Manager, AI Adoption and Innovation at Evidence Action · Nairobi

About Evidence Action

At Evidence Action, we deliver data-driven interventions that transform lives at an unprecedented scale. We identify neglected global health issues and deploy proven solutions, forging healthier futures for generations.

Our model operationalizes leading academic research (including from Nobel-winning economists). We measure progress and outcomes at every stage to ensure we’re making a real impact for people living in poverty and suffering from preventable or treatable health issues. Operating across 11 countries, our team of 900+ has reached over 500 million people, working closely with governments to scale these interventions.

• Our Deworm the World program has delivered over 2 billion treatments, significantly reducing worm prevalence and generating more than $23 billion in lifetime productivity gains.
• Through Safe Water Now, we’ve saved the lives of over 15,000 children.
• Our Accelerator explores untapped opportunities in global health, testing low-cost interventions with the greatest potential to save and improve lives.

At Evidence Action, your colleagues are your greatest asset. You'll partner with high-caliber colleagues in an environment blending innovation, autonomy, and teamwork. Our team excels in disruptive thinking and believes in rolling up our sleeves to get things done. If you're looking to work flexibly and with purpose, join a team that delivers measurable change for millions.

About the role

The Manager, AI Adoption and Innovation will lead the uptake, experimentation, and value realization of AI tools across Evidence Action’s Africa region. Sitting within the Regional Planning and Coordination team, this role translates the organization’s AI strategic objectives into practical adoption strategies, ensuring a right-sized approach to 600+ staff across 9 countries effectively leverage AI to enhance efficiency and quality in their core workflows.

This is a pioneering role for Evidence Action Africa. You will orchestrate the end-to-end adoption process, from identifying high-impact use cases through to coordinating prototyping, testing, and scaling with the relevant teams and partners.. You will lead change management efforts, facilitate organizational learning, track impact, and ensure maximum return on investment from our AI infrastructure. The role demands someone who can work together with technical departments to pressure-test ideas, build and iterate on prototypes with speed, prioritize efforts even in uncertainty, and bring non-technical teams along the journey. You will learn by doing, in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment where success means staff in the field are actually using and benefitting from what you collectively built.

While technical expertise and a willingness to deepen AI knowledge is appreciated, a core function in this role is people and program impact focused: empowering people across the region to adopt and leverage the right AI solutions for their work.

Success in this role will be measured by the extent to which teams across the region adopt and derive measurable value from AI tools—not by the number of solutions developed.

This is a 1-year fixed-term contract, renewable based on performance and organizational need.

What this role is not

This is not a hands-on technical builder role. You will not independently design or develop AI solutions. Instead, you will enable and coordinate cross-functional teams (Programs, MLE, Finance, Operations, Communications, People & Culture, Internal audit and Regional Planning & Coordination) who are the subject matter experts in their domains to identify, test, and adopt AI solutions. Success in this role is defined by organizational adoption and impact—not technical output. These teams are already identifying AI use cases based on their workflow challenges. Your role is to remove barriers, clarify resource requirements, help them translate their needs into clear user requirements, and coordinate the prototyping and testing process alongside them. Success means empowering these teams to develop and adopt AI solutions that deliver measurable impact to their work—not building in isolation and delivering finished products.

Key responsibilities

1. AI Strategy and Leadership (20%)

• Develop and own the Africa region AI adoption roadmap, translating global AI strategy into contextually relevant plans across diverse country environments.
• In collaboration with technical partners, pressure-test AI/ML ideas and proposals, balancing technical feasibility with organizational ambition and operational constraints.
• Provide strategic counsel to regional and country leadership on AI adoption progress, risks, opportunities, and return on investment.
• Contribute to global AI strategy discussions and serve as the Africa voice in cross-regional AI communities of practice alongside sharing knowledge and coordinating enterprise-wide progress with peers in India and the US.
• Ensure AI initiatives are governed responsibly, with attention to data privacy, ethical AI frameworks, and compliance with relevant regulations across country contexts.

2. Use Case Identification and Prototype Development (30%)

• Drive discovery and prioritization of high-impact AI use cases that address real workflow challenges across programs, MLE, finance, operations, and P&C functions.
• Coordinate the design of AI solutions in partnership with departmental teams/ functional experts, defining clear scope, success metrics, and realistic timelines for proof-of-concepts and minimum viable products. Coordinate prototyping efforts rather than building solutions independently. Ensure that functional teams remain owners of use cases while you provide structure, coordination, and support.
• Manage the full pilot lifecycle from ideation and testing through evaluation and scaling decisions, ensuring rigorous documentation and learning capture.
• Facilitate cross-team learning from pilot successes and failures, creating feedback loops that accelerate organizational learning and position solutions for broader adoption.
• Maintain awareness of the AI tool landscape and translate emerging developments into accessible, actionable insights for non-technical audiences.

