Chief of Staff, ESA Region- Internal

Chief of Staff, ESA
Lusaka, Zambia, or Nairobi, Kenya

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 depending on their 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 operate in nearly two dozen countries around the world. Learn more about our mission, values, and principles at www.IDinsight.org.

About the Chief of Staff, ESA role

Responsibilities

The Chief of Staff, ESA, will have the following responsibilities:

• Implement strategic internal initiatives in partnership with the Executive Team. This includes improving monitoring of the project social impact goals, budget, and team health.
• Support ESA Senior Leadership in developing partnerships across the region. This includes working with the ESA Leadership to identify potential new partners, conduct preliminary research, develop presentations, and join client development conversations. This also includes supporting Directors in building concept notes and proposals for new IDinsight engagements.
• Support the ESA Senior Leadership in managing relationships with key funders and thought partners across the continent. This includes leading annual reporting to funding partners, exploring ways to deepen these relationships over time, developing ad hoc communication materials, and proactively identifying ways IDinsight ESA can increase our social impact and reach across the continent.
• Own, manage, and maintain the ESA Client Development and Fundraising Hub. This includes acting as the central point person for all information about current and pipeline projects being developed across the region. It also includes serving as a key inputter for project staffing and acting as a liaison between project teams and global functions, such as our executive, communications, innovations, and Research, Evaluation, and Data teams.
• Optimize collaboration within the ESA team and between the ESA Executive team and other IDinsight teams. This includes leading the agenda coordination, scheduling, pre-read compilation, and follow-ups for all internal calls with the CEO, COO, Africa Leadership, and other global teams. This would also include preparing Africa-specific material for board meetings, global calls, etc.
  
  

Qualifications

The Ideal candidate will possess:

• Ability to be solution-oriented and get a lot done quickly. You will need to translate high-level strategic ideas into immediate action plans and execute across multiple workstreams simultaneously. You bring a solution-first mentality to working with internal and external senior leadership to deal with challenges.
• Ambition, the ability to think strategically, and a desire to tackle major challenges. You thrive when asked to solve complex or thorny problems under time pressure collaboratively. You are excited to weigh in on high-level organizational decisions on topics that might not be familiar to you; and are willing and able to discuss, brainstorm, and ideate with our senior teammates and senior external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated track record as an entrepreneurial self-starter and leader, including comfort with ambiguity and dynamic environments and workstreams.
• Excellent soft skills and communication skills across all mediums (written communications, public speaking, teamwork, and upward management). You can translate complex and multifaceted information into digestible materials, and can effectively build rapport and communicate with senior leaders (internal and external).
• High level of independence and attention to detail – if you say the work will be done, it will be done.
  
  

Professional development

Skill and career development are core to IDinsight's values and long-term impact strategy, and have been noted highlights of teammates’ experiences. IDinsighters receive significant mentorship from IDinsight leadership, 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 formal structure enables maximum professional growth. Additionally, teammates have access to an annual professional development stipend that they are encouraged to utilize to explore their career interests and develop their skills.

Nuts & bolts

Location

This position is based in IDinsight’s Lusaka, Zambia, or Nairobi, Kenya. This position is not eligible for remote work. Preference will be given to those with pre-existing work authorization in these countries; however, IDInsight will seek work permits for exceptional candidates where possible.

Start date

The start date of this position is July, 2026. We expect a minimum commitment of 2 years, with regular professional development conversations and the potential for a long-term career at IDinsight.

Work authorization

If you’re not willing to sponsor work authorization: IDinsight is not able to sponsor work authorization for this role. Successful candidates will not require IDinsight to sponsor their work authorization in the office in which they'll be based.

If you’re willing to sponsor work authorization: IDinsight is able to sponsor employment visas for all nationalities in these locations; however, we will prioritize candidates who do not require IDinsight to sponsor work authorization in the aforementioned countries. All candidates who are not currently located in our country offices listed above will be expected to relocate to their office locations at the onset of their employment.

Compensation

Compensation and benefits are commensurate with the qualifications and experience IDinsight is hiring for and are competitive within the global development sector. We are especially proud of the people-focused benefits we offer, including comprehensive international health insurance, including 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, as a non-profit, we are unable to provide compensation similar to leading private sector organizations.

How to apply

Please click the "Apply for this job online" button at the top. Applications are due May 4th. The application requires a CV and a cover letter

Please ensure that your CV includes relevant professional and personal experience as well as details on academic qualifications. CVs can range from one to two pages. Please note, 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 customized 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 clarity of writing.

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

IDinsight’s commitment to reducing power asymmetries

IDinsight is committed to reducing power asymmetries in the social sector. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion reflects our understanding of the need for the sector to abandon unhealthy practices of the past. We wish to be part of a new generation of international NGOs who are honest about this history and transparent about our role in the present. Our commitment is also aligned with the impact of our work.

We seek a workforce that is inclusive of a variety of perspectives that will help us refine and improve our methods and relationships, and strengthen the services we provide our clients and their communities or constituencies. The following commitments represent our vision for the IDinsight team:

1. IDinsight will have greater representation from the populations with whom we work and clients we serve.
2. IDinsight will have greater representation from the countries in which we work.
3. Across all countries in which we recruit, we will seek greater representation from historically excluded communities.
4. IDinsight will foster an inclusive work culture that empowers a diverse team to do their best work.

IDinsight is committed to non-discrimination in our recruitment, employment practices, and organizational culture, regardless of people’s age, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable law.