Senior Evaluation Specialist-MENA Region

1. Background

The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) is a mission-driven, non-profit organization dedicated to using evidence to transform people's lives in low- and middle-income countries. We are the global leader in funding, producing, and synthesizing high-quality evidence of what works, for whom, how, why and at what cost. We believe better policy-relevant evidence will make development more effective. 3ie is a registered non-governmental organization in the US. It has offices in New Delhi, London and Washington, DC.

2. Position Summary

The Senior Evaluation Specialist will play a strategic and technical leadership role in advancing 3ie's mission across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a primary focus on Egypt. The position combines advanced technical expertise in impact evaluation and evidence use with strong skills in partnership development, policy engagement, and regional strategy implementation.

The Specialist will work closely with the Lead Evaluation Specialist and MENA Lead, supporting both strategic direction and operational delivery across multiple evaluation and evidence-use initiatives. The role will also contribute to 3ie's global work where relevant.

While remote, the position requires regular coordination with partners and colleagues in Egypt and across MENA; therefore, preference will be given to candidates based in Egypt or within a similar time zone.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Strategic Leadership & Partnerships

• Support implementation of 3ie's MENA regional strategy in close coordination with the Lead Evaluation Specialist and MENA Lead.
• Build and manage strong partnerships with ministries, government agencies, research institutions, donors, and development organizations across the MENA region.
• Represent 3ie at policy dialogues, regional forums, and conferences to strengthen institutional visibility and partnerships.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities, develop proposals, and support donor engagement.
• Advise government and institutional partners on integrating evidence use and impact evaluation into policy and program design.

B. Evaluation Design & Technical Oversight

• Lead and oversee the design and implementation of impact evaluations, process evaluations, and evidence synthesis projects across priority sectors (labour, social protection, education, gender, governance).
• Provide methodological guidance on experimental and quasi-experimental designs (RCTs, DiD, IV, RDD), mixed-methods, and theory-based evaluations.
• Supervise consultants, junior staff, and implementing partners to ensure technical quality and adherence to timelines and budgets.
• Contribute to 3ie's global evaluation standards, quality assurance processes, and methodological development.

C. Policy Engagement & Evidence Translation

• Engage directly with policymakers to co-create evaluation questions, interpret results, and support uptake of findings into policy and practice.
• Lead and facilitate stakeholder workshops, policy dialogues, and dissemination events in Arabic and English.
• Produce high-quality, policy-relevant communication materials (policy briefs, blogs, presentations, and reports) in both languages.
• Support the regional evidence ecosystem through active collaboration and cross-country learning.

D. Capacity Building & Institutional Strengthening

• Design and deliver training programmes for government officials, researchers, and practitioners in evaluation, data analysis, and evidence-informed policymaking.
• Support institutional capacity development for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems.
• Contribute to building communities of practice and regional evidence accelerators to sustain long-term engagement.

E. Coordination & Global Contribution

• Work closely with 3ie's global teams (evaluation, communications, partnerships) to ensure alignment between MENA and global strategies.
• Participate in global learning events and cross-regional collaborations.
• Contribute to global knowledge products, proposals, and research outputs as needed.

3. Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Master's degree in economics, public policy, development studies, public health, or a related field; a PhD is preferred.
• 810 years of professional experience in impact evaluation, applied research, or policy engagement.
• Demonstrated experience working with governments, donors, and research partners to promote evidence-informed decision-making.
• Strong partnership management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent communication and writing skills in both Arabic and English, with the ability to produce high-quality reports and policy products.
• Ability to lead and collaborate effectively in multicultural, remote, and fast-paced environments.
• Experience teaching impact evaluation, research methods and/or econometrics at the university level, professional and continuing education, or similar.
• Languages: Arabic and English fluency (spoken and written) required

Desirable:

• Experience working in or with government and research institutions in the MENA region.
• Familiarity with 3ie's approaches to evaluation and evidence uptake.
• Record of publication or authorship in evaluation or development policy.

4. Skills and Competencies

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities.
• Advanced statistical programming skills in R, Python, Stata, or similar.
• Advanced technical knowledge of quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills in Arabic and English.
• Proven ability to translate complex evidence into actionable policy insights.
• Leadership and teamwork skills suited to cross-cultural, remote collaboration.
• High degree of initiative, professionalism, and integrity.

5. Eligibility

3ie is an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, ethnicity, disability, caste, religion or sexual orientation. We particularly encourage women, ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities to apply.

6. Terms of employment

The salary range for this position is competitive and commensurate based on qualifications and experience. It will be remote position with preferred base in Egypt (or within a nearby time zone). Regional travel (1020%) and occasional global travel is required.

Our policies and procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse. We follow a zero-tolerance policy for any form of bullying or harassment in the workplace.

7. How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following as a single PDF document:

• Curriculum Vitae (maximum 3 pages)
• Cover Letter (maximum 2 pages) highlighting relevant experience and motivation
• Writing Sample (policy brief, evaluation report excerpt, or publication)
• Names and contact details of two professional referees

*Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The deadline for receiving applications is 17 December, 2025. Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted.