NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Evidence Action is a global nonprofit organization with an approach distinctive in international development – we exclusively scale interventions that are backed by strong evidence and can be delivered with exceptional cost-effectiveness. Our programs have grown since our founding in 2013 to reach over 280 million people annually. We deliver high impact for every dollar spent, as recognized by GiveWell, The Life You Can Save, and Charity Navigator.

We do development differently. We take a data-driven approach to identifying, scaling, and continuously improving programs which deliver immense impact, ensuring these solutions measurably improve the lives of millions. Our Deworm the World Initiative has helped governments in Africa and Asia deliver over 1.4 billion childhood deworming treatments, improving health, education, and incomes. Dispensers for Safe Water provides sustained safe water access to over 4 million people in rural Africa, preventing childhood illness and deaths.

We drive innovation: Our Accelerator builds the next generation of exceptional programs, taking an approach most similar to a venture capital model. We are ruthless in exiting programs which do not meet our criteria; those that advance deliver outsized impact for millions of people.

We are global. Across eight countries in Africa and Asia, our 400+ people are united by a tremendous passion for our mission and impact. We are strong because of our diversity of experience, geography, and background – with over 90% of our people in the countries where our impact is focused.

We have big ambitions. Our goal is to double our impact by 2024, to fulfill our vision of a world where hundreds of millions of people in the poorest places have better opportunities and their lives are measurably improved. We believe in bold and urgent action – because poverty doesn’t wait, and neither should we.

We need great people. Our success to date is due to the collective work of our amazing staff. To achieve our ambitious goals, we are looking for people who share our passion for evidence, cost-effectiveness, and scale. We seek individuals who take an entrepreneurial approach, enjoy tackling hard problems, and have a bias to action and results. If our vision and approach excite you as much as it does us, we invite you to join us.

About the Safe Water Team

Our flagship Dispensers for Safe Water (DSW) provides safe water to over 4 million people across rural Uganda, Malawi, and Kenya, and is on track to expand its reach to over 9 million people by 2024. Recent evidence highlights that water treatment may be among the most cost-effective interventions available to save young children’s lives, reducing all-cause child mortality by about 25%. The dispensers program – based on research for Nobel-winning economists – utilizes an innovative and human-centric design to deliver clean water at the source in rural settings, achieving usage rates which are 5x that of comparable interventions. We are currently incubating a next generation technology, in-line chlorination (ILC) that targets peri-urban communities.

In addition to the above programs, Evidence Action has recently begun leading safe water work in India in collaboration with national and state government agencies. We will be overseeing the roll out of a number of promising water chlorination technologies across three Indian states. The project is currently in the small-scale pilot phase, after which we plan to expand to at-scale implementation across the three states.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy Planning & Execution:

Lead forward planning, maintaining a focus on the three, six, and twelve month timeline to identify and plan against necessary actions to enable programmatic success. Areas of focus can include, but are not limited to recruiting, procurement, contracting, fundraising, finance, monitoring, learning, & evaluation, and cost effectiveness.
Lead strategic planning for transition from India Safe Water pilot phase to at-scale implementation in three Indian states.
In the event of future expansion beyond initial three states, lead expansion planning, including identifying the most appropriate states to enter through engagement with stakeholders, research, and learnings from the pilot.
Establish transition plans to move applicable initiatives from strategy to the current operations lead. Ensure appropriate hand off within the Evidence Action team.
Support additional expansion-related efforts as necessary, including recruitment and onboarding; development of communication materials for internal and external stakeholders; engaging with external contractors and vendors; overseeing internal information management processes; etc.
Materials Development and Knowledge Oversight:

Draft policy-relevant materials and advocacy initiatives either requested by Indian government, EA leadership, or external partners and academics.
Analyze and synthesize information from internal and external sources to inform work planning and products.
Oversee the Learning Management team, which will be responsible for capturing, synthesizing, and disseminating lessons learned across the pilot and program.
External Engagement:

Serve as the primary point of contact with external academics, soliciting expert’s input as appropriate and incorporating into work products and planning.
Support fundraising efforts and engagements by helping to develop development, attending meetings, and consolidating takeaways.
Other:

Serve as the direct supervisor for US-based and India-based team members as applicable.
Prepared to travel to India up to 20% of the time.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree OR equivalent work experience (3-4 years);
5-7 years of professional experience of progressively increasing responsibility;
Strong project management and organizational skills; proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously requiring inputs from various stakeholders;
Ability to synthesize information clearly and produce high-quality written documents keeping to deadlines, including executive-level materials tailored to donors and other internal and external stakeholders;
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage with internal and external stakeholders within India and globally;
Ability to work with minimal supervision, while also proactively communicating relevant progress updates and bottlenecks requiring attention or support from leadership;
Ability to develop strategic recommendations based on qualitative and quantitative analysis;
Able to work within a matrixed, complex organizational structure;
Passion for the mission and values of Evidence Action;
Willing to travel to India to support government engagements, programs, and other requirements as necessary, up to 20% international travel.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. for the role to be based in the US. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of a U.S. employment visa at this time.

Evidence Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to diversity. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.