Monitoring & Evaluation Lead, Niger

Job Description

Save the Children is seeking a Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Lead for an anticipated five - year USAID-funded Education program in Niger. The program focuses on increasing access to quality education services for all children. The program will improve the availability of educational opportunities, paying attention to flexibility, and crisis responsiveness; local engagement for sustainability; gender equality and safe, inclusive learning environments; and the socio-emotional well-being of both students and teachers - all of which will contribute to Niger’s journey to self-reliance.

The Monitoring & Evaluation Lead develops, implements, and continuously improves Monitoring and Evaluation systems for all project activities. S/he is responsible for ensuring development and operationalization of high-quality MEAL systems and reporting on a large-scale USAID education project. S/he incorporates best practices to ensure information collected is accurate, timely and disseminated appropriately in high quality reports. The M&E Lead will use these findings to improve the program and achieve the objectives. S/he will also be actively involved in promoting learning through documentation of lessons learned and developing approaches for community analysis and using data for making decision.

This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Develop, revise, and, ensure USAID’s approval of, and implement the M&E Plan on an annual basis.
• Provide leadership, training and mentoring to develop M&E Plans, M&E tools, survey design, methodology, and data analysis to assess program impact;

• Develop systems for capturing and documenting data and relevant information on project activities, beneficiaries, outputs, outcomes, and impact;
• Design methodology and coordinate research activities for project operations and assessments;
• Effectively rollout M&E collection and reporting systems to all staff and partners through training, site visits, manuals, and other technical support as needed;
• Capture appropriate cost and financial information to track money indicators, including benchmarking information to analyze program effectiveness and cost effective inputs;
• Ensure programming is aligned to targets and indicators contained in project proposal, and use the information from the M&E systems and tools to improve the program effectiveness;

• Manage and support a rigorous evaluation or project performance, impact, and cost effectiveness, including coordinating mid-term and final evaluations, and supporting donor and external reviews;

• Provide oversight, with support of project Finance and Administrative Director and COP, of MEAL budget and ensure effective and timely use of appropriate MEAL activities. Provide on-going support to maintain M&E systems; identify skill gaps and build capacity among project team;
• Prepare high quality, accurate and timely reports for Save the Children, project partners and USAID as required.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Mathematics or related field is required;
• Advanced training in quantitative methodologies, including database management; experience in qualitative research techniques a plus;
• Minimum five years’ experience in monitoring and evaluation related to: education, literacy or other related fields
• Prior experience overseeing and ensuring the success of MEAL systems in USAID education projects including ensuring approval of MEAL plan, reporting on approved education projects, and successfully completing annual data quality assessments.
• Strong analytical skills and an understanding of monitoring, evaluation and assessment tools to promote evidence-based learning;
• Ability to analyze complex data and summarize it for a range of audiences;
• Ability to gain support from staff across teams and to build the capacity of others;
• Sound strategic thinking and planning skills, including ability to think creatively and innovate and to set priorities, manageable work plans and evaluate progress;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Knowledge of oral and written French required.
• Familiarity with the political, social, and cultural context of DRC is preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior work experience assessing student learning outcomes
• Experience in systems thinking and application of complex adaptive systems methodologies would be advantageous
• Knowledge of gender equity and transformative concepts
• Strong experience of working within a complex national program in the context of an emergency intervention or in contexts of conflict or fragile state
• Ability and willingness to be very flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes dangerous working circumstances

What’s In It for You

• Meaningful work, with a knowledge that you are changing the lives of children all around the world
• A family friendly work environment
• Highly collaborative and innovative teams
• Generous paid vacation days, holidays, family leave days, and sick time
• Healthcare plans including medical, dental, and life insurance
• Retirement savings account with matching company contributions
• Structured and formalized management development and coaching programs for mid and senior level managers
• Extensive e-learning opportunities on a variety of topics offered through our affiliation with several prestigious universities and with the American Management Association, as well as language learning opportunities

Qualified local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.  

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom Save the Children is in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation. Any violations of this policy will be treated as a serious issue.  

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.

About the Organization

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom Save the Children is in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation. Any violations of this policy will be treated as a serious issue.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.