Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Learning (MEL) Manager

City/Country Location Details Washington DC

Employment Status

Job Type Project

SCOPE OF WORK

AFRICA TRADE AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Learning (MEL) Manager

Position Title:

Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Learning (MEL) Manager

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE ON/ABOUT (FROM-TO)

Date of Approval

End of Project

Contract Name:

ATI Activity

Contract No:

7200AA21C00056

Place of Performance:

Washington DC

BACKGROUND

The Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) Activity is designed to bolster the U.S. Government’s ability to boost trade and investment too, from, and within the African continent. The continent-wide program is USAID’s flagship effort in support of the Prosper Africa initiative and will expand and accelerate two-way trade and investment between African nations and the United States.  

 Driven by market demand, ATI embraces innovative approaches to achieve its goals. ATI is designed as a small, core set of centrally coordinated technical and institutional support activities and a large, flexible performance-based subcontracting and grants under contract facility designed to support the needs and opportunities that USAID Missions and the private sector identify.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Senior MEL Manager is responsible for managing ATI’s MEL for ATI’s buy-ins with USAID/Washington Bureaus and with Prosper Africa. This includes developing MEL plans, ensuring accurate and timely reporting and providing MEL support and expertise to ATI activity teams and USAID.

S/he will also have a secondary role of leading data quality across the whole of ATI (all regions). This role will involve building capacity of MEL Team members and contributors—including Activity Team, Environmental Team, Technical Team, etc—to ensure the implementation ATI data quality standards. S/he will have oversight of all data reported through the ATI MEL database and will supervise database administrators, sharing responsibility for the optimizations of the database solutions.

The Sr. MEL Manager will work with stakeholders to identify and implement the policies, tools, and processes for data management across ATI and shall take a lead in facilitating project wide learning. The Sr. MEL manager shall work closely with the Sr. MEL Director to design systems, track results, and provide strategic leadership to the ATI learning agenda. The Sr. MEL Manager plays a crucial role in optimizing data for analytics and reporting and in supporting data-driven decision-making across the organization.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Support the Senior MEL Director in setting the direction of the ATI MEL function enabling the program to develop the robust intelligence and analysis needed to develop, adapt, and improve its program strategy on an ongoing basis. To achieve this the Senior MEL Manager will be responsible specifically for the following:

• Leads ATI MEL data analysis including providing support to ATI Dashboards, and USAIDreporting requirements, and effectively supports the Communications team with data analytics for reporting to different USAID requirements.

• Manages the indicator performance reporting for DC-buy-ins and Prosper Africa and supervises MEL inputs into quarterly and annual reporting for all of ATI, maintaining reporting procedures and guidelines in compliance with USAID guidelines.

• Support ATI’s learning function and work closely with the Sr. MEL Director to effectively implement the ATI learning agenda. The MEL manager tracks the ATI progress and evaluates its impact in an integrated manner allowing for ongoing learning and program adjustments.

• Provides training and mentoring to staff on MEL, including teams across the continent as well as in the US.

• Support Buy-in MEL implementation including providing Prosper Africa Direct MEL support.

• Maintains an extensive and detailed technical body of knowledge of the latest MEL techniques, applications, and methodologies for use by staff and partners.

Data Quality Management:

• Oversee data quality systems and processes to maintain the integrity, accuracy, and consistency of ATI's data assets.

• Develop and implement data quality standards, policies, and procedures, including data stewardship responsibilities and permissions.

• Direct regular assessments of data quality performance, escalating data quality issues in a timely manner, and overseeing response measures.

Data Quality Improvement

• Advise regional MEL teams on troubleshooting data quality issues and mentor staff on data collection, cleaning, verification, and reporting protocols and standards.

• Evaluate data quality metrics to benchmark data quality processes and workflows. Conduct periodic data verification processes to ensure reliability and validity of internal and partner produced data.

• Work closely with database managers, analysts, and ATI’s Systems and Quality Team to identify system improvements and advise on the adoption of new or improved data management systems when required.

• Provide occasional training and support to program staff on data collection tools, quality assurance, verification, and methods.

Data Analytics and Reporting

• Collaborate across teams to understand ATI’s reporting requirements and potential for producing data for deeper analysis, learning, and performance improvement.

• Identify opportunities for process optimization that will increase access to timely, accurate, and relevant data for routine reporting and focused learning initiatives.

• Support the Quality and Systems team in the development and use of data dashboards and other data visualization tools.

• Participate in creating well-maintained datasets and contribute to data analysis that serves as the foundation for various reports and data products generated by ATI.

• Contribute to the preparation of regular and ad-hoc reports for internal and external stakeholders as needed.

Reporting: The Sr. MEL Manager will report to Senior MEL Director; the position is based in the US, with some travel to ATI offices on-continent anticipated. S/he will be expected to coordinate closely with ATI’s Systems and Quality team.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline.

• 7+ years of relevant work experience. Familiarity with USAID or other donor economic growth, investment, and finance sector development projects preferred.

• Strong understanding of statistical concepts and analytical methodologies

• Demonstrated experience in establishing and operationalizing data quality management standards and protocols.

• Strong data collection and data management skills, use of digital data collection platforms, and storage and quality control of both quantitative and qualitative datasets.

• Knowledge of relational data models, and strong excel skills required.

• Comfort using visualization and data modeling tools and techniques, Power BI or Tableau preferred.

• Ability to work in dynamic environments and achieve development outcomes.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

• An extremely well-organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical abilities, good judgment, and a strong technical focus

• Demonstrated strong problem-solving skills as well as exceptional stakeholder relations.

• Able and willing to travel to any country where DAI currently operates, or may wish to operate, barring times when DAI Global Security has deemed travel unsafe.

• Able and willing to adjust work schedule, if needed, to support teams located in different time zones/countries.

• Demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams, create inclusive work environments, and work effectively within a culturally diverse environment.

• Authorized to work in United States - Applicants must specify their preferred work country in their application.

• *Based in one of the following U.S. locations where DAI is registered: District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington.

Compensation & Benefits

For employees working in the United States, the full-time equivalent annual base salary for this position is expected to be between $105,000 - 135,000

Salary for part-time employees will be prorated based on actual hours worked. Actual offers will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, qualifications, relevant education, experience, skills, seniority, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Eligible U.S.-based employees will be able to enroll in medical, dental and vision insurance, plus a 401(k)-retirement plan with a company match. Additionally, employees will be eligible for company-paid annual leave (vacation & holidays), sick leave, and parental leave, as well as short- and long-term disability coverage. Detailed information will be provided at the time a formal offer is extended.

For employees working outside of the United States, compensation and benefits will vary based on location.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting discrimination in all forms, nurturing respect for our interpersonal relationships, and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

ABOUT DAI

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

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