Principal Expert, Design

Introducing Integrity

Integrity is an ethical consultancy and service provider working in challenging and complex environments around the globe.

We help our clients succeed in fragile and challenging environments while building trust and understanding as the basis for transformative change. We work across all phases of the program and project cycle, delivering eleven complementary services: monitoring, evaluation and learning / data and knowledge management / research, evidence and analysis / advisory / project management / communications / risk management / technical assistance / capability and capacity development / stakeholder engagement / grant and fund management. Our services are underpinned by the principles on which we were founded, a commitment to providing reliable information and evidence, and expert and high-quality delivery.

Headquartered in London and Washington DC, Integrity also has offices in Jordan, Kenya, and Pakistan. Our multi-national team of over 80 deliver multi-year projects, programs and consulting assignments to a wide range of government clients, international organizations, foundations and private sector clients.

VISION: To set the international standard for ethically delivered expert services in complex and challenging contexts.

MISSION: We use evidence and learning to provide trusted advice and enable change for a sustainable future.

VALUES:

• Courage: We work on many of the world’s most complex problems. We stand against violence in all its forms. We are unafraid to stand up to illegal or unethical practices.

• Objectivity: We challenge conventional thinking. Our recommendations are not based on assumptions or ideology but evidence and learning.

• Diligence: We incorporate our best individual and collective intellect through rigor, reflection, and collaboration.

• Accountability: We take responsibility for the quality of our work and performance. We hold ourselves to account through clear policy and process, sustained by long-term profitability.

• Sensitivity: We understand the impact of our presence and our work, empathize with people’s situations, and commit to do no harm.

ETHICS: Integrity upholds the highest ethical standards in our work, our employment of staff and our interaction with people. Through adherence to our core values, we ensure the best possible service, and benefit the communities amongst whom we work.

We commit to building a diverse and inclusive organization where all feel safe and able to progress, contribute and be heard, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, marital or parental status.

Further information about Integrity can be found at www.integrityglobal.com.

How the Principal Expert, Design fits into the Integrity team

As a Principal Expert, Design (PED), you will work closely with our Delivery and Business Teams to lead technical delivery on relevant projects and design and write winning bids. Other responsibilities include project management on projects, as needed, and wider organisational learning. You will need to work flexibly across Integrity’s different services and teams and will be attracted to a fast-paced working environment. The PED will report to a senior member of the Business team with dotted line reporting to the VP, Delivery.

Scope of Work

The PED role is a varied one, including project design, delivery, and learning.

The objective of the role is to ensure high-quality technical design, implementation, and learning for Integrity MEL and Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) bids and projects. On bids, the PED will be responsible for developing appropriate, responsive, and innovative approaches and methodologies to meet the needs of our clients. On projects, the PED’s responsibilities could range from acting as Project Director for individual contracts, leading design of approaches for MEL, TPM, and/or implementation to quality assurance and report writing. The services areas and thematics areas this post will focus on are:

• Services: Technical Advisory, Fund Management, Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, & Learning, Data and Knowledge Management.
• Thematics: Fragility, Violence and conflict, climate security, economic growth, governance, security and justice.

Terms of Reference

A. Design (50%)

The PED plays a key role in designing, consolidating, and communicating Integrity’s approaches, particularly through leading, designing, and writing technical proposals.

• Lead and QA Design activities: Lead the technical design of relevant new Integrity opportunities, from identification, capture, and win strategy development through to submission, negotiation, and inception. This includes concept development (e.g., via USAID Annual Program Statements or Requests for Information), technical approach design, selection of methods and tools, team design and work planning, and formal engagement with the Business team. Win strategy development includes providing input to partnership and personnel strategies as well. Provide constructive quality assurance of technical offers on selected new programmes and/or bids.
• Client and supplier engagement: Develop and sustain strong working relationships with key clients and other relevant accounts.
• Design communications: Lead and/or contribute to internal and external communications on agreed services, thematics and/or geographies, including social media, blog, and newsletter stories.

B. Technical Delivery (30%)

The PED will play a role in delivering select projects. This may include leadership and advisory roles under the auspices of the VP of Delivery or designee.

