Headlight Organization Overview
Founded in 2018, Headlight Consulting Services, LLP delivers data-driven decision making to its partners through robust strategy design support, in-depth monitoring, evaluation, and learning technical services, and facilitated organizational change processes. Headlight brings extensive experience in international development and expertise in qualitative methods; systems-thinking; utilization-focused Collaborating, Learning, Adapting, Monitoring, and Evaluation (CLAME); emergent methods such as developmental evaluation; evaluation policy design; organizational development; and much more. Headlight offers fit-for-purpose, agile solutions to improve the efficiency and efficacy of development programs around the globe, focusing on the structures and systems that enable sustainable solutions.
Summary of Position
The CLAME Specialist position is a technical role on Headlight’s long-term contracts, providing advisory and technical assistance on the design and implementation of CLAME initiatives, tools, and practices, and supporting high quality deliverables that turn evidence into action. The CLAME Specialist will work with Headlight senior leadership to identify and apply the appropriate CLAME best practice, ensure technical rigor across Headlight’s services, and work with clients to build collaborative implementation models to achieve collective impact. This position requires a strong background in and desire to learn various evaluation methods, a diverse facilitation toolbox, an analytical background, familiarity with M&E tools and applicable software, exposure to different learning techniques, strong project management skills, and the ability to ensure strong visualization of utilization-focused deliverables for a variety of audiences. The CLAME Specialist will also contribute to blogs and thought leadership to invest in younger practitioners and the CLAME field writ large, as well as support ongoing business development efforts and other responsibilities as assigned.
This CLAME Specialist position will work primarily on a contract that Headlight is finalizing to provide CLA and Developmental Evaluation support in Ethiopia, and is currently a remote position that can be based between GMT-4 and GMT-6, but would benefit from being located near our Washington D.C. or Southern Maine area hubs.
Responsibilities
The CLAME Specialist will be responsible for a variety of tasks that are portfolio-dependent and will change based on the needs of the project(s) they are working on, but are likely to include the following outlined responsibilities.
- Conduct qualitative analysis (including data coding) on existing documentation (use-focused literature reviews), provided data sets, and newly collected data.
- Support the design, implementation, and finalization of various evaluative efforts with DE Team Leads under senior leadership direction.
- Provide technical backstopping and capacity building support for staff and clients implementing DEs and new behaviors for the first time, including adaptation planning and implementation, new evaluation approaches, or integration of improve learning practices
- Work with local DE team to monitor and track ongoing work in pursuit of answering DE Learning Questions and supporting evidence-informed adaptive action plans
- Foster strong, collaborative relationships with key client stakeholders; serve as a convener for dialogue and learning around emerging issues; assist in identifying and responding to key learning issues; and coordinate efforts amongst stakeholders working in common objectives.
- Support facilitation, including facilitating processes and workshops; facilitating learning, collaboration, and adaptive management of clients and their stakeholders; producing reflections on the implications of new learning; and, developing product plans for adapting activities accordingly.
- Conduct analysis of the data collected and present engaging, use-focused feedback regularly to program staff and key partners and facilitate uptake of recommendations and associated adaption tracking.
- Co-develop and test CLAME tools; and, identify and manage contributing or new evaluative or data collection needs and associated teams as they arise.
- Track and communicate high-quality information to stakeholders to inform timely and data-driven decision-making.
- Support project management of specific Headlight projects including timely email responses to client needs, invoicing and regular management reports, and support with workplanning and other project management tasks.
- Provide initial quality assurance of all deliverables where contributions have been made and coordinate where other technical inputs may also need to review materials
- Supervise and mentor local DE Team staff under assigned content areas
- Draft Headlight website content, including authoring blogs.
- Draft various proposal components to support business development.
Qualifications
- Masters in Political Science, International Relations, or related disciplines.
- Minimum 7+ years of professional experience in international development and/or CLAME-related roles.
- Technical knowledge, skills, and expertise in evaluation design, concepts, and approaches, and evaluating complexity in particular — basic knowledge of M&E is required, such as knowledge of theory of change development, indicators, and USAID’s CLA Framework, etc.
- Multifaceted facilitation exposure, including with multi-cultural audiences and team members, particularly related to programmatic and organizational learning.
- Demonstrated experience with quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis and associated applications.
- Experience working with clients at different levels, virtually, and across different time zones.
- Strong writing skills with experience writing for different audiences.
- Appetite for building relationships and networking.
- High standards of integrity, professionalism, and creative problem-solving.
- Must enjoy working in a team environment, as well as independently
- Desire to contribute to the international development community, share technical knowledge, and mentor local and junior professionals.
- Familiarity with USAID’s organizational structure, program cycle, and operating context is advantageous.
Benefits
Headlight offers full-time employees a competitive salary package, vacation, holiday, and sick leave, health insurance coverage, and much more.
How to Apply
Interested persons should send a CV and Cover Letter that highlights experience aligned with the requirements above to info@headlightconsultingservices.com. Please include in the subject line of your email “DE Admin/ CLAME Specialist.”
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis so apply as soon as possible! Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Headlight Consulting Services, LLP follows all state and federal laws and is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Headlight provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
