Director General

Job Vacancy | Monday, April 20, 2026

Join Our Mission to Foster Prosperity in Asia and the Pacific

Are you ready to make a difference in the future of Asia and the Pacific and become a catalyst for positive change? We are thrilled to offer a unique opportunity to become an important part of the prestigious Asian Development Bank (ADB). At ADB, our mission is simple yet powerful: to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Organizational Setting and Reporting Relationship

The position of Director General is assigned in the Office of the Director General (IEOD) within the Independent Evaluation Department (IED). You will be based at our Headquarters in Manila, Philippines and relocation is required. All reasonable relocation expenses will be covered. The following staff positions report to the Director General, IED — Deputy Director General; Directors, Sector and Project Division (IESP) and Thematic and Country Division (IETC); Advisors, IEOD and Evaluation Knowledge Management Unit (EKMU); 36 Technical International Staff; and 31 Technical Local Staff. You will report to the Board of Directors through its Development Effectiveness Committee (DEC).

Your Role

The Director General will be responsible, among other matters, for promoting high-level accountability and learning in ADB, and for improving the performance of ADB's operations and policies and ADB's development effectiveness. The Director General will ensure that evaluation contributes to ADB's strategy and operations by bringing an independent perspective to the assessment of progress toward ADB's mission.

In line with the provisions of ADB's Evaluation Policy, the Director General will serve a critical role in independently leading the planning, implementation, and supervision of the department's vision, goals, strategies, and work plan towards objectively assessing and enhancing the development effectiveness of ADB.

You will:

• Lead and manage IED as an effective, efficient, and independent evaluation function of ADB;
• Develop and implement operational policies, strategies, and related instruments for IED to enhance the independence and effectiveness of the independent evaluation function;
• Manage IED's personnel, budget, and work program under the oversight of the DEC, and following ADB rules and procedures;
• Ensure high-quality professional work by instituting the necessary enabling environment, leading IED staff, and setting quality standards for IED outputs;
• Formulate and implement IED's rolling 3-year work program and budget as endorsed by the DEC and approved by the Board, and report regularly to the Board through the DEC on the activities of the department and other relevant evaluation issues;
• Monitor and report periodically to the DEC on actions taken by Management in response to evaluation findings;
• Engage stakeholders in the evaluation process and ensure that evaluation results are communicated to them and the general public;
• Promote evaluation-based dialogue and exchanges with ADB management and Executive Board members on issues of critical importance to ADB;
• Foster a culture of evaluation in ADB and assist ADB operations and developing member country (DMC) counterparts to develop their self-evaluation capacity; and
• Partner with the heads of evaluation of other international financial institutions and development agencies and develop partnerships to promote independent evaluation good practices and use of evidence-based findings for decision-making.

Expected Outcomes

a. Leadership and Strategic Management

• Provide evidence-based evaluation findings, lessons, and recommendations to inform ADB Board and Management on issues of critical importance to the institution and member countries.
• Establish and cascade the department's vision, goals, development strategies, and key result areas (KRAs) to support ADB's goals and in compliance with ADB's evaluation policy and other relevant policies.
• Lead the planning, implementation and supervision of departmental work plans and monitor the quality of outputs, achievement of long-term goals, and annual objectives for the department.
• Ensure independent evaluations of ADB strategies, policies, operations, and business processes to improve its development effectiveness.

b. Independent Evaluation

• Manage independent evaluation activities, ensure a balanced and relevant product mix, and enhance the quality of IED products, which include conducting systematic, comprehensive, and independent assessment of ADB-financed programs, projects, and technical assistance; identifying lessons of experience relevant to ADB and its DMCs; providing feedback to improve the design and implementation of future operations; and evaluating the development impact of ADB operations.
• Provide direction on corporate, thematic, country, regional, sector, and project-level evaluations and other evaluative assessments on selected issues or topics of broader relevance to ADB's future operations, practices, and procedures.
• Monitor progress of IED's work using a relevant IED results framework.
• Follow up on and assess steps taken by ADB to implement recommendations made in evaluation reports and studies.

c. Knowledge and Evaluation Capacity Development

• Help develop evaluation capacity within IED, ADB, and DMCs.
• Share important findings and lessons arising from evaluations.
• Promote the use of evidence-based evaluation knowledge for decision-making.
• Support the development and use of internationally recognized good practices and the harmonization of evaluation criteria and methods, procedures, and evaluation governance among multilateral development banks.
• Ensure quality control measures are in place and applied to IED reports.

