Director-Learning Hub

• Job Description: Director, Learning Hub
• Location: Lahore, Pakistan
• Reports to: President and CEO, CERP
• Position Type: Full-time, Senior Leadership Role

About CERP

The Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan, or CERP, is a leading independent nonpartisan policy institution focused on improving decision-making in Pakistan through evidence-informed research, engaging with policy counterparts with real policy challenges and designing and advising on high-impact reforms based on data. At CERP, we also deploy cutting-edge pedagogy tailored for Pakistan and provide data insights to the private sector on product and process design.

Role Overview:

• The Director, Learning Hub, will lead the strategic vision, design, and execution of a dynamic knowledge and capacity-building platform focused on strengthening evidence-informed decision-making in Pakistan. This role involves establishing and expanding partnerships across academia, government, development partners, and the private sector. The Director will oversee the design and delivery of a diverse portfolio of innovative training & learning programs that translate research into actionable policy.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Management

• Lead the strategic direction, planning, and operations of the Learning Hub, including financial planning, fundraising, budgeting, and growth both nationally and internationally.
• Represent the Learning Hub at senior management forums and contribute to organisation-wide strategic initiatives.
• Identify emerging opportunities and develop new program streams to address gaps in evidence uptake, policy design, and public sector innovation.

Program Design & Delivery

• Oversee the design and implementation of large-scale capacity-building programs focused on M&E, use of data for policy making, etc, for workshops and learning events for a diverse audience of policymakers, civil servants, young professionals and academics, and youth.
• Develop thematic learning series for key policy challenges in Pakistan, such as climate change, energy transition, gender sensitive M&E, etc.

Knowledge Translation & Research Use

• Lead the development of case studies and learning materials to bridge the gap between rigorous research and policy application.
• Oversee experimental evaluation frameworks to assess the long-term impact of learning interventions on behaviour, knowledge, and evidence uptake.
• Design and conduct effective evidence dialogues to create high-impact, meaningful platforms to bridge the gap between researchers and policy actors to drive the design and implementation of data-driven policies in Pakistan.

Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and sustain strategic partnerships with national and international academic institutions, government agencies, and donor organisations.
• Manage high-level engagements with ministries, regulatory bodies, think tanks, and donor agencies to co-create relevant and contextual learning programs.

Entry Requirements

Qualifications & Experience:

• Master's in Public Policy, Economics, Development Studies, or related field
• Minimum 10 years of experience in policy research, capacity building, public sector innovation, or related areas.
• Proven leadership in managing complex, multi-stakeholder programs.
• Strong record of successful fundraising and donor engagement.
• Demonstrated expertise in Monitoring & Evaluation, Data Analytics, Evidence Dissemination, and/or Policy Advocacy.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic vision and entrepreneurial drive
• Strong communication and facilitation skills across diverse audiences
• Experience managing high-level government and donor relations
• Deep understanding of public policy processes in Pakistan
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills
• Team leadership and mentoring experience

Preferred Skills:

• Bilingual fluency (English and Urdu; Punjabi is a plus)
• Strong writing and publication record on public policy issues
• Familiarity with different M&E frameworks and Data Analytics tools such as STATA