• Design: Support the technical design and development of approaches for delivering projects.
• Management: Support Integrity to deliver its portfolio of projects and relationships on time and to high quality standards through project management and governance roles.

Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, to high levels of quality and in keeping with Integrity’s ethics and ethos.

• Quality Assurance: Undertake reviews and quality assurance of technical deliverables.
• Deliverables preparation: Help prepare deliverables, including technical deliverables and project quarterly reports, among others.
• Data collection, analysis, and reporting: Undertake remote and in-country fieldwork and data collection, as well as data analysis and write up of findings. Undertake desk-based research and writing reports to address client needs.
• Stakeholder engagement and management: Establish and manage relationships with stakeholders, to ensure effective technical collaboration. Contribute to or undertaking external workshops (i.e., with client teams).

C. Organizational Learning (15%)

The PED supports internal and external learning, particularly around select approaches that meet the priority needs of our client, such as USAID’s desired Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting or Localization. This includes building awareness of Integrity’s approaches and strengthening the capacity of colleagues to design and deliver to the required standard.

• Sector engagement: Engage with clients, vendors and possible partners to understand emerging client needs and appropriate Design solutions. Engagement could include leading or contributing to external meetings, reviewing grey and academic literature, or competitor outputs, or attending and participating in external events.
• Documenting and applying project learning: Lead on the systematic identification, documentation, and application of project learning across our portfolio and on bids.

D. Staff Management and Development (5%)

• Line management: As needed, line manage select junior Integrity staff and/or consultants. Work with colleagues under line management to develop their careers, contributing to professional advancement, job satisfaction and personnel retention.
• Services mentoring and coaching: Provide focused and demand-based mentoring and coaching support for services staff working on Design activities, for example during bids.

Your Experience and Expertise

We are seeking individuals with excellent writing and communication skills, and experience in MEL/TPM, implementation design and delivery. We are interested in individuals with sector, thematic and geographic experience which relates to Integrity’s current portfolio of work. Experience of the design and management of USAID funds is imperative. The PED will have:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant subject such as economics, political economy, international development or related subject.
• 10 or more years of relevant experience working in international development and/or the consultancy sector.
• Significant experience and interest in business development, with a track record of writing successful proposals for donors such as USAID contributing substantively to technical design and wider bid writing, from capture to bid submissions.
• A strong conceptual understanding of Integrity’s service areas with ability to design innovative, practical and commercially viable technical solutions covering the full research cycle from inception to implementation and dissemination.
• Exceptional written communication skills, with ability to independently take on writing large sections of proposals and client reports.
• Excellent ability to communicate, work in a team, and collaborate with individuals with diverse technical backgrounds and with external stakeholders.
• A good understanding of 1-2 key thematic relevant to the international development sector. Candidates with understanding of climate and natural resources, fragility and conflict preferred.
• The ability to work in a fast-paced environment to tight deadlines.

It is desirable that the PED will also have:

• Additional experience designing and delivering implementation contracts in the international development sector, in core Integrity thematics such as fragility and conflict, gender and social inclusion, climate and natural resources, health and education.
• Experience designing and delivering monitoring and evaluation and/or data and knowledge management contracts in the USAID market.

Languages

• Written and oral fluency in English, with the ability to write clear and compelling narrative.

Core Competencies

You should also demonstrate the following core competencies.

Level 1: Team competencies

• Ethics
• Leadership
• Planning and Organising
• Development and Continual Learning
• Results Focus and Initiative
• Teamwork
• Customer Orientation
• Communication
• Managing Change

Level 2-4: Management competencies

• Analytical and Flexible Thinking
• Achievement Focus
• Managing Resources
• Teamwork and Team Leadership
• Customer Orientation
• Influencing
• Organisational Knowledge
• Organisational Alignment
• Strategic Thinking
• Accountability
• Developing Talent

Hybrid Working

Integrity is a hybrid work employer offering a flexible working model that supports a blend of in-office and working from home time. Each office has its own flexible working model to meet local needs and demands.