d. Department Operations Management

• Facilitate department coordination and cooperation with other ADB departments and internal stakeholders.
• Undertake the performance management of the department, including motivation of department staff.
• Improve the department's performance by assessing the utility of the department's outputs and recommendations through analyses of users' perceptions.
• Manage financial and human resources, time, and information to optimize results.
• In line with the budget process provisions set out in the ADB Evaluation Policy, prepare an annual operating budget for the department. This budget is to be approved by the Board. The department must efficiently manage the budget and other resources entrusted to it.
• Following the work program provisions set out in the ADB Evaluation Policy, prepare, in consultation with the DEC and Management, a rolling 3-year Work Program for Board approval.
• Oversee the preparation of the Annual Evaluation Review, to be reviewed by both the DEC and the Board, summarizing all evaluations completed during the preceding year, highlighting major findings and conclusions.
• Where relevant, participate in Board and Management related fora.
• Perform any other relevant activities as the Board may, from time to time, require.

e. Partnerships and Collaboration

• Establish and maintain productive engagements with relevant evaluation and development partners, in particular the Evaluation Cooperation Group.
• Develop and strengthen relevant partnerships to enhance collaboration and synergies for enhanced results.
• Participate in international evaluation fora and networks.

f. Staff Supervision

• Recruit individuals and critical skills for IED both internally or externally.
• Create and lead diverse teams and ensure the quality of their work.
• Foster cohesive teamwork and ensure a respectful working environment for all.
• Manage the performance of teams and individuals, providing clear direction and regular monitoring and feedback on performance.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to teams and individuals and ensure their ongoing learning and development.

Qualifications

You will need:

• Master's Degree, or equivalent, in Economics, Finance, Engineering, Business Administration, Evaluation, other Social Sciences, or related fields; or University degree and at least 10 years specialized experience relevant to the position can be considered
• At least 20 years of relevant professional experience, with substantial international development and work experience across several countries, including in developing countries
• Demonstrated independence of thinking, high level of professional integrity, and strong analytical skills, with earned respect of professional peers
• Development practitioner with understanding and knowledge of the mission and work of development organizations; familiarity with the work of other international financial assistance providers would be beneficial
• Proven leadership skills, ability to develop vision and strategies for evaluation, ability to manage change, ability to motivate and manage a team of high-level professionals, ability to manage the work program and budget
• Excellent and persuasive oral and written communication skills in English
• Ability to work across organizational boundaries, with the Board, Management, staff, government officials, and counterparts and staff in other international organizations
• Please refer to the link for ADB Competency Framework for Managerial Staff Grade 3 (M3)

Benefits

ADB offers a rewarding salary and a comprehensive benefits package. The salary will be based on ADB's standards and comparator markets, taking into account your qualifications and experience.

• Housing and education allowance (if applicable)
• Expatriate benefits (if applicable)
• Relocation (if applicable)
• Retirement plan
• Medical and health benefits
• Paid leave (including parental)
• Life and other insurance plans
• Staff development

Special Instructions:

• Recruitment and Selection Process: Since IED reports directly to the Board of Directors instead of to the President, recruitment of the Director General, IED follows a process different from the standard process used for international staff. Search and shortlisting of candidates for the position of Director General, IED are the responsibility of the DEC. Selection of a candidate for recommendation to the Board is the responsibility of the DEC in consultation with the President. The Board approves the appointment. The search and selection process will be directed by the DEC, through the use of an executive search firm and extensive media advertising. The recruitment and selection process is open, transparent, and merit-based. It will be equally open to external and internal candidates.

• Terms and Conditions of Appointment: The Director General, IED will be appointed by the Board of Directors upon recommendation by the DEC in consultation with the President. The appointment will be for a five-year non-renewable term. Upon completion of the term, the Director General, IED will be ineligible for any other staff position in ADB.

ADB strives to be a dynamic international public institution that values diversity and promotes gender equity. Against that background, women are encouraged to apply.

Our Search partner for this appointment, Egon Zehnder, will contact applicants suitable for progression in the process.

Additional Information

This appointment is open to internal and external applicants.

This is a fixed-term appointment for a managerial position, initially for a period of 3 years or up to Staff's Normal Retirement Date (NRD), whichever comes earlier, in accordance with Administrative Order No. 2.01 (Recruitment and Appointment). After the initial fixed-term period, ADB may choose to renew the appointment for an additional fixed-term period of up to 3 years or allow it to expire. This decision will be made in the overall interest of ADB, based on factors including, but not limited to, ADB's medium- to long-term plans for the organizational unit, the relevance of the staff's skills to those plans, and the staff's managerial and behavioral competencies. Notwithstanding the length of the initial or any subsequently renewed FT-M, the expiration date of any fixed-term appointment will not exceed the Staff's NRD. There is no limit on the number of renewals up to Staff's NRD. However, this appointment is not convertible to a regular appointment.

About Us

ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is headquartered in Manila and owned by 69 members—50 from the region.

ADB only hires nationals of its 69 members.

To view ADB Organizational Chart, please click here.

ADB wants to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities to work in an inclusive environment. ADB encourages all qualified candidates to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities. Women are highly encouraged to apply.

Visit ADB Careers FAQ for more information.

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