IT Director

About the Organization

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) develops and uses research to improve the lives of people living in poverty. Its global IT operation supports about 450 employees across 20 country offices, along with many field-based data collectors and a distributed workforce working in connectivity-challenged settings. The technology stack is largely built around SaaS tools and Microsoft Azure, and the team includes six internal IT staff supported by external consultants.

Role Overview

The IT Director is responsible for leading IPA’s global technology function by setting direction, establishing governance, and building a team that delivers dependable, secure, and user-focused services across a complex international environment. This is a leadership position centered on deciding priorities, defining standards, and creating accountability rather than doing hands-on technical implementation.

The right candidate will enjoy developing people, converting organizational needs into technology priorities, and building durable operating systems and controls. The role also requires ensuring that IT policies, governance processes, and security controls meet donor, regulatory, and internal requirements while remaining practical and aligned to real operational needs.

Key Responsibilities

The position works closely with the Global Operations Senior Director and IPA’s Senior Management Team.

• Shape and maintain the global IT strategy so it reflects organizational goals, budget realities, compliance expectations, and the needs of a distributed, multi-country workforce.
• Own the IT governance structure, including policies, standards, and controls covering security, access, data governance, acceptable use, vendor oversight, and new technologies.
• Keep governance workable, enforceable, and aligned with regulatory and donor obligations, rather than simply documented on paper.
• Guide senior leaders on technology risk, investment choices, and compliance issues in plain, non-technical language.
• Assess new tools and approaches, including AI and automation, and recommend responsible ways to adopt them in line with the mission.
• Lead, coach, and retain a six-person IT team made up of systems administrators, data engineers, and support staff.
• Hire to close capability gaps and develop a team structure with clearly assigned ownership, backup coverage, and accountability.
• Build a culture that values documentation, service quality, and dependable delivery of standards.
• Set team priorities with the Senior Director, Operations & Systems, and communicate capacity constraints and trade-offs clearly.
• Run IT as a service function with a strong focus on responsiveness, clarity, and support for operational and research work.
• Define the information security approach, making sure protections are proportionate to the organization’s risk profile and adequately resourced.
• Oversee adherence to donor, contractual, and regulatory requirements tied to data protection and information security.
• Manage audit preparedness and coordinate responses to incidents involving security or data, including coordination with legal and senior leadership.
• Drive adoption during major technology transitions so staff across country offices understand and use new systems and practices effectively.
• Oversee IT budgeting and financial reporting, with clear visibility into total cost of ownership and value for money.

Requirements

• At least 7 years in senior IT leadership with responsibility for reliability, security, and availability of enterprise systems in production settings.
• At least 5 years managing IT teams, including direct leadership of senior technical staff such as engineers, architects, or system administrators, with evidence of people development and capability building.
• At least 5 years handling enterprise integrations, SaaS platforms, and cloud environments such as ERP, CRM, data warehouse, or similar systems.
• At least 5 years serving as a senior escalation point for technical or security incidents.
• At least 3 years designing or overseeing IT governance frameworks, policies, and internal controls.
• At least 3 years working in environments with regulatory, donor, or audit compliance demands related to data protection or information security.
• At least 3 years managing IT budgets, vendor relationships, and SLA performance.
• At least 3 years leading change management for enterprise technology rollouts.
• Ability to explain technology risks and decisions to senior non-technical stakeholders.
• Familiarity with enterprise business intelligence tools such as Power BI.
• Preferred experience includes leadership in multi-country or distributed organizations, especially in low-bandwidth or resource-constrained settings.
• Additional preferred background includes international development, nonprofit, or donor-funded work, as well as leadership of AI/automation initiatives or knowledge management/collaboration platform transformations.
• Working proficiency in Spanish or French is an advantage.

Work Arrangement and Location

This is a remote role. IPA cannot sponsor work authorization for foreign nationals in any location.

The schedule must allow for at least 2–3 hours of overlap with both East Africa Time (EAT) and U.S. Eastern Time (ET) for meetings and collaboration.

Compensation

IPA offers a competitive salary and benefits package based on the local market in the country where the role is based. For U.S.-based candidates, the disclosed annual salary range is USD 111,749 to 140,000. For candidates in other locations, compensation will be aligned with local market conditions. Final offers depend on experience, qualifications, location, internal equity, and market factors.

Reporting Line

This role reports to the Senior Director, Operations & Systems.

Safeguarding

IPA is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for children, vulnerable adults, and all members of the community. Selected candidates are expected to follow IPA’s safeguarding standards and uphold ethical conduct, social responsibility, and dignity in all work.

Application Deadline

The last date to apply is 22 June 2026.