Job Description
Reporting directly to the Program Director, this position will deliver strategic leadership and technical guidance for learning initiatives, evidence generation and utilization, and impact assessment. The role is responsible for ensuring data and insights are systematically collected, disseminated, and applied to guide implementation, enable adaptive management strategies, and enhance the effectiveness of interventions across varied contexts and stakeholder groups.
This position actively fosters an inclusive learning environment while ensuring the program aligns with the requirements and expectations of donors, partners, governments, and communities.
ABOUT YOU
You demonstrate a robust learning mindset, recognizing that monitoring, evaluation, and learning serve as vital instruments not just for accountability but also for fostering reflection, driving improvement, and inspiring innovation. With a keen ability to distill intricate data into accessible, persuasive insights and narratives, you effectively engage a wide range of stakeholders—from donors and senior leadership to implementation partners and community representatives.
You demonstrate a strong commitment to fostering inclusion and collaboration, proactively seeking out diverse viewpoints and ensuring that learning processes authentically incorporate the perspectives and lived experiences of those most impacted by the program. With ease, you engage senior stakeholders with confidence, while maintaining a grounded and respectful approach when collaborating with local teams and partners.
You thrive as an enabler rather than a gatekeeper—building trust, coaching teams, and cultivating an environment where reflection, adaptation, and learning feel safe and empowered. You skillfully merge strategic oversight with hands-on support, energized by guiding programs to grow and generate meaningful, sustainable impact.
The principal responsibilities include overseeing and managing a team of professionals, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives. Key duties involve developing and implementing strategic plans, evaluating departmental performance, and fostering collaboration across various business units. This role also entails making critical decisions to optimize efficiency, mitigate risks, and drive sustainable growth. Additionally, the position requires maintaining strong stakeholder relationships, providing mentorship to emerging leaders, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. The successful candidate must demonstrate exceptional leadership, analytical thinking, and operational expertise to fulfill these multifaceted responsibilities effectively.
We seek a forward-thinking professional to lead Strategic Learning & Impact initiatives, driving organizational growth through innovative educational frameworks and measurable outcomes. This role requires a proven track record in designing and implementing learning strategies that enhance performance, alongside expertise in impact assessment and data-driven decision-making. The ideal candidate will collaborate with cross-functional teams to align learning objectives with business goals, ensuring sustainable development and continuous improvement. Responsibilities include developing impactful learning programs, assessing their effectiveness, and leveraging insights to refine strategies. Strong leadership, analytical acumen, and a passion for fostering a culture of learning are essential.
Spearhead the creation and execution of a comprehensive Learning, Impact, and Adaptation Framework that is fully aligned with both program objectives and donor specifications.
Systematically integrate learning throughout every phase of the program lifecycle, spanning initial design, execution, and scaling initiatives.
Conduct regular assessments and enhancements to the program’s Theory of Change framework.
Develop and monitor impact pathways that reflect outcome-level results across various countries.
Facilitate the integration of learning outcomes into the development of scale-up strategies and policy engagement efforts.
We ensure adherence to MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning) standards and uphold rigorous quality assurance protocols throughout all project phases. This role involves verifying compliance with established frameworks, conducting systematic reviews, and providing actionable feedback to enhance program effectiveness. The position demands meticulous attention to detail, proficiency in data analysis tools, and a commitment to continuous improvement in monitoring and evaluation practices. Responsibilities include overseeing data integrity, validating evaluation methodologies, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to implement corrective measures where necessary. Strong analytical skills, familiarity with MEL best practices, and experience in quality assurance are essential for success in this position.
Establish and uphold standardized minimum datasets essential for informed decision-making at various program levels.
Transform evaluation insights into actionable strategic initiatives, clearly outlining priorities, timelines, and resource allocations to drive informed decision-making and organizational improvement.
Deliver strategic technical guidance to country-level Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks, ensuring alignment in processes, adherence to quality standards, and sustained comparability across all country operations.
Provide technical leadership throughout the baseline, mid-term, and end-term evaluation phases, collaborating closely with government partners, independent assessors, External Reference Groups, and country-level teams.
Provide leadership in the development and execution of inclusive institutional, service mapping, and facility readiness evaluations to pinpoint deficiencies and drive targeted capacity-building initiatives and service enhancements.
Establish guidelines to ensure high standards of data quality, ethical practices, inclusivity, and protection in the collection and utilization of data.
Assist in creating and executing impact assessments, evaluations, and learning studies to assess effectiveness and drive informed decision-making.
Data utilization, interpretation, and effective dissemination of insights are essential responsibilities. This role involves analyzing complex datasets, extracting meaningful trends, and transforming raw information into actionable intelligence. Additionally, the position requires distilling technical findings into clear, concise narratives for diverse stakeholders, ensuring comprehension and informed decision-making. Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate intricate concepts in accessible terms are critical for success.
Revitalize the organization’s strategic planning by establishing structured, recurring forums for informed decision-making, utilizing program data, systematic learning methodologies, and reflective practices such as learning reviews, after-action reviews, and pause-and-reflect sessions on a quarterly basis.
Convert intricate data into accessible, practical insights tailored for various stakeholders, such as program teams, partners, and donors.
Effectively convey insights by developing and delivering suitable knowledge products, including dashboards, publications, briefs, presentations, and learning notes.
Drives the strategic application of evidence to shape decision-making processes, facilitate necessary adjustments, and foster innovation across multiple regions.
