CLAME Associate

Headlight Organization Overview

Founded in 2018, Headlight Consulting Services, LLC delivers data-driven decision-making to its partners through robust strategy design support, in-depth monitoring, evaluation, and learning technical services, and facilitated organizational change processes. Headlight brings expertise in qualitative methods, systems-thinking, utilization-focused MEL, emergent methods such as developmental evaluation, evaluation policy design, organizational development, and much more. Headlight offers fit-for-purpose, agile solutions to improve the efficiency and efficacy of development programs around the globe, focusing on the structures and systems that enable sustainable solutions.

Summary of Position

The CLAME Associate position is a key support role to Headlight’s long-term contracts, providing data analysis, evaluative, strategic communication of evidence, and project management support. The CLAME Associate will work with one of our CLAME Specialists to identify and apply the appropriate CLAME best practice, ensure technical rigor in Headlight’s analytical support, and deliver actionable deliverables to a variety of clients. This position requires a strong analytical background, familiarity with M&E tools and applicable software, exposure to different learning techniques, and the ability to apply data visualization tools to draft utilization-focused deliverables for a variety of audiences. The CLAME Associate will also contribute to blogs and thought leadership opportunities, as well as support ongoing business development efforts and other responsibilities as assigned by their manager.

This is a full-time position. The CLAME Associate will report to the Strengthening Disaster Risk Management Systems and Institutions (SDRM-SI) Developmental Evaluation (DE) Administrative Lead [CLAME Specialist] in Portland, Maine. Being regionally located in New England is essential given Headlight’s dedicated approach to mentoring staff through occasional in-person working sessions.

Illustrative projects that the CLAME Associate could work on include supporting the Strengthening Disaster Risk Management Systems and Institutions (SDRM-SI) Developmental Evaluation (DE), Project and Activity Design for a USAID Mission, or overhead projects as assigned. Beginning in 2020, USAID/Ethiopia embarked upon an ambitious, integrated Project to strengthen the capacity of Ethiopia’s communities and institutions to manage disaster risks effectively. This five-year Strengthening Disaster Risk Management Systems and Institutions (SDRM-SI) Project (2020-2025) (i.e., Project 1) is operating in a complex and ever-changing context that requires systems-based and adaptive implementation. With this in mind, the SDRM-SI Project Team is pursuing a Developmental Evaluation (DE), implemented by Headlight to help answer the Mission’s complex DE Learning Questions and support adaptation and refinement of USAID/Ethiopia’s DRM approach at the strategy, activity, and operational levels.

Responsibilities

The CLAME Associate will be responsible for a variety of tasks that are portfolio-dependent and will change based on the projects they are working on.

• Qualitative analysis of existing documentation (use-focused literature reviews), provided data sets, and newly collected data;
• Qualitative coding in Dedoose and quantitative coding in a variety of software that is client-dependent;
• Development of Findings-Conclusions-Recommendation matrices to support report drafting;
• CLAME tool development and testing;
• Drafting of various data-driven and learning-oriented client reports;
• In-person support to CLAME workshops including logistics support, facilitation support, and post-workshop deliverable support;
• Completion of additional CLAME-related tasks as required by the projects and position’s manager;
• Support for management of Headlight’s projects including timely email responses to client needs, support with invoicing and regular management reports, and support with workplanning and other project management tasks;
• Drafting of Headlight website content, including authoring blogs; and,
• Drafting of various proposal components to support business development.

Qualifications

• Masters in Political Science, International Relations, or related disciplines;
• Minimum 3-5 years of professional experience in international development and/or CLAME-related roles;
• Knowledge of design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning practices, methods, and tools;
• Demonstrated experience with quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis and associated applications;
• Experience working with clients at different levels, virtually, and across different time zones;
• Exceptional writing skills, including technical analytical writing, writing for different audiences, and writing for the web;
• Appetite for building relationships and networking;
• High standards of integrity, professionalism, and creative problem solving;
• Must enjoy working independently, as well as in a team environment;
• Keen attention to detail, especially related to documenting data and associated processes; and,
• Active listening, proactive learning, and time management skills.

Benefits

Headlight offers full-time employees a competitive salary package, vacation, holiday and sick leave, health insurance coverage, and much more.