[Hiring] Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist @Internet Society

Role Description

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist plays a critical role in supporting the Foundation team as we advance our systems. This position works closely and collaboratively with members of the Philanthropy and Empowerment teams and directly supports the Director, Learning, Evaluation & Impact in ensuring that programs and funded projects are collecting data, supporting analysis efforts to identify results achieved, communicating results, and facilitating learning from data collected. The MEL Specialist will also contribute to the Foundation's capacity building efforts for staff and grantees, particularly in designing and conducting trainings on monitoring, evaluation and learning for staff and partners. The MEL Specialist combines a working knowledge of technical MEL practices with excellent communication and collaboration skills.

The Foundation is a small team of passionate, collaborative, and driven staff that depend on each other to move our mission forward; this is true of this critical position. The MEL Specialist will collaborate across the program portfolio, manage multiple priorities, and support internal and external stakeholders. This role requires strong communication, adaptability, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, globally diverse environment. A track record of teamwork, initiative, and resourcefulness is essential.

Location: Remote at home location

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide technical support for the Foundation’s monitoring, evaluation and learning efforts, primarily to program staff.
• Contribute to assessments and evaluations of Foundation projects, including designing evaluation methodologies, sampling strategies and data collection tools, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating findings in user-friendly formats.
• Support the design and implementation of learning and adaptation initiatives for program teams, including facilitating reflection sessions.
• Provide guidance and assistance [including report writing and infographics development] in data collection and data analysis (both quantitative and qualitative) on assessments and evaluations conducted by M&E and program team.
• Assist program team in review [including of reports] of grant-level metrics and data collection for associated output, outcome, and impact (as appropriate) level results.
• Provide technical MEL support to grantees, including providing in person and virtual training, developing guiding materials and resources, holding regular consultations and providing real time support for their MEL needs to develop institutional MEL capacity.
• Advise and assist grantees with the monitoring, evaluation and learning processes, activities and products during the start-up and implementation phases of projects including developing logic models, theories of change, MEL plans, indicators, and evaluation and learning approaches.
• Travel internationally either conducting data collection, field research, trainings, or learning sessions.
• Support Foundation’s data quality efforts through conducting data quality spot checks.
• Work with other members of the team to complete projects, achieve organizational goals and advance Foundation’s Learning agenda and related efforts.
• Foster and contribute to initiatives that build an equitable and inclusive workplace that embraces diverse identities, backgrounds and experiences.
• Prepare external communications materials on Foundation’s monitoring, evaluation and learning efforts, including blog posts, articles, presentations, etc.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in political/social science, international relations, or related field. Graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum three years of professional experience in the international development sector, with at least two years of professional experience in MEL related roles.
• Demonstrated understanding of the program theory-based approach to program design, monitoring and evaluation.
• Strong knowledge of and experience with common MEL elements including but not limited to: logical frameworks, performance monitoring plans and indicators.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to successfully collaborate with others at all levels of an organization in a virtual work environment.
• Ability to design and conduct performance evaluations, including designing methodology and data collection tools.
• Ability to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data; experience in designing and administering questionnaires and interviews required.
• Ability to interpret and present data in a meaningful, user-friendly way.
• Familiarity with both qualitative and quantitative data analysis software, such as SPSS, STATA, R, NVivo, or Dedoose, preferred.
• Self-starter with significant project management experience, excellent organizational skills, and ability to work across a range of projects.
• Display cultural and gender sensitivity, engage with colleagues and partners in a respectful, welcoming manner and demonstrate integrity by modeling Foundation's values.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Additional language skills in French and Spanish preferred.
• Passion for, and demonstrated commitment to, a more accessible and trustworthy Internet for all!

Benefits

• Make an Impact: We have an exciting vision and mission to bring the internet to everyone!
• Great Company Culture: We are a global team and live our values of collaboration, inclusion, respect, people and passion in all of our HR programs including our new recognition program!
• Holiday/Vacation: Generous paid time off and paid public holidays.
• Benefits: Based on local in-country guidelines.
• Give back: Get paid to volunteer in your community!
• Professional Development and Educational Benefits: Annual company contribution towards professional development or higher education.
• Flexible Work Models: Flexible work-from-home.