We improve lives

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people dedicated to improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

The Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) is responsible for independently evaluating all aspects of the IDB Group’s work. OVE reports directly to the IDB Group’s Boards of Directors with the objective of improving management’s accountability and learning. OVE delivers corporate, country, and thematic evaluations, validates project-level self-evaluations, and tracks implementation of recommendations. In addition to evaluating the IDB Group’s work, OVE supports capacity building for the staff of public institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean. OVE is also a member of the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG), a standard-setting network of the independent evaluation offices of multilateral development banks (MDBs).

About this position

We are seeking a Principal Advisor to: (i) strengthen the use of evaluation methods across the range of OVE evaluations (corporate, country, and thematic evaluations, syntheses, and in-depth project assessments) and OVE’s capacity building work, including by helping OVE pilot the use of relevant innovative methods; (ii) provide quality assurance of OVE’s evaluation work; (iii) be an active member of OVE’s leadership team; (iv) lead key corporate initiatives and initiatives undertaken in collaboration with internal and external partners.

The Principal Advisor will report to OVE’s Director and will closely collaborate with OVE’s Cluster Leaders and all OVE staff.

What you’ll do

Strengthen evaluation methods and foster innovation

• Provide intellectual guidance to team leaders and staff in identifying and applying evaluation methods consistently across OVE's work.
• Broaden evaluation methods, including through the informed integration of data science applications and artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning, text analytics, hybrid use of geospatial data).
• Work with evaluation teams in collaboration with the Cluster Leaders and under the direction of OVE’s Director to ensure the quality and robustness of evaluation design and OVE’s capacity building work.
• Spearhead the establishment of standards and tools for data collection, management, analysis, and presentation, ensuring consistency across OVE’s products and services.

Support quality assurance of OVE deliverables

• In close collaboration with the Cluster Leaders and the Director, promote high standards and reliability in evaluation designs, offering guidance on methods and practices to enhance quality to the Task Team Leaders and evaluation teams.
• Review OVE’s Approach Papers, Evaluation Reports and other evaluation outputs (e.g., annotated outlines and emerging findings presentations) as well as key deliveries of OVE’s capacity building work, providing timely feedback through all stages of the evaluation process.
• Contributing to writing and revising sections of evaluation reports and intermediate outputs (e.g., emerging findings reports) as needed in collaboration with the evaluation teams, the Cluster Leaders and the Director.

Actively engage in the OVE’s leadership team and activities

• Be an active member of OVE’s leadership team, which strategically guides OVE’s work and OVE’s staff.
• Contribute to strategic decisions regarding work programs, budget, staffing, and other critical matters discussed in weekly OVE leadership team meetings.
• Provide insights to the Cluster Leaders on the performance of OVE staff who have provided cross support to the Principal Advisor.
• Assist the OVE Director in interactions with IDB Group Boards of Directors, management, and internal stakeholders.

Lead key corporate initiatives and initiatives undertaken in collaboration with partners

• Lead OVE’s learning agenda on evaluation methods, including the yearly learning week; produce learning materials, and advise on staff learning requirements.
• Lead/participate in OVE’s activities with the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG), including the update of the Global Practice Standards (GPS).Represent OVE’s Director in peer evaluation networks and platforms.
• Provide insights and supervise selected activities of OVE’s capacity building work, including the yearly learning week for government officials (EVALAC) and other engagements related to capacity development.
• Enhance OVE’s knowledge focus and international standing as a leading independent evaluation function.

What you'll need

Education: PhD (or equivalent) in economics, social sciences, public policy, or related field.

Experience: The successful candidate should be a recognized leader in development economics, with at least 15 years of a relevant mix of research, operational, and evaluation experience in Multilateral Development Banks. The following dimensions are desirable for the position:

• Demonstrated strong analytical skills, including advanced knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods, evaluation design challenges, and how to address them. Demonstrated knowledge of the use of artificial intelligence to conduct analytical and evaluative work.
• Superior level of understanding of the design and delivery of complex analytical and evaluative work. Strong practical understanding of designing and conducting rigorous theory-based evaluations under time, resource, and data constraints.
• Demonstrated capacity to provide intellectual leadership on evaluation methods and issues within and outside the IDB. Demonstrated leadership skills and experience advising evaluation teams on evaluation design and methods.
• Advanced knowledge of evaluation processes and products in MDBs. Knowledge and understanding of MDBs’ operational strategies, processes, and instruments. Operational experience in MDBs, including the design and supervision of sovereign and non-sovereign loans, as well as the design and implementation of technical assistance, is an important plus.
• Significant experience in representing an independent evaluation function among peers and partners and speaking on behalf of the function on evaluation products, processes, practices, and methods.
• Outstanding critical thinking and writing skills; mature judgment and ability to conceptualize and prioritize issues.
• Excellent communication, diplomatic, and negotiating skills, with demonstrated personal solid maturity, balanced judgment, and a track record of building and maintaining partnerships with colleagues and counterparts. Excellent teamwork and interpersonal skills, capacity to motivate, develop, and supervise teams, and ability to operate collaboratively across organizational boundaries. Extensive experience in managing staff and consultants.

Language: Proficiency in English required. Additional knowledge of Spanish, French, or Portuguese is a plus. If you are not proficient in Spanish, we will ask you to commit to learning once you join us, because the skill is essential for long-term success in this role.

Requirements

• Citizenship:

- (IDB/ IDB LAB - International) You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries. We may offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your eligible dependents.
• Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

Type of contract and duration

• Staff:
- International: International staff contract, 36 months initially, renewable upon mutual agreement. Headquarters (Washington, D.C).

What we offer

The IDB group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee's life. These benefits include:

• A competitive compensation package, including an annual base salary expressed on a net-of-tax basis
• Leaves and vacations: 24 days of paid time off + 8 personal days + sick leave + gender- neutral parental leave
• Health insurance: IDB Group provides employees and eligible dependents with a robust medical benefits program that covers medical, dental, vision, preventive care, and prescription drugs
• Pension plan: A defined benefit pension plan that provides financial security and supports employees in planning their future
• We offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your family when applicable
• Hybrid and flexible work schedules
• Health and well-being: Access to our Health Services Center, which provides preventive care and health education for employees
• Development support: We offer tools to boost your professional profile, such as mentoring, 1:1 professional counseling, training and learning opportunities, language classes, mobility options, among others
• Other perks: Lactation room, daycare center, gym, bike racks, parking, spouse career program, and others

Our culture

At the IDB, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work while finding their purpose. Our people consistently strive for excellence, and we recognize and celebrate the impact of their contributions.

In our efforts to drive innovation, we intentionally include all voices, cultivate a sense of belonging and champion fairness. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us and share their unique perspectives.

We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job interview process. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, please email us at accommodations@iadb.org.