IT Director at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) | Remote Senior Leadership Role (Apply by 22 June 2026)

Senior IT professionals with strong leadership experience in global systems, governance, and security are invited to apply for the position of IT Director at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA). This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for shaping global IT strategy, governance, and systems across a large, distributed international organization working in poverty research and development.

The role is fully remote with coordination across multiple time zones and offers a chance to lead technology systems that directly support evidence-based research and global development programs.

About Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

IPA is a global research organization that designs and evaluates evidence-based solutions to reduce poverty. The organization operates across multiple countries and supports researchers, policymakers, and field teams working in development economics and social impact.

Its IT function plays a critical role in:

• Supporting 450+ global staff
• Managing data-intensive research systems
• Enabling field data collection in low-connectivity environments
• Maintaining secure, scalable cloud infrastructure
• Supporting SaaS and Microsoft Azure environments

Role Overview

The IT Director is responsible for leading IPA’s entire global IT function, including strategy, governance, security, and team leadership.

This is not a hands-on technical role, but a strategic leadership position focused on:

• Defining IT direction and governance frameworks
• Building and managing a high-performing IT team
• Ensuring secure and compliant systems
• Aligning technology with organizational priorities
• Leading change across multi-country operations

The role requires strong leadership, decision-making, and the ability to translate technical complexity into clear organizational strategy.

Key Responsibilities

The IT Director will oversee the entire IT ecosystem and ensure systems are reliable, secure, and aligned with IPA’s mission.

IT Strategy & Governance

• Develop and maintain global IT strategy
• Own IT governance frameworks (security, access, data, vendors)
• Ensure compliance with donor and regulatory requirements
• Advise senior leadership on technology risks and investments
• Evaluate emerging technologies including AI and automation

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and develop a global IT team of 6 professionals
• Build team structure with clear ownership and accountability
• Foster a service-oriented and documentation-driven culture
• Manage recruitment and capacity planning
• Coordinate priorities with senior leadership

Security & Risk Management

• Lead information security strategy and controls
• Oversee compliance with data protection regulations
• Manage audit readiness and incident response
• Strengthen organizational cybersecurity posture

Organizational Alignment & Change Management

• Lead technology change management across country offices
• Support adoption of new systems and platforms
• Oversee IT budgeting and financial reporting
• Ensure transparency in technology investments and value delivery

Required Qualifications

Candidates should bring extensive senior-level experience in IT leadership.

Key requirements include:

• 7+ years in senior IT leadership roles
• 5+ years managing technical teams
• Experience with enterprise systems and cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, SaaS environments)
• Experience with IT governance frameworks and policy development
• Strong background in cybersecurity and risk management
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and SLAs
• Ability to communicate technical risks to non-technical leadership
• Experience leading enterprise change management initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

Additional advantages include:

• Experience in multi-country or distributed organizations
• Background in international development or nonprofit sectors
• Exposure to AI or automation initiatives
• Experience with knowledge management systems
• Working proficiency in Spanish or French
• Experience in low-bandwidth or resource-constrained environments

Work Arrangement & Requirements

This is a fully remote position with global collaboration expectations.

• Must maintain overlap with East Africa Time (EAT) and U.S. Eastern Time (ET)
• Requires 2–3 hours of daily overlap with both regions
• No work authorization sponsorship available
• Strong communication across distributed teams required

Compensation

IPA offers a competitive salary aligned with local market conditions.

For U.S.-based candidates:

• USD $111,749 – $140,000 per year

Final compensation depends on:

• Experience
• Location
• Qualifications
• Internal equity
• Market benchmarks

Application Deadline

Deadline to Apply: 22 June 2026

Why This Role Matters

This position is central to ensuring that IPA’s global research operations run smoothly and securely. The IT Director will shape how technology enables evidence-based poverty reduction efforts worldwide—supporting researchers, field teams, and policymakers working in complex and challenging environments.

For experienced IT leaders who want to combine strategy, governance, and social impact, this is a rare opportunity to influence systems that directly support global development research at scale.

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Disclaimer: Remote Job Opportunities (RJO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to RJO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of  emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.