JOB SUMMARY

The MEL Director will serve as a key person and provides technical leadership, oversight, and strategic direction for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and collaborative learning & adaptation (CLA) activities for an upcoming USAID-funded project in Ethiopia. They will oversee the monitoring, evaluation and learning components of this award. The MEL Director will provide technical leadership to develop the project framework, plans and indicators to capture performance results and provide effective, accurate and timely monitoring, evaluation and reporting of all project activities. The ideal candidate will have experience implementing systems for adaptive management and learning. The MEL Director will supervise and manage the M&E team to design and implement project MEL activities, ensuring that lessons learned are integrated into project implementation to continuously improve quality of interventions and outcomes. The MEL Director is responsible for documenting and disseminating project successes and challenges to USAID. The MEL Director will liaise with consortium partners and the Ministry of Health to implement M&E activities. This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Lead the team to develop and implement a project Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan consistent with the USAID results framework in coordination with the Chief of Party, the local M&E team, local stakeholders.
Develop and implement a project’s information system to capture project performance and results, including routine service delivery data reporting, baseline and end-line assessments, and all monitoring for process and outcome evaluations.
Develop and oversee data flow pattern for the project that will ensure timely data collection and reporting.
Ensure high-quality M&E implementation activities, which are consistent with the Ethiopian national M&E guidelines protocols, information and reporting systems in compliance with USAID requirements.
Use evidence from multiple sources to contribute towards strategic decision-making and project planning.
Support strategic collaboration activities with key stakeholders to learn from evidence generated by the project and adapt interventions as appropriate.
Supervise routine data collection, including collaborating with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health to strengthen the HMIS system and use of data at the facility and district levels.
Develop, implement, and maintain a quality database(s) of project indicators and activities for RMNCAH and other health areas to be specified by USAID.
Ensure the quality of data through data verification procedures including routine data quality audits.
Ensure data quality audits are routinely carried out during the project life cycle, and in close collaboration with the MOH in compliance with USAID requirements
Improve the capacity of the MOH and other stakeholders for collection, analysis and use of DHIS2 and other data sources for improved decision making.
Oversee and/or conduct targeted evaluations and operations research, including protocols, design, data collection, management and analysis in-line with international standards and EngenderHealth Standard Operating Procedures.
Promote and support the dissemination of lessons learned, abstracts and success stories among the project team, the Ethiopian development community, and international stakeholders.
Supervise and develop capacity of a team of M&E professionals.
Develop strategy, prepare work plans and budgets, and provide relevant data to enable production of all quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports.
Job Requirements

Must possess the following requirements with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Advanced postgraduate degree in public health, demography, epidemiology, biostatistics, social science or any related field. PhD/MD candidates preferred.
Minimum seven (7) years of work experience in monitoring and evaluating large, multi-year international health sector development projects, with strong preference for candidates with deep understanding of RMNCAH.
Familiarity with Ethiopian health management information system, other national M&E systems, and DHIS2.
Excellent analytical skills coupled with proven ability in using visuals like graphs, charges, maps and GIS.
Demonstrated ability to use DHIS2 and DATIM for reporting or analysis.
Demonstrated experience working with USAID large-scale programs, including knowledge of USAID’s reporting requirements on RMNCAH.
Proven expertise in quantitative and qualitative methodologies, operations research, health management information systems, reporting, data quality assessments, quantitative and qualitative data analysis and presentation.
Strong technical skills, including ability to process and analyze data using one or more statistical software packages, including at least one of the following: SPSS, Stata or SAS.
Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and professional relationships with USAID, host-country counterparts and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs, CSOs, and the private sector.
Demonstrated outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, and organizational, team-building, and representational skills.
Experience hiring and supervising personnel and ensuring they acquire the necessary training and skills to meet evolving project needs.
Demonstrated experience with PMP development and implementation.
ESSENTIAL SOFT SKILLS

Committed to EngenderHealth’s core organizational values of reflection, inclusion, integrity, respect, and transformation.
Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity of technical staff.
Excellent skills in facilitation, team building, and coordination.
Excellent communication and writing skills, as well as negotiation and management skills.
Proven ability to multi-task, works independently, flexible and adaptable.
PREFERRED SKILLS, ABILITIES, AND FUNCTIONS

Able to work and travel within Ethiopia
Ability to analyze and interpret large amounts of data.
Fluency in English language proficiency strongly preferred.