Director of Program Research and Innovation
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What you'll do
- Own the end-to-end portfolio of pilots, experiments, A/B tests, RCTs, and restricted-funded technical projects with explicit learning goals.
- Set the overall learning agenda for this portfolio, ensuring each initiative is linked to strategic questions around program enhancement, adaptation, and scale.
- Guide the overall evaluation and learning approach for the portfolio, balancing methodological rigor with operational feasibility and decision relevance.
- Lead project intake, prioritization, and stage-gate decisions so that proposed initiatives have a clear rationale, owner, scope, and decision-use case.
- Shape the design of pilots and experiments in partnership with Programs, Applied Learning, Venn, M&E, and technical subject matter experts.
- Ensure each project has clear governance, workplans, risks, dependencies, decision points, measurement approaches, and reporting requirements.
- Oversee the operational coordination of projects through implementation, maintaining visibility on delivery progress, tradeoffs, and escalation needs.
- Translate findings into recommendations for program design, module refinement, scale, and future investment choices, and ensure learning is integrated back into RTV systems and guidance.
- Lead donor and partner engagement on relevant projects, including concept refinement, progress updates, learning briefs, and final reporting.
- Build and lead a small, high-performing team and establish strong ways of working with matrixed contributors across the organization.
What they're looking for
- Extensive experience leading applied research, innovation portfolios, learning-driven technical projects, or similar cross-functional work in international development or a related field.
- Strong grounding in evaluation methods, including experimental and non-experimental approaches, with the judgment to balance rigor, speed, and feasibility.
- Demonstrated experience managing initiatives that involve implementation teams, technical experts, data teams, and senior stakeholders.
- Strong ability to translate technical findings into practical recommendations for both technical and non-technical audiences.
Nice to have
- Strong donor-facing communication and reporting experience.
- Strong people management, prioritization, and decision-making skills in fast-paced environments.
Summarised by NextRaise from the employer’s description, which follows in full below.
Full description from employer
Job title | Director of Program Research and Innovation |
Reporting to | CEO |
Years of experience | 10+ years |
Location | Toronto, ON |
Travel required | Up to 30% |
Terms | Full-time |
About Raising The Village
Raising The Village’s mission is to build and strengthen pathways out of ultra-poverty through an approach guided by data, designed with communities, and scaled by partnerships. We work with last-mile communities to implement solutions that raise incomes, sustain impact, and chart sustainable pathways to possibility within 24 months. To date, we have supported more than two million people in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with support from our partners and our team in North America. Find out more about our programs and impact at www.raisingthevillage.org.
Position overview
The Director of Program Research and Innovation leads RTV’s portfolio of implementation-embedded pilots, restricted-funded technical projects, applied experiments, RCTs, and other innovation initiatives that require clear learning ownership. This is not a purely academic research role. It is a strategic, cross-functional leadership role accountable for the full chain from project design to delivery oversight to evidence synthesis to the translation of learning into stronger program choices across RTV.
Key responsibilities
Portfolio strategy & learning agenda
- Own the end-to-end portfolio of pilots, experiments, A/B tests, RCTs, and restricted-funded technical projects with explicit learning goals.
- Set the overall learning agenda for this portfolio, ensuring each initiative is linked to strategic questions around program enhancement, adaptation, and scale.
- Guide the overall evaluation and learning approach for the portfolio, balancing methodological rigor with operational feasibility and decision relevance.
Intake, design & governance
- Lead project intake, prioritization, and stage-gate decisions so that proposed initiatives have a clear rationale, owner, scope, and decision-use case.
- Shape the design of pilots and experiments in partnership with Programs, Applied Learning, Venn, M&E, and technical subject matter experts.
- Ensure each project has clear governance, workplans, risks, dependencies, decision points, measurement approaches, and reporting requirements.
Project oversight, insights & integration
- Oversee the operational coordination of projects through implementation, maintaining visibility on delivery progress, tradeoffs, and escalation needs.
- Translate findings into recommendations for program design, module refinement, scale, and future investment choices, and ensure learning is integrated back into RTV systems and guidance.
External engagement & team leadership
- Lead donor and partner engagement on relevant projects, including concept refinement, progress updates, learning briefs, and final reporting.
- Build and lead a small, high-performing team and establish strong ways of working with matrixed contributors across the organization.
Must haves
- Extensive experience leading applied research, innovation portfolios, learning-driven technical projects, or similar cross-functional work in international development or a related field.
- Strong grounding in evaluation methods, including experimental and non-experimental approaches, with the judgment to balance rigor, speed, and feasibility.
- Demonstrated experience managing initiatives that involve implementation teams, technical experts, data teams, and senior stakeholders.
- Strong ability to translate technical findings into practical recommendations for both technical and non-technical audiences.
Strong preferences
- Strong donor-facing communication and reporting experience.
- Strong people management, prioritization, and decision-making skills in fast-paced environments.
What success looks like
- RTV has a clear owner for innovation pilots and restricted technical projects.
- Cross-functional projects move with stronger discipline, visibility, and strategic coherence.
- Restricted-funded innovation work produces credible evidence and decision-ready learning on time.
- Learning from pilots is systematically translated into program improvements and scale decisions.
Working conditions
- Hybrid work environment with a model of 3 days in office and two days remote.
- Limited international travel may be required.
Total rewards
- Group RRSP matching program, up to 5%.
- Medical, dental, vision, and travel insurance.
- 4 weeks of vacation.
Company
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