Director, Impact & MERL

African Leadership Group; United States; Remote; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Africa Leadership Group seeks a senior leader for its MERL/Impact Evaluation function in the United States. You will design rigorous evaluation plans, manage partnerships with researchers, and translate findings for donors and executives.

Lead a cross-functional team to embed impact measurement across education and career pathways. Advanced degree and 10+ years in evaluation are preferred; experience with AI-enabled data systems is a plus.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in impact evaluation, applied research, economics, or workforce development.
• Deep expertise in RCTs, quasi-experimental methods, causal inference, and survey design.
• Experience managing external evaluations with academic researchers or research organizations.
• Strong data fluency with experience in dashboards, data pipelines, and CRM systems.
• Proven ability to translate complex research into clear materials for donors and executives.
• Experience working cross-functionally in fast-moving, entrepreneurial environments.
• Strong ethical grounding regarding data privacy and transparency.

Responsibilities

• Build the evidence and trust architecture, including methodologies, systems, and validation partnerships to make impact claims credible.
• Design and lead a rigorous research and evaluation agenda using RCTs, quasi-experimental studies, and longitudinal research.
• Partner with Data, Product, and Engineering teams to embed impact measurement across the entire learner journey.
• Develop donor-facing collateral and thought leadership, such as white papers and impact reports.
• Lead and evolve the Impact Team, building capabilities in evaluation, data quality, and analytics.
• Serve as a senior advisor to leadership on impact claims, data risks, and external validation.

Skills

Impact evaluation

RCTs & quasi-experimental methods

Causal inference

Survey design

Data dashboards

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Advanced degree in economics/public policy/statistics

Tools

CRM systems

Data pipelines

Dashboards (BI)

Job description

Africa Leadership Group seeks a senior leader for its MERL/Impact Evaluation function in the United States. You will design rigorous evaluation plans, manage partnerships with researchers, and translate findings for donors and executives.

Lead a cross-functional team to embed impact measurement across education and career pathways. Advanced degree and 10+ years in evaluation are preferred; experience with AI-enabled data systems is a plus.