Senior Manager, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

About the role

An exciting opportunity to join an effective, highly innovative organization and team, working closely with colleagues and grant recipients to apply and implement MEL plans and frameworks, while supporting the Foundation and its partners to measure results and learn from grant activities.

You will support the implementation of EJAF’s MEL strategy within the Foundation’s priority areas: Young People, LGBTQ+, People who Use Drugs, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the United States.

The role will also contribute to EJAF’s organizational learning and will inform the way the Foundation works with partners to achieve change. You will report to the Foundation’s Chief Program and Impact Officer and will be part of our 12-person grants team.

EJAF’s MEL approach aims to (1) equip grantees for adaptive management, learning and evidence-based decision making; (2) enhance the Foundation’s reach, credibility, and impact, and (3) contribute to the global evidence base of what works, with an aim to end HIV/AIDS by 2030.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables 

• Co-lead and ensure the quality of all monitoring, evaluation and learning aspects of EJAF activities.
• Oversee/lead the collecting, reporting, and analysis of data and information at the strategy and program levels; coordinate portfolio and strategy-level evaluations, relying on rigorous mixed-methods approaches; develop materials and presentations on organizational and portfolio performance against strategy.
• Co-manage MEL team and enhance MEL team capabilities through capacity development initiatives.
• Cultivate external relationships to enhance evidence reach, impact, and translation of evidence to policy.
• Design and institute systems and processes to enhance the Foundation’s MEL strategy, including developing guidance for the grants’ team and grant recipients
• Review grant applications and grant reports, contributing to Advisory Grants Panels and providing feedback on MEL enhancements at the grant, portfolio, and strategy levels.
• Develop knowledge products and draft thought pieces to further MEL strategy on grant and portfolio performance, trends within grantmaking, MEL and HIV/AIDS response.
• Provide MEL technical support and oversight to select grant applicants, recipients, and portfolios.
• Coordinate cross-functional and inter-departmental partnerships including with Comms to develop and disseminate compelling knowledge products which contribute to global evidence base and organization and sector-wide learning.
• Ensure timely and complete reporting to funding partners in accordance with approved reporting formats.
• Ensure data capture across EJAF’s grant-making is of consistently high quality, including developing templates for data reports, spreadsheets, tables, and other.
• Recommend and implement enhancements to the Foundation’s current measurement strategy, including identifying evolutions in the measurement and analysis of impact, innovation, advocacy, and financing.
• Prepare high-quality, written work products, including impact reports, annual reports and others.
• Support learning and continuous improvement across the Foundation.
• Provide insights to the grants team and wider EJAF team in relation to lessons learned, theory of change, development of potential programs or portfolios for funding.
• Support the overall EJAF communication strategy, including providing impact-related content for website, newsletters, annual reports, events, etc.
• Ad-hoc activities to support the Chief Program and Impact Officer.

Knowledge, skills, experience 

• Minimum 8 years of professional experience in monitoring and evaluation for international organizations, responsible for implementing activities of international organizations.
• Significant experience of monitoring, evaluation and evidence analysis gained in a global health setting.
• Experience of program design, implementation, and management.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to approach situations methodically.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in individual and group settings, both with internal and external audiences.
• Excellent administrative skills as well as an understanding of financial processes.
• Knowledge of and experience with using databases used to monitor, aggregate, compare and display information in a dynamic and iterative way.
• Ability to collaborate with different sizes and types of organizations.
• Entrepreneurial outlook and ability to adapt to a small, startup organization mindset.
• A strong blend of private sector management, international development, and non-profit experience.
• Mixed-methods research experience including expertise in data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Experience of and readiness to get ‘hands-on’ with in-depth data analysis, including financial data, across complex and diverse domains of information.
• Active listening skills including the ability to receive, integrate and translate ideas and suggestions from others.

Essential Qualifications 

• Master’s degree in statistics, demographics, public policy, anthropology, international development, economics, or a related field.
• Qualification in monitoring and evaluation
• Experience working with or supporting projects in global health.
• Right to work in the UK or US.
• English fluency

Terms and conditions

Place of work:     The role will be based in either our London or New York office for a minimum of two days a week, and remote otherwise. Or, by prior approval from the Foundation, the role can be fully remote and based in Washington DC or another US east coast location.

Working hours:    20 hours per week. This position is for a job share, with each partner working part of each week. The specific work schedule and division of responsibilities will be agreed upon by the job share partners and the Chief Program and Impact Officer.

Salary:     Up to $140,000 to be pro-rated for days worked and dependent on location and experience. Company pension scheme. PTO of 15 days pro-rated for days worked plus federal holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year.