Job Description
Job Purpose
The Senior Manager Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Research (MEL&R) will be a leading expert in the field of evaluation and applied research. He/she will be able to foster and steer high quality initiatives at AWARD.
He/she will ensure that AWARD generates, uses and communicates high-quality evidence, to drive learning, adaptive management, accountability, and influence within the agricultural research for development (AR4D) ecosystem.
Working closely with the other AWARD units, the Senior Manager will lead the development and continuous strengthening of MEL&R frameworks and systems aligned with AWARD’s strategy, vision and mission. He/she will oversee applied and evaluative research that will advance the understanding of gender equality and generate actionable evidence on outcomes, institutional and policy change, and impact in the AR4D sector.
The Senior Manager will shape the learning agenda with methodological rigor, ensure the relevance of research initiatives while also supporting the development of strategic partnerships and collaborative relationships.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Deputy Director AWARD, the Senior Manager MEL&R will lead the generation, compilation, analysis, and dissemination of evidence and knowledge to increase AWARD’s visibility in the agricultural development space and AWARD’s influence of the social, genderresponsive and economic agenda in Africa’s agrifood systems.
More specifically, the Senior Manager, MEL&R, will provide strategic leadership across four core streams:
- Robust Monitoring, Evaluation and Adaptive Learning
- Lead the development and continuous management of AWARD MEL&R strategy, tools, frameworks and systems;
- Oversee the design, implementation and reporting of ME&L activities across AWARD initiatives and programs to track outputs, outcomes, impact and transformation;
- Lead periodic learning reviews and advise on project/program’s overall approach and adjustments, and prepare regular and ad hoc updates;
- Oversee the implementation of quality assurance and control protocols and ensure internal consistency and validity of project/program’s monitoring checks to enable improved capturing and narration of programmatic results and impact.
- Gender-Responsive Evidence, Applied and Evaluative Research
- Ensure the systematic integration of gender and social inclusion perspectives across MEL frameworks, indicators, tools, and analytical approaches;
- Lead the development and application of gender-responsive and intersectional indicators, including the collection and analysis of sex- and age-disaggregated data;
- Guide applied and evaluative research on outcomes, impact, institutional change, and policy influence related to gender equality in agricultural research and development;
- Ensure research initiatives are methodologically rigorous, learning-oriented, and produce actionable evidence for policy and practice.
- Knowledge Management, Learning and Influence
- Lead the synthesis, documentation and dissemination of findings, lessons learnt and best practices through internal platforms and external forums;
- Collaborate with AWARD units to translate evidence into accessible and influential knowledge products including peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations; and consistent engagement with research, policy, and practitioner networks.
- Donor engagement, Grant Performance and Resource Mobilization Support
- Contribute to technical donor reporting ensuring alignment with AWARD’s strategy, learning objectives and donor standards;
- Contribute to proposal development and grants’ negotiations including design of high quality ME&L inputs, to ensure successful proposals;
- Monitor project/program overall performance against agreed milestones, targets and indicators and make useful recommendations to address gaps and improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- Capacity Building and Team Leadership
- Lead and manage the MEL&R unit, including staff and consultants, fostering a culture of coaching, mentoring, learning, accountability, and professional growth;
- Support other AWARD units with technical guidance and ensure clarity on MEL&R standards and expectations;
- Promote inclusive, participatory, and gender-responsive MEL&R practices across AWARD portfolio through collaborative learning processes.
- Organizational Leadership and Partnership Support
- Serve as a member of AWARD’s Senior Management and contribute to strategic planning and organizational decision-making.
- Represent AWARD in relevant technical and strategic forums as appropriate
- Perform any other tasks as assigned
Person Specification
This role of Senior Manager, MEL&R is best suited to a professional wo can effectively navigate complexity, balance strategic leadership and operational delivery, and engage confidently with donors, senior leaders and diverse stakeholders. The successful candidate should demonstrate the following qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience:
Education
Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field such as Monitoring and Evaluation, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or related disciplines.
Experience and technical expertise
- Minimum of 10 years’ experience in international development with a focus on agrifood systems and impact and with at least 5 years in a senior management MEL&R role;
- Experience working across multiple African countries on AR4D issues is essential;
- Demonstrated experience designing and leading MEL systems, frameworks and tools for multicountry, donor-funded programs and initiatives;
- Demonstrated understanding of gender and social inclusion analysis and gender-responsive MEL&R approaches, research design, data management, quality assurance and control procedures;
- Demonstrated strategic and systems thinking with strong analytical skills
- Track record of producing high-quality reports, studies, knowledge products and dissemination to various audiences;
- Excellent command of the English Language, working knowledge of French language would be an added advantage.
Personal skills and competencies
- Ability to work independently and proactively as a team member; and
- Ability to understand expectations, work with competing deadlines and strong commitment to personal and organizational accountability.
- Highly developed skills for leadership, communication and accountability;
- Excellent conceptual, analytical and innovative problem-solving skills;
- Proactive, creative, self-motivator, detail-oriented and results-driven;
- Time management skills, flexibility and agility;
- Strong organizational and relational skills;
- Digitally savvy with a demonstrated affinity for electronic systems, analytical software packages and other online tools;
- Sound ability for staff management and support, coaching and mentoring;
- Excellent interpersonal skills including listening, maturity and energy;
- Good work ethics and sensitivity to different socio-cultural backgrounds; and
- Excellent written and verbal skills as well as the ability to learn from and teach others.
Terms and Conditions
- This is a Globally Recruited Position (GRS). CIFOR-ICRAF offers competitive remuneration commensurate with skills and experience.
- The initial appointment will be for two (2) years, with a six-month probationary period, with the possibility of extension contingent upon performance, continued relevance of the position and available resources.
- The duty station will be in Nairobi, Kenya CIFOR-ICRAF Offices.
Application Process
Go to http://worldagroforestry.org/working-for-icraf/vacancies
- The application deadline is 06 March 2026.
- CV and Cover Letter should be in PDF and Labelled with the applicants First and Second Names.
- We will acknowledge all applications but will only contact short-listed candidates.
Deadline: March 6, 2026
