Vice President - Research Advisory & Practice
AI summary
Busara Center for Behavioral Economics is hiring a Vice President, Research Advisory & Practice to provide enterprise-level leadership across its practice areas in Nairobi. The role focuses on strategy, commercial growth, delivery excellence, and organizational integration to advance behavioral science for poverty alleviation. Candidates need 12–15 years of experience and a bachelor’s degree.
- Senior leadership role with enterprise-wide strategy and practice ownership
- Focus on revenue growth, partnerships, and delivery quality
- Requires 12–15 years of relevant experience
- Hybrid full-time position based in Nairobi
- Research and development field within behavioral economics
AI job guide
Use this guide to check salary signals, requirements, documents, application steps and safety before you apply.
AI salary guide
Not enough public dataNot enough public salary data is available for this exact role. Before applying, prepare to ask about gross pay, benefits, contract length, probation period, transport and any allowances.
Can you qualify for this role?
- Required12+ years of relevant experienceThe job post includes a minimum experience signal.
- RequiredEducation or certification mentioned in the postThe captured text mentions education, a diploma, certificate, or licence.
- PreferredPractical evidence in entregador, technology, financeThe tags and summary point to skills connected with this role.
- RequiredAvailability to work in Not specifiedThe vacancy is associated with this location.
- UnclearComfort with the Full Time contract termsConfirm hours, duration, probation and benefits at the original source.
Documents to prepare
- Likely requiredUpdated CV
- Role specificCover letter or short employer message
- OptionalProfessional references
- Role specificAcademic or professional certificates
- VerifyID or passport only after verifying the employer
Application tips for this job
- Place your strongest Vice President - Research Advisory & Practice evidence in the first half of your CV.
- In your cover letter or employer message, connect your experience to Busara Center for Behavioral Economics and the role in Not specified.
- Add concrete examples related to entregador, technology, finance, ideally with measurable outcomes or clear responsibilities.
- Follow the instructions from MyJobMag Kenya; avoid sending documents to unofficial contacts or copied links.
- Confirm the deadline, interview location and employer contact before sharing personal documents.
- Prepare a polite question about pay, benefits and contract terms for later interview stages.
Source and safety check
- MyJobMag Kenya
- Original source link available
- Application method is clear
- Deadline not specified
- No major risk signal was detected in the captured text.
Never pay for interviews, shortlisting, medical checks, uniforms, or job placement. Confirm every application at the original source before sharing personal documents. Report suspicious listing.
Interview preparation
- What experience makes you a strong fit for this Vice President - Research Advisory & Practice role in entregador, technology?
- How have you handled responsibilities similar to those in this job post?
- Are you available to work in Not specified under the listed contract or schedule?
- Prepare examples with clear responsibilities, tools used and measurable outcomes.
- Review the source and research Busara Center for Behavioral Economics before the interview.
Ask what the first priorities will be in the role and how success will be measured.
Similar jobs to consider
Use AI to apply better
After confirming the original source, use Career Assistant to check role fit, tailor your CV and prepare a cover letter or employer message.
Original source description
Never pay for any notarisation, certificate or assessment as part of any recruitment process. When in doubt,
contact us
The Busara Center for Behavioral Economics is an advisory and research organization focused on evaluation and implementation of behavioral interventions in understudied countries and populations. Busara's mission is to work with researchers and organizations to advance and apply behavioral science in pursuit of poverty alleviation. This involves the applicat...
Vice President - Research Advisory & Practice
Job Type
Full Time
,
Hybrid
Qualification
BA/BSc/HND
Experience
12 - 15 years
Location
Nairobi
Job Field
Research and Development
Who We’re Looking For
We are looking for a leader who has successfully operated at scale and can lead across strategy, business development, delivery, people, and organizational development.
You will be someone who is comfortable building where there is ambiguity, creating systems without creating unnecessary bureaucracy, and bringing different teams and portfolios together around a shared mission. You will combine strong commercial and operational judgment with intellectual curiosity, a deep understanding of behavioral science, and the ability to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
Most importantly, we are looking for someone who can help Busara move from strong individual practices and portfolios toward an increasingly integrated, scalable, and sustainable organization.
