The Carter Center: Director, Strategy, Innovation & Learning

Emory University is a leading research university that fosters excellence and attracts world-class talent to innovate today and prepare leaders for the future. We welcome candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of our academic community.

 

The Carter Center is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization founded in 1982 in Atlanta, GA, by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University. The Center has helped to improve millions of lives in more than 80 countries by waging peace, fighting disease, and building hope. The Carter Center is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering. It seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.

 

The Carter Center collaborates with other organizations, public or private, in carrying out its mission around the world. Current information about the Center’s many programs and activities are available at The Carter Center .

 

JOB DESCRIPTION:

 

The Strategy, Innovation, and Learning (SIL) Director leads The Carter Center's efforts to catalyze learning and innovation across the Center's programs and departments (both at headquarters and in the country offices) in line with the Center's strategic plan. As a thought partner to the Senior Leadership team and staff, the SIL Director will help ensure that decisions align with the strategy, and support trust, accountability, and enterprise-level solutions. The Director is responsible for the implementation of the strategic plan under the direction of the CEO. The Director is responsible for guiding the integration of quantitative and qualitative methodologies into existing and future efforts enhancing accountability, effectiveness, and impact. Serving as an agent for change within the organization, the SIL team promotes cross-cutting strategy, measuring global impact, and cultivating organizational learning. The Director reports to the CEO. The SIL team is comprised of the Director and two professional staff members. This position is full-time and based in Atlanta, GA, USA. Due to the travel locations to country offices, Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) will be required.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Strategic Direction: Advises senior leadership on the alignment of program activities (development, implementation, monitoring, and reporting) with the Center's strategic plan goals and objectives. Acts as the project manager for coordinating the implementation of the strategic plan. Establishes a cross-program approach to monitoring, evaluation, and learning, to ensure that programs and projects are designed to be impactful and align with the Center's mission and strategic plan. Serves as the subject matter expert on the strategic plan and leads the implementation of the board approved strategic plan.
• Internal Consulting: Serves as the subject matter expert and develops and implements the monitoring, evaluation, and learning internal practice for the organization. Advises and assists staff in the design, implementation, and use of monitoring and evaluation systems, both at headquarters and in the country offices, including preferred practice methods and donor reporting requirements. Works collaboratively with program directors and applicable program and country office staff to develop and define effective program outcomes and assists in the design and implementation of research activities, including program evaluations and operational research studies. In conjunction with program and country office staff assists in monitoring the progress of projects/initiatives and their evaluation. Provides guidance to programs on budget requirements for effective monitoring and evaluation of projects.
• Quality Assurance and Impact: Ensures effective program design, monitoring, and evaluation that demonstrates a contribution to impact while aligning with the mission, strategic plan, and guiding principles of the Center. Develops, recommends, and implements practices and processes that support these efforts including the use of technology for data collection and analysis as well as infusing good practices from the broader fields of Peace and Health into program design and implementation. Champions cross-program collaboration, knowledge sharing, and coordinated efforts to demonstrate contribution to impact beyond a single project. Works closely with the Development team to ensure donor SIL requirements are met, and that the monitoring and evaluation objectives of donors are incorporated into programming.
• Innovation: Is a champion and center of activity for program/department and organizational innovation. Creates opportunities for staff to engage across the organization to identify innovation in action as well as to find places where innovative approaches are needed. Facilitates processes that open minds, encourage creativity, create a curious culture, and develop specific innovative efforts.
• Learning, Research, & Knowledge Management: Ensures the necessary systems, processes, and tools are present to support the facilitation, collection, and sharing of knowledge. Designs and oversees research, reports and briefs, manuscripts for publication, and conference abstracts and presentations related to learning, innovation, and program impact. Communicates regularly with colleagues across The Carter Center on preferred practices and lessons learned. Oversees the maintenance of a clearinghouse of information on Carter Center practices, evaluations, and lessons learned. Maintains networks with experts in fields relevant to design, monitoring and evaluation to share information, ideas, and best practices. Coordinates the dissemination of findings, conclusions, recommendations, and lessons learned from evaluations to staff, partners, and wider audiences with a view to improving the program design policy and strategy and contributing to wider learning. Directs Center-wide learning, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Staffing and Supervision: Responsible for staffing needs that support strategy, innovation, and learning efforts including supervision of two direct reports, staff participating on the Innovation Hub team, periodic interns, and subject matter experts usually hired as consultants for limited-term work. Provides guidance to program staff when hiring MEL consultants and staff for specific projects/initiatives. Maintains roster of technical experts/consultants to provide short-term technical assistance/services when needed. Identifies and supports the development of direct reports as well as program staff with monitoring and evaluation responsibilities through participation in training and professional development opportunities as well as developing and offering onsite training where appropriate and cost-effective.
• Policies & Procedures: Ensures compliance with Carter Center and Emory policies and procedures and operates in a manner ensuring accountability to internal and external stakeholders. Revises procedures related to MEL and innovation as needed in consultation with senior leadership and other internal stakeholders as necessary.
• Professional Development: Maintains professional growth and development of self and team by identifying educational/training programs, professional organizations, activities, and resources to maintain knowledge of national trends and to promote leading-edge expertise.
• Performs other related duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A graduate degree in a relevant field and eight years of experience leading organization-wide strategy, innovation, and learning practices, OR an equivalent combination of experience, education, and training. Experience developing strategy for measuring impact, knowledge of data-driven decision-making models, and MEL systems and processes is necessary. At least three years of experience at a senior leadership level, leading these efforts across multi-disciplinary programs or at an organization-wide level is required.

 

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer.

 

NOTE: This role will be granted the opportunity to work from home regularly but must be able to commute to The Carter Center on a flexible weekly schedule based upon business needs. Schedule is based on agreed upon guidelines. The Carter Center reserves the right to change remote work status with notice to employee.

To ensure the safety of our campus community, the COVID-19 vaccine is required. For more information on the University and Hospital policies and potential exemptions, please see our website.
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