Associate Director, DTS at Devex

• The successful candidate will possess a profound understanding of the international development sector, a demonstrated track record in executive search across Africa, and exceptional skills in building strong relationships with clients and candidates.
• Leveraging your regional expertise, talent market and your understanding of diverse industry sectors, you will help place top-tier talent in critical roles, driving impactful results for INGOs, MDBs, UN agencies, social enterprises, and philanthropic organizations globally.
• This senior position within the Devex Talent Solutions team offers the opportunity to work alongside a global team, implementing innovative sourcing and talent strategies to find the most suitable and diverse candidates for mid, senior, executive, and C-suite roles. The Associate Director will also lead executive searches for clients in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and implement comprehensive recruitment strategies tailored to the unique needs of international development clients across various industries (e.g., health, agriculture, education, infrastructure).
• Manage the end-to-end search process, including crafting job descriptions, advising on search strategies, identifying and engaging potential candidates, candidate evaluation, coordinating interviews, and finalizing placements.
• Lead search commencement calls with the hiring team, crafting tailored questions to ensure alignment on client needs, recruitment challenges, and required technical qualifications and competencies.
• Utilize various sourcing methods, including networking, social media, industry events, and complex internet research to identify and attract top passive talent.
• Screen and assess candidates’ qualifications, including experience, motivation, cultural fit, and salary expectations. Conduct pre-screening interviews, reference checks, and use scorecards for longlisting assignments.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients throughout the entire search lifecycle, providing regular updates, discussing challenges, and offering recommendations as needed.
• Ensure a positive candidate experience by maintaining engagement throughout the recruitment lifecycle. Coach candidates to effectively showcase their skills and align with the organization’s culture and requirements.
• Serve as the search expert by conducting in-depth research and gaining a deep understanding of the organization and the specific thematic and functional areas pertinent to the position.
• Stay updated on the latest news and developments in the international development sector and be familiar with the operations of various organizations, including INGOs, UN agencies, and MDBs.
• Promote diversity and inclusion in all recruitment processes, ensuring a wide range of candidates are considered.
• Maintain accurate records of recruitment activities and provide regular reports to clients and internal stakeholders.

Education:

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in a related field; a Master’s degree is strongly preferred.
• Relevant recruitment certifications are strongly preferred (e.g., CPR, PHR, SPHR, CTAS, CIR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, TAS, GPHR, CAR).

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in talent acquisition, with at least 3 years in executive search, recruiting for international development organizations.
• Proven and extensive experience utilizing standard and specialized sourcing techniques, tools, and methodologies to identify diverse and high-caliber candidates, including database and ATS search, Boolean strings, internet research, LinkedIn Recruiter, referral systems, networking, and social media search.
• Demonstrated experience and advanced skills in the full recruitment lifecycle, from developing job descriptions, talent mapping, leading search intake calls, creatively sourcing passive candidates, vetting and evaluating candidates using the scorecard approach, interviewing, reference checking, to negotiating and finalizing job offers.
• Proven success in sourcing international talent across the African continent.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, fostering strong relationships with multicultural internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills in English
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Suite (Google Docs, Google Sheets).

Nice-to-have

• Previous talent acquisition experience with international development organizations, including but not limited to Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), UN agencies, INGOs, social enterprises, and philanthropy organizations.
• Fluency in French is an added advantage.
• Experience in direct communication with senior business executives or leaders.
• Familiarity with various Application Management Systems (ATS) (e.g., SAP Success Factors, Workday, BambooHR, JazzHR).