Associate Engagement Director - Uganda

We are looking for an







Associate Engagement Director to help drive our mission forward in Uganda.

What will you do?

The Associate Engagement Director will be responsible for expanding and overseeing Busara’s work in Uganda on youth employment, education, and inclusive finance. In line with Busara’s mission, these portfolios focus on generating rigorous evidence to improve labor market outcomes and solve key challenges in these sectors, from designing more gender-inclusive digital financial products to improving teacher motivation. Our work relies on close collaboration with the government, NGOs, the private sector, funders, and a wide range of other clients and partners across the public and private sectors. The role of the Associate Engagement Director will be to manage partner relationships and research projects end-to-end, ensuring we generate robust, data-driven insights that shape policies and programs for meaningful impact.

How will you contribute?

• Relationship Management: Manage relationships with Busara’s partners in Uganda in education, youth employment, and inclusive finance, understanding how our research can further their objectives
• Building New Partnerships: Identify and build strategic partnerships with organizations working in these sectors in Uganda
• Project Oversight: Managing mixed-methods research and monitoring and evaluation projects from start to finish, including managing staff, project timelines and budgets, and drafting reports and presentations
• Rigorous Research: Conducting rigorous qualitative and quantitative research and translating insights into relevant, actionable recommendations for clients and partners
  
  
  

About You:

Your mission is clear: to create positive change in the Global South, especially Uganda.

You’ve led teams of 5 to 10 people and thrive in diverse, multicultural environments. You’re also a mentor who shapes the next generation of leaders.

You don’t just manage relationships but build lasting alliances, especially in inclusive finance, education, and/or youth employment.

You’ve been in client-delivery roles like management consulting or internal innovation teams.

You have a passion for research; you not only know how to apply different research methods, but you genuinely enjoy learning about new methods, uncovering new research questions, and conducting research to answer these questions.

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities

The Associate Engagement Director will work closely with Busara leaders and directly with researchers, clients, and partners to perform a range of responsibilities including, but not limited to:

Delivery Responsibilities

• Structure, design, and deliver our current and new engagements to client’s satisfaction, which includes designing and delivering qualitative, quantitative, or experimental research.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for clients and partners. Understand and preempt needs of stakeholders through proactive communication and troubleshooting.
• Develop and ensure Busara’s standards for quality of project management and delivery are followed across our work with respect to creativity, rigor, relevance, detail, and timeliness.
• Manage and coordinate multiple projects across multiple clients. Structure successful project onboarding and offboarding exercises to support knowledge management between projects.
• Strategically assign staff to projects that maximize the probability of success. Liaise with relevant divisions to understand any support requirements.
• Participate in field work for assigned projects as may be required.
  
  
  

Business Development Responsibilities

• Work closely with Engagement Directors to define and drive the priority focus areas and strategy by setting, planning, and executing strategic and sustainable projects and annual targets, and ensuring clear vertical harmony on priorities for the organization.
• Complete key business development functions, such as leading contracting for our engagements; developing proposals, concept notes, and pitch decks for new partnership opportunities and knowledge sharing; and presenting at conferences, networking events, or client meetings.
• Develop lasting relationships with clients and partners to build long-term partnerships, which includes serving as the primary points of contact on large, multi-year projects and networking at conferences and client meetings.
  
  
  

Organizational Responsibilities

• Manage, motivate, and coach Associates, Analysts, and other project team members, including by building their skills and capacity. Lead development of team building events
• Serve as a direct manager to a team of Associates and/or research specialists.
• Work closely with other Associate Engagement Directors, and Engagement Directors to identify opportunities for collaboration and development across teams. Liaise with finance, operations, and people teams.
• Manage communications to ensure clear internal knowledge management and harmonization across projects.
• Perform any other duty as may be assigned by the Vice Presidents and Engagement Directors.
  
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, And Experience

• Have led at least a moderate-sized team (5 to 10) of people, especially with multicultural and multinational backgrounds, and can mentor mid-level staff and young professionals
• Know how to build and manage relationships with external partners and funders of diverse backgrounds and interests.
• Proficient project management skills.
• Have direct experience working in one or more of the substantive areas of international development (e.g., sustainability, financial services, healthcare, gender equity, agriculture).
• Have in-depth knowledge, experience, and passion for conducting quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed-methods research, and know how to translate research findings into recommendations.
• Have the knowledge that comes from a Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Economics, Business Management, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or related fields.
• Have the hard-won lessons and self-awareness that usually come from at least 6 years of work experience.
• Ugandan nationality preferred. Deep familiarity with Ugandan context required for non-nationals.
  
  
  

As profiles will be reviewed on a rolling basis, please apply as soon as possible.

Data Privacy Statement

As part of Busara’s recruitment process, personal information provided by an applicant through various means will be collected and stored. This includes but is not limited to the information which the candidate provides to Busara in their application and profile, any data from role assessments, interviews information including video interviews and data provided to us by your referees. This data will be used to evaluate the application, communicate with the candidate, and where a candidate has selected this option, for future recruitment opportunities. All this information will be treated as part of each job application record and only retained for the required record retention period.

By choosing to apply for this position at Busara, you are giving Busara your consent to process your personal data as described above. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is secure.










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