Evidence Action
Global (Senior) Director, Accelerator
Washington, DC, USA
About Evidence Action
At Evidence Action, we deliver data-driven interventions that transform lives at an unprecedented scale. We identify neglected global health issues and deploy proven solutions, forging healthier futures for generations.
Our model operationalizes leading academic research (including from Nobel-winning economists). We measure progress and outcomes at every stage to ensure we’re making a real impact for people living in poverty and suffering from preventable or treatable health issues. Operating across 9 countries, our team of 800+ has reached over 500 million people, working closely with governments to scale these interventions.
Our Deworm the World program has delivered over 2 billion treatments, significantly reducing worm prevalence and generating more than $23 billion in lifetime productivity gains.
Through Safe Water Now, we’ve saved the lives of over 15,000 children.
Our Accelerator explores untapped opportunities in global health, testing low-cost interventions with the greatest potential to save and improve lives.
At Evidence Action, your colleagues are your greatest asset. You'll partner with high-caliber colleagues in an environment blending innovation, autonomy, and teamwork. Our team excels in disruptive thinking and believes in rolling up our sleeves to get things done. If you're looking to work flexibly and with purpose, join a team that delivers measurable change for millions.
The Role
At Evidence Action, we do things differently. We don’t just pilot programs—we rigorously test, refine, and scale only the most cost-effective, evidence-based, and scalable solutions that can improve the lives of millions.
Now, as we stand at a pivotal moment for both the global development sector and Evidence Action, we are looking for a (Senior) Director, Accelerator to help chart our course forward. With an expanding pipeline, multiple late-stage pilots in progress, and a forthcoming strategic refresh, you will be at the forefront of that moment.
Reporting to the Executive Vice President, Accelerator and Programs, you will lead the Accelerator process and oversee the Cost-Effectiveness (CE) team. You will be at the core of our innovation and program strategy efforts.
You will manage ourAccelerator process—a venture-style engine for identifying and scaling the highest-impact opportunities in health, WASH, and nutrition. In addition to managing the overall process, you will lead the team that directly evaluates programs along our key criteria: evidence, cost-effectiveness, and scale. With four pilots underway and 21 interventions currently in the pipeline, you will lead a rigorous process for testing, shaping, selecting, and funding the next generation of Evidence Action programs. Programs launched out of our Accelerator have raised nearly $100m to scale their impact.
The CE team, meanwhile, plays a distinct and equally critical role across the organization. It ensures that every major decision—from early-stage program selection to expansion into new geographies—is grounded in value-for-money analysis. This team models and compares impact per dollar across diverse interventions, supports resource allocation, informs donor strategy, and pushes our organization to be relentlessly focused on maximizing impact at scale.
This is not a typical innovation role. You won’t be brainstorming ideas in isolation—you’ll be managing two high-performing teams that combine evidence, rigor, and creativity to deliver real-world outcomes. You’ll bring clarity to complex questions, align teams around priorities, and turn learning into action.
If you are a strategic, analytical, and mission-aligned leader who wants to help shape the future of global development, this is your moment.
Responsibilities:
Lead the Accelerator Process (~60%)
Iterate and optimize the Accelerator process, implementing suggested changes from the upcoming Accelerator strategy step back into daily practices.
Identify, vet, design, and scale up impactful, evidence-backed, and cost-effective interventions via the Accelerator process.
Work closely with your team and program teams to prioritize and assess programs in the pipeline.
Guide the design of effective pilots to assess the key programmatic questions and assumptions, incorporating optimal Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation (MLE) approaches.
Produce clear analysis and insights, with an eye towards testing feasibility and cost-effectiveness at scale, and reaching informed decisions on which interventions to scale up.
Own the criteria and gating process for new program development, balancing rigor with adaptability to identify and prioritize the most promising opportunities.
Ensure strong coordination and handover at appropriate stages with program teams, including sourcing and prioritization of programs, and the design and implementation of pilots.
Oversee and support the work of the Cost Effectiveness team, including guidance on prioritization and input into methodological changes.
Fundraising, External Relations, and Pipeline Building (~30%)
Lead fundraising efforts for the Accelerator process and late-stage Accelerator programs through proposal development, external engagement, and donor cultivation, especially for institutional donors, in collaboration with the External Relations team.
Collaborate with program and fundraising teams to ensure new programs have the strategic clarity and early donor engagement needed to secure funding and move toward scale.
Confidently articulate program design, pilot logic, and strategic rationale to funders, and integrate diverse feedback to strengthen program quality.
Speak at events representing our innovation process and collaborate with our communications team to write relevant content to inform our donor audiences about Accelerator activities and to inspire continued support.
Department-Wide Leadership (~10%)
Connect program development efforts to broader strategy—ensuring we’re not just building programs, but building the right programs.
Serve as a senior thought partner on cross-cutting or high-stakes projects where structure, judgment, and coordination are critical–such as work planning, OKR setting, or key program decisions.
Provide mentorship and leadership across teams, creating clarity, cohesion, and momentum across complex workstreams.
Requirements
Experience: You have a mix of international development and/or private sector experience. You do not necessarily need global health experience, but you do understand the nuance of how to build and run programs in low-income countries.
Strategic and Structured: You bring a strong strategy and management toolkit, ideally from management consulting, finance, an innovative NGO, or a similarly strategic and analytic sector.
Analytically Sharp: You synthesize information across disparate domains to drive decisions—from academic research and cost effectiveness models to field observations and stakeholder engagement—even when it’s incomplete or ambiguous. You are able to get into the weeds of spreadsheets whilst distilling the most important issues.
Fundraising-Ready: You have experience with external engagement, fundraising, or business development—and know how to align program strategy with donor and client priorities.
Comfort with Uncertainty: You’re adept at surfacing and addressing key uncertainties, trade-offs, and assumptions in program design, especially during pilot development and scale-up decisions.
Systems Thinker: You see the big picture, keep multiple workstreams aligned, and know when to dive in and when to step back.
Comfort with Evidence: You can guide deep dives on evidence and effectively engage with research-oriented donors and academic partners.
EQ-Driven Leader: You lead with empathy and clarity, navigating change, conflict, and competing perspectives with integrity and calm.
Mission-Aligned: You’re energized by finding “hidden gems” in global development and helping turn them into real, high-impact programs that reach millions.
Position Location
This role location is flexible, though we have a preference for a country where Evidence Action has an office. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the country where they are located.
Benefits
The expected role range for this role if based in the US is listed below. We consider multiple factors when determining the base salary for a role, including but not limited to: role scope, program budgets, internal equity, and a candidate’s qualifications and/or prior experience.
Note: Pay and benefits will be commensurate with the role specifications, local statutory requirements, and the cost of labor in the markets where we operate.
The expected US pay range for the full-time role is $130,000 - $180,000 per year. Salary will be based on the level of the role (Director or Senior Director), which we'll determine on a candidate-by-candidate basis.
For US based roles, Evidence Action provides comprehensive benefits including international health care, HSA/FSA options, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement plans with a matching component, generous and flexible leave options, as well as other employee perks on a reimbursement basis. For more information visit our careers page or ask our recruiting team!
Evidence Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to representation and inclusion. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.
$130,000-180,000
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