3. End-to-End Delivery and Partner Management (20%)

• Oversee the delivery of AI projects end-to-end, coordinating the transition of validated prototypes into scalable solutions by working with internal technical teams and external partners
• Manage external technical partners and vendors, including selection, contracting, performance oversight, and risk mitigation, ensuring timely delivery to quality standards.

4. Change Management and Capability Building (20%)

• Design and execute a region-wide AI adoption strategy that drives sustained behavior change across diverse country contexts and functions.
• Build and steward a network of AI champions across countries and functions to amplify adoption efforts and sustain momentum.
• Design and facilitate engaging learning events, including workshops, show-and-tell sessions, and peer learning forums that encourage experimentation and knowledge sharing.
• Embed AI learning into onboarding and ongoing professional development for Africa region staff, curating and developing practical materials including guides, prompt libraries, and use case repositories.
• Develop communication campaigns that demonstrate AI value propositions, address adoption barriers, and build staff confidence in using AI tools effectively.
• Collaborate with IT teams on license optimization, monitoring usage patterns across the region and making evidence-based recommendations for reallocation.
• Build internal capability by enabling operations and program teams to sustain and scale AI products post-launch, reducing dependency on external support over time.
• This is a core pillar of success for the role.

5. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (10%)

• Establish and maintain dashboards tracking license utilization, user engagement, pilot outcomes, and impact metrics against strategic OKRs.
• Conduct regular pulse checks and surveys to assess user satisfaction, adoption barriers, and workflow impact across the region.
• Provide monthly progress reports to regional leadership, highlighting trends, surfacing risks, and recommending interventions.
• Analyse usage data to identify patterns, bottlenecks, and opportunities for targeted support. This will inform prioritization and resource allocation decisions.

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in technology, consulting, product development, international development, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience driving adoption of new tools, systems, or ways of working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Proven ability to lead projects end-to-end, managing multiple workstreams simultaneously from conception through to delivery and evaluation.
• Proven ability to influence without formal authority and build collaborative relationships across organizational levels and geographies.
• Strong change management and stakeholder engagement skills, with demonstrated experience driving behaviour change initiatives in complex organizational environments.
• Be a quick learner about a range of domains and ability to understand what constitutes a string AI solution for each of the areas we work in.
• Working knowledge of AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Notebook LLM) with ability to identify practical applications and articulate their value to non-technical audiences. Comfort working with technical departments to translate user needs into implementable solutions.
• Proven ability to bridge technical and non-technical teams, translating complex technical concepts into accessible language and organizational requirements into technical specifications.
• Demonstrated curiosity about AI/ML developments, with ability to assess emerging tools and techniques for organizational fit without requiring deep technical implementation skills.
• Excellent facilitation, presentation, and communication skills, with proven ability to make technical concepts accessible and engaging for non-technical audiences.
• Analytical mindset with comfort using data to track progress, identify patterns, and inform decisions.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional change initiatives, influencing diverse stakeholders, and driving adoption in complex organizational environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Legal authorization to work in Kenya or Nigeria without sponsorship.

Desirable

• Working knowledge of multiple AI domains beyond LLMs, such as automation tools, computer vision, NLP/text processing, predictive analytics, or geospatial analysis.
• Experience managing internal technical teams, including gathering scoping requirements, coordinating design and delivery, and ensuring outputs meet user needs.
• Background in change management, learning and development, or organizational transformation.
• Familiarity with ethical AI frameworks, data privacy regulations, and government compliance considerations in African contexts.
• Experience working in international development or non-profit sector, particularly in multi-country African contexts.
• Deeply committed to using technology for social good, with ambition about AI’s potential balanced by practical, grounded expectations.
• Ability to work within and embody Evidence Action core values - evidence first, iterate again, challenging convention, economise without compromise, passion throughout.

Position location

This role will be based in Nairobi, Kenya or Abuja, Nigeria, with travel within the Africa region expected up to 15%.

Hybrid working arrangements apply.

This is a 1-year fixed-term contract, renewable subject to performance review and organizational need.

Shortlisting will be done on a rolling basis. Role will close by 2nd June 2026.

Evidence Action provides a comprehensive benefits package for employees worldwide. *Benefits may differ based on country-specific regulations

*Benefits include:

• Comprehensive health insurance
• Pension/ Retirement savings options
• Paid leave
• Avenues for engagement and recognition.

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with the individual’s credentials, experience, and internal pay scale.

Evidence Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to representation and inclusion. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.