Key Accountabilities/
12–15+ years of
in global development, consulting, research, or advisory environments with at least 5 years at the senior executive level
Proven track record of leading strategy, business development, and delivery at scale
managing complex, multi-country portfolios or programs
Demonstrated success in building partnerships with funders, governments, or multilaterals
leading and developing senior teams
Deep familiarity with applied behavioral science, psychology, economics, or a related discipline.
working across Africa and South Asia strongly preferred; lived or worked
Skills and Capabilities
Strategic thinking with operational discipline – able to hold the long arc and the near-term simultaneously.
Deep commercial acumen, including revenue growth, margins, and pipeline management
Entrepreneurial builder – comfortable creating structure where none exists, and evolving it as the organization grows.
People leadership – a coach and talent developer who builds diverse, high-trust teams.
Behavioral science fluency – able to translate rigorous methods into practical, client-facing solutions.
External presence – credible, warm, and articulate in front of the most senior stakeholders.
Cross-functional influence – able to lead with authority across People, Finance, Comms, and Project Operations.
Future-oriented: able to engage with new technologies and support implementation of our AI strategy.
What Success Looks Like
Sustained revenue growth and improved financial performance across practice areas.
High-quality, consistent delivery across practice areas, portfolios and geographies.
Strong pipeline and conversion of strategic opportunities.
Clear and scalable practice areas with increased reuse of tools and approaches.
Strengthened leadership bench and organizational capability.
Enhanced reputation and influence of Busara in the global majority development ecosystem.
Check how your CV aligns with this job
Method of Application
Interested and qualified? Go to
Busara Center on jobs.lever.co
to apply
Build your CV for free.
Download in different templates.
Responsibilities
The Vice President, Research, Advisory & Practice will provide enterprise-level leadership across Busara’s practice areas, with responsibility for translating strategy into sustainable growth, high-quality delivery, strong partnerships, and organizational capability. The role will work across practices, geographies, and functions to ensure that Busara operates as an integrated organization and continues to deliver meaningful impact at scale. The key areas of responsibility include and not limited to:
Strategy and Practice Leadership
Define and lead Busara’s overall research, advisory & practice strategy across sectors and regions in alignment with Busara’s overall organizational strategy
Ensure coherence and integration across practices, geographies, and portfolios
Identify and develop new practice areas, service lines, and strategic opportunities in development and adjacent sectors.
Translate research, delivery experience, and learning into scalable tools, frameworks, and approaches to strengthen institutional adoption
Design and model the norms that ensure different portfolios operate as a unit towards a singular mission
Ensure the overall sustainability of every practice area, measured against revenue, margin, utilization, share of practice partnerships and overall contribution to Busara's mission.
Commercial Leadership and Partnerships
Own revenue growth, margin performance, utilization, and renewal targets across practice areas
Oversee the full business development lifecycle, including pipeline management, forecasting, and conversion
Lead or support the development of major proposals, partnerships, and contracts
Build and maintain senior relationships with funders, governments, multilaterals, and implementing partners
Strengthen commercial discipline, including pricing, opportunity selection, and portfolio balance
Coach and support senior leaders in business development and account management
Allocate resources strategically across practices.
Delivery Excellence and Impact
Hold overall accountability for the quality, rigor, and impact of program delivery
Strengthen and enforce quality assurance systems across all projects and portfolios
Improve delivery reliability, including timelines, staffing models, and execution consistency
Monitor portfolio performance and address delivery risks proactively
Strengthen implementation capability across teams and geographies
Build and maintain knowledge management systems to support learning and reuse
Drive continuous improvement based on performance data and feedback
Leadership and Organizational Development
Lead, coach, and develop senior leaders across practices and portfolios
Build a strong leadership pipeline and succession plans for critical roles
Clarify roles, decision-making structures, and accountability across teams
Strengthen management capability, including performance management and delegation
Partner with the People function on recruitment, retention, and talent development
Partner with Director Voice on designing and co-creating impact strategies that are rooted in practice area relationships but can be supported with voice outputs
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning