, direction and capacity building to each country individual MEL program. Specific activities include to provide technical support to:

Operational teams to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, by generating, analyzing and disseminating data and evidence and encouraging innovative application of cutting-edge global knowledge and evidence.
Country programs of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to ensure the proper application of organizational quality standards required for achieving results and impact.
Capture and share key implementation lessons among program countries either through in-person meetings, and drafting of project reports, and research notes spanning lay literature, to academic manuscripts.

S/he facilitates effective external representation in collaboration with the MEL team, working to improve knowledge management products in order to elevate Thrive Network’s sector presence in terms of knowledge management. S/he contributes to identify and supervise qualified technical consultants in support of this function. S/he will remain abreast of best practices and emerging innovations in the international MEL field.

PARTNERSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT:

The incumbent will coordinate closely with the CEO and Country Directors (CDs) to cultivate, manage and deepen relationships with major donors, including multilateral, bilateral institutions, corporate and private foundations. Specific activities include direct support and development of:

New programs and projects for EMW including concept note and proposal development.
Technical partnerships with organizations, centers of excellence, research institutions and thematic platforms to advance EMW’s position as a thought leader;
Access to global innovations, learning and best practices.

POLICY ADVOCACY:

The incumbent will develop MEL analysis, outputs and communication materials to facilitate effective policy advocacy within each of the country programs. S/he will support staff in representing EMW in discussions, meetings, forums, etc. as relevant to advance the policy agenda.

REGIONAL PROGRAM COORDINATION, FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT, AND REPORTING:

The incumbent will coordinate the Women-led Output-Based Approach (WOBA) program in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to make sure that implementation is in line with stated operational plans and commitments. This includes oversight of the multi-year plans and support of budget development and management of expenditures, in close coordination with East Meets West financial management personnel. S/he will also lead WOBA program reporting to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in both Canberra and Hanoi through both formal, regularly scheduled means and on an ad-hoc basis as needed. As part of this coordinating role, the incumbent will proactively maintain relationships with partners and stakeholders for effective implementation and opportunities for program development.

TECHNICAL ADVICE TO COUNTRY PROGRAMS:

Working in close collaboration with the CDs manages, coordinates and directs regional technical advice to country programs including project design, implementation, monitoring, reporting and overall quality control. The position also requires support to related marketing and communications functions.

MINIMUM RECRUITMENT QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS:

Broadly,

An advanced degree in International Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, Development Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences or related field;

A minimum of 10 years of work experience with a bachelor’s degree or eight (8) years of experience with a master’s degree, with relevant experiences in the sectors of program management, evaluation, research in an international context;

Specifically,

Experience in designing and operationalizing data collection tools for quantitative and qualitative M&E data collection for large and complex projects. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills and competency in statistical software;
Experience and skills in leading and conducting research using both quantitative and qualitative monitoring and impact data is highly desirable. Skills in analyzing, interpreting and communicating complex data and information to a wide range or stakeholders, including analytical reports, data visualizations, is highly desirable. Has published or peer reviewed at least one article, report and journal in the last eight years;
In-depth knowledge and practical application ability of gender equity and social inclusion principles
Experience in designing and implementing MEL trainings and delivering learning products is highly desirable;
Experience with emergency preparedness, response or, humanitarian programming is an asset
Ability to support the orientation or development of climate change adaptation or resilience programming is an asset
Solid understanding of major donor systems and frameworks as well as prior experience with DFAT, KOICA, Charity Water or USAID or U.S. Government funded projects is highly desirable;
Excellent communication skills and a demonstrated track record of working effectively in a teamwork environment, is highly desirable;
Written and spoken fluency in English is required.
Fluency in one or more program country languages (Vietnamese, Khmer, or Laos) is an asset.

Desirable Personal attributes:

Organized;
Self-directed;
Seeks opportunities as they come;
Harnesses the potential of partners and partnerships;
Able to draw out strengths in teams and individuals, and aligns them towards a clear and well communicated goal;
Balances big picture ideologies with relevant details with strong critical analysis skills;
Works quickly with minimal supervision and seeks feedback from the diverse number of sources including partners, supervisees and management;
Flexible and adaptable to different and changing situations and individual working styles;
Positively direct energies to tasks at hand, provides and accepts constructive criticism in a highly charged environment.