Senior Program Specialist

Job Summary

Working as a member of one or two multi-disciplinary teams under the guidance of the Team Leader (TL) and Director Program Area (DPA), the Senior Program Specialist: 

• identifies critical research issues in the areas covered by the Program Initiatives (PIs) and assists in the further elaboration of the PIs’ current research strategy;
• under the supervision of the TL, develops, monitors, manages and evaluates research projects;
• takes the lead in managing a portfolio of PI and corporate projects in the range of 10-20 projects and RSPs values up to $5-7 million;
• liaises with program colleagues in Ottawa and the regional offices (ROs) on issues of program and project development and management;
• plays a leading role in identifying, developing and managing IDRC’s contacts with other international agencies and Canadian institutions;
• initiates Centre-wide public relations efforts and knowledge dissemination and utilization activities, including participation in IDRC, public and scientific fora;
• participates with the PL in identifying and contacting external contacts to support specific program directions and projects;
• participates in revenue generation and in the identification of donor partners;
• assists the TL with the preparation for team meetings; and
• represents IDRC internationally.

Primary Duties or Responsibilities

Program Development

• identifies opportunities that will contribute to meeting the objectives of the PI(s) in terms of relevance, quality, policy impact, capacity building and in terms of visibility (reputation) of the program and the Centre;
• participates in the elaboration of research themes through, inter alia, team meetings, internal committees, in-house research, seminars and workshops; 
• ensures that a regional perspective is brought to bear on program planning at the PI and Program Area level;
• establishes contact and exchanges information with institutions, researchers from research centres in the South and the North, and the international donor community;
• keeps up to date with, and contributes to, research and current developments in the disciplines/areas covered by the PIs and in the regions where the PIs work and at the international level.

Project Development

Under the guidance of the TL and DPA: 

• assesses proposals, including their conceptual, methodological, operational, evaluative and financial aspects;
• identifies and develops research proposals in accordance with Centre policies;
• incorporates, at the project design stage, plans for dissemination and utilization of research results;
• explores the potential for support and participation by the Canadian research community;
• develops partnerships with other funding agencies to support project activities;
• negotiates with researchers and policymakers to increase the use they make of research as input in policy formulation;
• identifies and encourages links with other Program Initiatives and between regions; and
• prepares project documents for approval.      

Project Management

Under the guidance of the TL and DPA: 

• manages, in consultation with Resources Branch staff, the preparation of contracts and grant letters, materiel purchases, travel arrangements, analysis of financial statements, adjustment of budgets and schedules, and project closures; 
• provides technical supervision, including analysis of interim reports, participation in workshops, literature searches, identification and administration of resource persons/consultants in support of projects; 
• reviews final project reports of research results, and negotiates revisions and/or additional research requirements;
• assists in coordinating the research activities of collaborative projects between Canadian and developing-country researchers;
• when travelling, liaises with Canadian diplomatic representatives to inform them of PI projects and programing in countries where Canada has diplomatic accreditation;
• plans and manages project evaluations; and
• prepares project completion reports.

Research Utilization (closing the loop) and Centre Representation 

• assists researchers in writing, editing and publishing research results;
• participates in public and scientific fora; and
• participates in strategic networking with other donors, lenders, research institutions and policymakers.         

Centre-wide Collaboration

• participates in regular PI meetings and, when required, in other Program Area, Branch and Corporate meetings and committees;
• contributes to knowledge dissemination and utilization;
• contributes to Centre-wide public relations efforts, working with the Corporate Communications Division; 
• collaborates with regional specialists (in Ottawa and ROs) in the identification and evaluation of emerging and key development trends and priorities in a particular region; and
• collaborates with Centre supported Secretariats working in the same research and development areas as the PIs to create synergies between the secretariat and the PIs. 

Job Knowledge

Education and experience

• PhD or a Masters with equivalent work experience, a record of research and publication in a discipline required by the Centre and a record of research management.
• Eight years of related experience including a background in research and research management.  
• Work experience in a developing country.

Job Scope

Within the Program Area led by a Director of the Program Area the Senior Program Specialist is expected to: 

• provide intellectual leadership for areas of the Program Initiative and for other areas of the Program connected with his/her specialized knowledge;
• to manage a portfolio of projects with a large degree of independence and discretion within the policies of the Centre and the plans set out in the PI prospectus and to set an example of good practice for more junior staff;
• take initiatives to identify and adopt new developments in the disciplines and areas of development covered by the PI;
• to be entrepreneurial in identifying and developing additional sources of funding for Centre-supported projects;
• to identify when Centre-supported research merits publication or some other form of wider dissemination to both scholarly and development audiences, and to play a role as editor, contributor of analyses and syntheses in the production of the work.

Other Comments

Candidate Profile

• ability to communicate effectively, in a wide variety of cultural settings and in different fora; 
• sensitivity to the importance of gender equity and related issues;
• ability to work as a member of multi-disciplinary teams;
• ability to plan, organize, coordinate and negotiate under pressure;
• ability to provide specialized advice and professional guidance to external contacts;
• good analytical and writing skills with a demonstrated peer-review publication record; 
• proven administrative and problem-solving skills;
• ability to supervise research and administrative support staff;
• knowledge of computer systems relevant to the position;
• capacity for increased initiative, independent action and program-level responsibility.