The posting
Job Description: Project Manager / Assessment Researcher
Program: Iraq Higher Education AI Workforce Readiness Program
Location: Baghdad, Iraq (full-time, in-person) Duration: 12 months
About Development Gateway
Development Gateway: An IREX Venture (DG) is an international non-profit organization with approximately 80 team members based in more than 15 countries worldwide. By leveraging the combination of programmatic and IT developer capacity and skills within DG, over the last 20 years we have researched data ecosystems, built digital tools to support those data ecosystems, and advised on data strategy and digital transformation to strengthen decision-making, transparency, and service delivery.
Position Summary
The Project Manager / Assessment Researcher will serve as the senior in-country lead for Development Gateway (DG) on the Iraq Higher Education AI Workforce Readiness Program, a 12-month program implemented with IREX in coordination with institutional partners in Iraq. Based in Baghdad, the Project Manager will manage delivery of Development Gateway's workstreams while leading the research that establishes a baseline of AI readiness across Iraqi higher education institutions (HEIs).
This is a role for a professional who is comfortable working on strategic questions and on technical detail. The Project Manager will manage the program workplan, budget, and reporting; lead the AI ecosystem mapping, the virtual university survey, and stakeholder interviews; and turn the findings into a visual baseline report and individual university factsheets. The role will also guide the design of the in-person AI workforce convening and the AI readiness roadmaps, and will advise program leadership on political, institutional, and technical risks as they emerge.
The Project Manager will build and maintain relationships with Iraq government institutions, university leaders, U.S. technology firms, and the funder, and will guide and mentor the AI Technical Specialist and other technical colleagues so that their work stays complementary and linked to program goals. The role reports to DG's program leadership and works daily with the IREX Iraq team and a distributed DG team.
Key Responsibilities
Project Management and Delivery
- Lead day-to-day management of DG's activities under the program in Iraq, ensuring timelines, deliverables, and budgets are met.
- Develop, maintain, and update work plans, MEL plan, activity trackers, and budgets in coordination with IREX and DG colleagues, and adjust direction as new priorities or contextual realities emerge.
- Ensure accurate and timely programmatic reporting to IREX, DG, and the funder, coordinating inputs across the team and partners, in English and Arabic as required.
AI Readiness Assessment and Research
- Lead the AI ecosystem mapping and rapid diagnostic of priority government institutions, private sector partners, and universities, in close partnership with the AI Technical Specialist and IREX counterparts and with support from the Deputy Director of Programs, adapting the AI readiness methodology developed by IREX and DG to the Iraqi context.
- Manage the virtual AI readiness assessment, including survey adaptation, the virtual orientation workshop, and participant support, with a target of at least 40 institutions across federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
- Conduct 20 to 30 interviews with Ministry officials, university leaders, U.S. technology firm representatives, and other stakeholders, and review relevant policies, strategies, and grey literature.
- Analyze the data, including regional comparisons for the Southern and Western provinces and the Kurdistan Region, and produce a highly visual baseline report and 2-page factsheets for each participating university.
Strategic Advisory
- Maintain a view across all program workstreams, identify emerging political, institutional, and technical risks early, and propose practical solutions and adjustments to program leadership.
- Provide analytical input to and quality review of external-facing knowledge products, including the baseline report, factsheets, briefs, and roadmaps.
- Promote and support strategic and business development opportunities for DG in Iraq as required.
Stakeholder Convening and Partnership Building
- Lead engagement with government partners and university leadership to align the program with national AI and higher education priorities, working in close coordination with IREX and the funder.
- Guide the planning of the in-person Private Sector and Iraqi AI Workforce Convening, facilitate working sessions, and steer discussions toward concrete use cases, skill needs, and partnership commitments with U.S. and Iraqi employers.
- Guide the development and virtual validation of AI readiness roadmaps for selected universities, and represent DG at external events and in meetings with partners.
- Mentor and guide the AI Technical Specialist and other technical colleagues, and contribute to a collaborative working culture across DG and IREX teams in Baghdad.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor's degree in public policy, education, information systems, a STEM field, or a related discipline.
- 7+ years of experience working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, with a track record of managing project delivery and high-level institutional relationships, preferably on donor-funded programs.
- Demonstrable experience building strategic relationships with government stakeholders in Iraq, ideally in higher education, alongside subject-matter experience in higher education, digital policy, or workforce development.
- Experience designing and conducting applied research and assessments, including surveys, key informant interviews, and document review, and analyzing mixed-methods data.
- Experience guiding, mentoring, or coordinating technical staff and consultants across teams and organizations.
- Language: Professional fluency in written and spoken Arabic and English, with strong communication and diplomacy skills.
- Work authorization: Must have existing work authorization in Iraq.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in education, public policy, or a technology-related discipline.
- Demonstrable experience in AI policy or AI in education, including familiarity with national AI strategy developments in Iraq.
- Experience with U.S. Government-funded awards and with consortium-based programs involving several implementing partners.
- Experience organizing workshops, conferences, or convenings that include private sector participants.
Position Details
This is a full-time embedded in the IREX office in Iraq. The expected annual compensation range is USD $42,000-$45,000, depending on relevant experience. The position is for the duration of the project, which is 12 months.
DG will review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Interviews are expected to begin in early November.