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Monitor the usage patterns of learning resources and assess their impact on decision-making processes. Analyze data to evaluate the effectiveness of educational tools, identifying trends and insights that inform strategic choices. Ensure continuous improvement by tracking adoption rates and incorporating feedback to refine product offerings.
We excel at fostering meaningful connections and driving impactful outcomes through strategic stakeholder engagement and influence. This role requires a proactive approach to cultivating relationships with key decision-makers, ensuring alignment across diverse interests, and effectively communicating value propositions. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional interpersonal skills, a deep understanding of organizational dynamics, and the ability to navigate complex political landscapes to achieve consensus and advance shared objectives.
Engage key stakeholders, including donors, government counterparts, and partners, to ensure alignment around learning priorities, effectively manage expectations, and enhance the application of evidence in decision-making processes.
Promote knowledge exchange and collaborative problem-solving by fostering cross-country and cross-partner learning communities.
Foster collaborative learning initiatives with implementing partners and local communities, guaranteeing that learning processes are both inclusive and tailored to the specific context.
Capacity strengthening initiatives are designed to enhance organizational, institutional, and individual capabilities through targeted training, mentoring, and resource provision. These efforts aim to build sustainable skills, improve operational efficiency, and foster long-term growth by addressing gaps in knowledge, leadership, and technical expertise. Participation often requires a commitment to continuous learning, collaboration with diverse stakeholders, and adherence to established best practices to ensure measurable impact and scalability.
Formulate and execute a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework alongside a targeted strategy to enhance organizational learning capabilities.
Monitor and assess advancements in the utilization and learning maturity of data at both partner and country levels.
Enhance Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) capabilities and foster continuous learning among partners and country teams by providing targeted coaching, practical resources, and sustained technical support.
Cultivate an environment that prioritizes continuous learning, self-assessment, and shared responsibility throughout the program.
Qualifications
Seeking candidates with a strong academic background and relevant professional experience in the field. Applicants must possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification, along with demonstrated expertise in [specific industry or role]. Prior to work experience in a similar capacity is essential, preferably with [X years] in a [specific role or industry]. Familiarity with [key tools, technologies, or methodologies] is highly desirable, as is the ability to adapt to dynamic work environments. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills are required to excel in this position.
A Master’s degree in Epidemiology, Public Health, Development Studies, Data Science, or a closely related discipline is required.
A minimum of eight to ten years of professional experience in learning, impact measurement, adaptive management, or Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) within complex program environments is required.
Proven expertise in conducting baseline, midline, and Edline evaluations, as well as mixed-methods research, is essential for this role.
Proficiency in either impact evaluation or implementation research, along with Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) methodologies, is required. This experience should span multi-country or multipartner initiatives.
Demonstrated ability to shape policy, donor strategies, or program design, alongside a proven track record of developing sophisticated knowledge products, including briefs and publications, is required.
Proficient in navigating intricate systems, implementing adaptive programming techniques, and leveraging data-driven insights to inform strategic decisions.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, such as donors, government entities, non-governmental organizations, and local communities.
Demonstrated expertise in critical areas required to fulfill the position effectively, including strong analytical capabilities, exceptional problem-solving skills, and robust communication proficiency. Proficiency in relevant technical tools, methodologies, and industry best practices is essential, along with the ability to adapt to evolving challenges and priorities. Exceptional organizational acumen and meticulous attention to detail are necessary to ensure accuracy and efficiency in all tasks. Collaborative teamwork and leadership skills are also expected to drive successful project outcomes and foster a positive work environment.
Individuals must possess the capability to forge meaningful connections, utilizing data insights to inform decision-making and drive programmatic change, while demonstrating expertise in developing, refining, and validating a robust Theory of Change.
Proven track record in executing implementation research and adaptive programming within intricate, multifaceted systems.
A strong grasp of gender-transformative programming, adolescent health, and the prevention of harmful practices is required.
Skilled in evaluating the political economy and societal norms that impact program results.
Proven capability to develop and implement adaptive management frameworks along with clearly defined decision triggers.
Demonstrated capability in leveraging evidence-based insights to shape policy decisions and secure funding opportunities.
Professionals should possess expertise in mixed-methods analytics, enabling them to effectively interpret complex data sets. Proficiency in developing and maintaining real-time dashboards is essential, as these tools facilitate timely and informed program decision-making. Strong analytical skills are required to translate data insights into actionable strategies that drive program improvements and outcomes.
Integrates accountability and learning frameworks, encompassing rigorous data quality assurance, adherence to ethical data governance principles, and adherence to established evidence standards.
Cultivating culturally responsive, inclusive, and participatory approaches to data and learning, we prioritize the integration of community perspectives to inform and strengthen evidence-based decision-making.
With strong communication skills, a talent for data storytelling, and the ability to influence others, you will translate intricate data and evaluation insights into engaging, clear narratives tailored to meet the needs of varied stakeholders.
We develop and implement data analytics and digital capabilities, designing robust data systems, performing analytical interpretation, creating insightful visualizations, and leveraging digital tools to enable real-time learning and track impact effectively.
Ensuring accountability for the integration of safeguarding principles into all monitoring, evaluation, learning, and evidence-generation activities is essential, with a strong emphasis on maintaining ethical and secure practices throughout data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
Qualifications
MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
8 - 10 years
