Back Director, Information Systems, Data Informatics and Analytical Solutions (DIAS)

About Palladium

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 3,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

Palladium Americas

Our Americas’ business team has brilliant and passionate colleagues working in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America as well as the Caribbean, fulfilling projects and assignments for clients from institutions, corporations, governments, and foundations based in the Americas. We have offices in Washington, DC, New York City, and Raleigh-Durham, NC.

This Opportunity

Purpose of Position

The Information Systems Portfolio within the Data Informatics and Analytical Solutions (DIAS) Community of Practice is seeking a Director. The DIAS Practice is a dynamic and innovative group working together to strengthen and harness digital and data ecosystems to accelerate development investments and outcomes. The Director will lead the development of and implement a strategic growth plan for the information system (IS) portfolio of work, strengthen and oversee business processes for quality implementation of IS projects and work with portfolio leads across the company to meet the demand for IS technical assistance. The Director will also supervise, and mentor select staff working in headquarters and field offices. Responsibilities require knowledge and experience in best practices, donor direction and initiatives, as well as innovations in the domain area. This position will support external client project work not corporate information systems.

Primary responsibilities:

• Growth: 60%

  • In collaboration with relevant portfolio leads and project directors, lead the development the company’s vision and growth plan for information systems; work with program area specialists to develop a targeted growth plan for health information systems with a focus on infectious disease, surveillance, and health logistics information systems. Other growth areas include climate, education, and environment information systems.
  • Formulate partnerships and collaborations with organizations and networks for strategic growth including representing Palladium to governments, donors, partners, and other stakeholders, through thought leadership at international meetings, ministry-level events, technical working groups, one-on-one meetings, and communities of practice; manage existing relationships.
  • Identify, assess, and pursue new business opportunities in line with the practice growth strategy; lead active proposal development pursuits.
  • Work with the digital solutions and transformation portfolio to formalize an internal IS service line within Palladium; communicate offerings to the Americas and other Palladium business units globally, develop processes with other portfolios and business units to support the IS workstream development and growth.
  • Stay abreast of and integrate innovative solutions for information systems into Palladium projects, business development and corporate initiatives.
  • Working with other DIAS portfolio leads and project directors, lead the development of a communication plan to communicate Palladium’s technical leadership and excellence in IS internally and externally.
  • Represent DIAS at technical conferences and events.
  • Lead the development of a corporate proposal for a product innovation initiative working with relevant portfolio leads, the emerging business accelerator, the commercial innovation practice and the Kenya regional digital team.

• Technical Portfolio Implementation: 25%

  • Support assigned, Project Directors in in their role to ensure quality technical IS program design, implementation and project management; guide staff on technical implementation ensuring adherence to standards, industry best practices and key strategic guidance.
  • Working with other DIAS portfolio leads, project directors and key activity managers contribute to and ensure the implementation of relevant technical excellence and quality (TEQ) processes which includes guidance for the delivery of information systems activities (intake, agile staff management, solution development, technical quality assurance, identification, and storage of best practices).
  • Build and lead an agile team of information systems experts comprised of content specialists, project managers, information system advisors, business analysts and technology specialists; identify human resource needs and allocate human resources to implement solutions and, ensure existing technical capacity is current and keeping pace with sector advances.
  • In collaboration with DIAS leadership, establish a process for knowledge management, communications and continuous learning including communicating IS projects/services successes, best practices and new offerings internally and externally and, ensuring learning from best practices is applied across IS projects.
  • For projects in targeted growth areas (logistics and global health security/disease surveillance, environment & climate change), work with program area experts to provide technical support to select project start up and project IS staff; interface with clients and other project stakeholders to plan, implement, review and report on projects as needed (including activities such as requirement analysis, software development life cycle, vendor selection and negotiation, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and strategic informatics).
  • Build information systems expertise in projects and other BUs as appropriate.

• Management 15%

  📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

  ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

  • Supervise and manage an agile team of information systems specialists comprised of technical content specialists, project managers, information system advisors, business analysts and technology specialists.
  • Work closely with Sr. Manager of the Kenya regional digital team to ensure business processes for IS product development and the software development life cycle (SDLC) are functioning; problem solve as needed.
  • Manage the IS workstream for new project activities ensuring staff coverage; liaise closely with the Kenya Regional Team to communicate demand for their services.
  • Ensure TEQ procedures, tools, policies required for implementation are present, functioning and applied.
  • Lead the preparation of key documents and products reporting on portfolio workstream, successes and accomplishments.

Reporting requirements
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The role reports to the Vice President, DIAS. For direct project responsibilities, the role has dual reporting requirements to the various relevant Project Directors. Reporting requirements include:

• Attendance at all regular management team meetings
• Provision of regular updates to the line manager, including updates on scope of work progress, personal Key Result Areas (KRAs) and any other material matters and/or areas of concern
• Participation in monthly submission of financials and forecasts, and contributions to portfolio, practice and corporate reporting
• Other reporting as requested by the line manager

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Relationships
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• The role is part of the IS portfolio and DIAS Community of Practice
• As delegated, the role liaises with clients, technical area specialists, corporate services, professional service providers, and other stakeholders as required

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Authority levels
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• The role carries autonomy on project and portfolio management with appropriate consultation. The role is required to analyze and make sound recommendations to the line manager
• The role may carry expenditure and/or signatory authority for select costs
• Oversee and manage Senior Technical Advisors and Technical Advisors as assigned
• Contribute to process improvement through innovative and cost-effective ideas and suggestions

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Key competencies and professional expertise required
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• Demonstrated experience developing strategic growth plans for USG and or other donors
• Demonstrated experience leading USG and/or CDC health information systems projects and programs, including technical project and product management and leading client engagement
• Comprehensive understanding of HIE architecture, the SDLC and experience implementing and adapting open-source global good digital health software products such DHIS2, OpenLMIS, iHRIS, OpenIMIS, OpenMRS, CommCare
• Understanding of and experience optimizing and strengthening infectious disease surveillance systems and health logistics systems
• Strong understanding of the software development lifecycle and the Principles for Digital Development
• Ability to develop high level strategic relationships in an international development environment
• Experience managing an agile team of individuals and projects, with preferred experience in matrixed management environments and change management strategies
• Ability to work in a dynamic and agile environment with changing requirements and priorities
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a member of a fast-moving and multicultural team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong management skills with ability to mentor, coach, lead, develop and evaluate staff
• Ability to travel up to 25% of time

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.
Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.