Location

Post of duty: Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

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 an experienced professional with strong analytical capabilities and in-depth knowledge of the operations and strategies of IDB Invest, the private-sector arms of other MDBs, or similar organizations to join OVE’s leadership team as a Lead Evaluation Specialist. You will work on evaluations that cover IDB Invest and on validations of IDB Invest projects.

The Evaluation Lead Specialist will report to the Corporate Evaluations Cluster Leader and work closely with the members of the Corporate Cluster, the team lead of the yearly validation exercise, and OVE staff working on evaluations that include IDB Group’s private-sector work.

Most OVE country, corporate and thematic evaluations cover the work of the IDB and IDB Invest. In addition, OVE annually validates IDB Invest self-assessments of closed projects. OVE is developing a small evaluation team to assess the institution’s private-sector work, especially the work of IDB Invest. In its evaluation work, OVE uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, including review of IDB Group’s strategies and project documents, portfolio analysis, empirical work, literature reviews and case studies.

Major evaluations recently completed by OVE that cover IDB Invest include Climate Adaptation (delivered in 2025), IDB Invest Plan on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Synthesis report delivered in 2024) and IDB Invest (delivered in 2024). Country evaluations always cover both IDB and IDB Invest work. Relevant evaluations in OVE’s future work programs include IDB Group Synergies (planned for 2026), Small Islands and Countries (also planned for 2026), and IDB Group Governance (planned for 2027).

What you’ll do

• Lead Evaluations: Design and lead, or support as a senior team member, complex evaluations on topics related to the development effectiveness of: (i) IDB Invest programs and operations, (ii) IDB programs and operations focused on private-sector development, and (iii) IDB Invest corporate issues.
• Support the IDB Invest Self-Evaluation System: Support the development of a strong self-evaluation system, notably by reviewing and validating management self-evaluations of IDB Invest operations and IDB operations focused on private-sector development, particularly lines of credit. Contribute to developing guidelines for self-assessments and validation of credit lines and provide comments on guidelines for self-assessments and validation of IDB investment loans, with a focus on private-sector development operations.
• Establish a Constructive Dialogue with Management on Evaluation and Validation Work: Interact with and build relationships with IDB Invest operational staff and, when relevant, IDB staff. Together with OVE’s Director, the Corporate Cluster Leader and other members of OVE, engage with management throughout the evaluation cycle, including at the conceptualization stage, implementation, and presentation of findings. Ensure a transparent, constructive dialogue that fosters accountability and mutual learning while maintaining OVE’s independence.
• Contribute to Outreach: Engage with IDB Group staff and clients, evaluation offices in partner institutions, academic and research institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to further knowledge sharing and the development of evaluation capacity.
• Support OVE’s Mission: Contribute to other activities aimed at furthering OVE’s mission and improving the quality of its work, notably by providing technical or methodological advice; providing guidance to and mentoring junior staff, research fellows, and consultants; leading or contributing to the development of other evaluation products; and actively participating in ad hoc working groups and other OVE initiatives.

What you'll need

Education: You must hold a master's degree (PhD strongly preferred) in economics, finance, business or other fields relevant to the responsibilities of the role.

Experience: At least 6 years of relevant and progressive substantive experience, preferably 15 years of experience, including a mix of (1) economic development, with a focus on leading and contributing to rigorous analytical work, as demonstrated by the authorship of publications in flagship reports, evaluation reports, and peer-reviewed journals; and (2) non-sovereign financial investments, encompassing different instruments, including debt finance, private equity, venture capital, and guarantees. Experience at IDB Invest or in private-sector arms of other MDBs is strongly preferred. Leadership and teamwork skills are also critical. A solid knowledge or specialization in international development and evaluation, including evaluation methods (quantitative and qualitative) is valuable.

Languages: Proficiency in English and one of the other Bank official languages (Spanish, French or Portuguese) is required.

Economic Development Analytical and Evaluative Experience

• Experience with quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, including statistical and econometric analysis, structured literature reviews, portfolio analysis, theories of change, and comparative case studies. Familiarity with applying artificial intelligence tools (particularly text analytics and machine learning) to conduct evaluative work is a plus.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the development challenges facing Latin American and Caribbean countries is an important plus.
• Experience with or exposure to the operational strategies, policies, procedures, and performance standards of IDB Invest (or another international financial institution) is also a plus.
• Experience with leading teams in conducting analytical or evaluative work. Ability to balance rigor and attention to detail with understanding the big picture and synthesizing insights to contribute to high-quality, concise and persuasive reports addressed to high-level executives.
• Outstanding writing skills: ability to convey complex concepts through well-structured, simple, convincing messages.

Non-Sovereign Financial Investments Experience

• Experience with non-sovereign private-sector investment in developing countries with a focus on one or more of the following areas: finance, manufacturing, infrastructure, climate, and synergies between the public and private sectors to accelerate the achievement of development outcomes, including through private capital mobilization.
• Experience working with, or exposure to, portfolio data of IDB Invest, or other international financial institutions and with methodologies for evaluation of private-sector operations, including IDB Invest Expanded Supervision Reports (XSRs) or similar reports in other international financial institutions.

Leadership, Teamwork and Language Skills

• Effective communication in multicultural and politically sensitive environments
• Strong personal maturity, balanced judgment, and ability to build and maintain partnerships with colleagues and counterparts
• Ability to lead teams, mentor junior colleagues, and work collaboratively and proactively, contributing to delivering high-quality reports on time and within budget
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to deliver complex, high-quality analytical work on time.

Requirements

• Citizenship: 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

• International: International staff contract, 36 months initially, renewable upon mutual agreement.

What we offer

The IDB Group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments in 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: defined benefit pension plan that provides financial security and support employees in planning for their future.
• We offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your family when it applies.
• On-site position with the occasional flexibility of teleworking.
• Health and well-being: Access to our Health Services Center that 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 (country specific): 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.