Consortium MEL Manager

Location Ramallah, Palestine

Position Status Full-time, Exempt, Regular

Salary Level Level 6A

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.
In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions
into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Since 1986, Mercy Corps has helped Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza access critical services and become more economically self-sufficient focusing its interventions on WASH, community crisis resilience, economic opportunities, and cash programming. The escalation of conflict that began on October 7, 2023, has sharply exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the region. With funding from ECHO, BHA, and multiple other donors, Mercy Corps and its partners are actively working to respond to the crisis and provide basic needs support at scale.

Mercy Corps is the lead agency for the Basic Needs Consortium. The Consortium, funded by ECHO, is composed of Catholic Relief Services, Danish Refugee Council, and an experienced network of local partners. The Basic Needs Consortium is implementing the Integrated Humanitarian Response program, which has the overall objective for conflict-affected populations in Gaza to have increased self-reliance and dignity in the face of shocks and stresses. The program supports a coordinated humanitarian response that enables vulnerable households in Gaza to safely and consistently meet basic needs while reducing their reliance on negative coping strategies, through shelter and settlements, protection, multi-purpose cash transfers, and coordination.

General Position Summary

The Consortium MEL Manager will work for the Basic Needs Consortium on a full-time basis.  The general duties and responsibilities are to provide technical leadership and oversight of project-level monitoring and evaluation activities within the Integrated Humanitarian Response program, ensuring the quality of the project’s MEL activities, coordinated data collection tools and approaches, efficient information management, and use of geographic information systems (GIS), where applicable. S/he will facilitate robust and integrated MEL approaches across partners and ensure program data is translated into meaningful learning that informs adaptive management and evidence-driven decision making at the Consortium level.

The Consortium MEL Manager will lead the BNC’s MEL Technical Working Group (TWG) made up of MEL Leads from Consortium Partners, facilitating participatory design of tools, systems, and strategies rooted in technical excellence as well as alignment with donor expectations. The Consortium MEL Manager is responsible for the capacity strengthening and mentoring strategy for program staff on themes related to monitoring, evaluation, accountability, reporting and learning.

Essential Job Responsibilities

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

STRATEGY & VISION

• Develop, lead, and maintain a MEL TWG and systems that improve the BNC’s ability to analyze and represent impact to internal and external stakeholders
• Facilitate a culture of learning and continuous reflection on achievements and challenges – through appropriate, accessible, usable, clear data and learning initiatives – that encourages adaptive management and evidence-driven decision making
• Lead on project- and Consortium-level compliance with Mercy Corps’ global MEL Minimum Standards and donor requirements; monitor progress, identify gaps, and prioritize capacity development or support needs where necessary
• Prioritize sustainability of MEL systems and processes, developing SOPs, documented data flows, and guidance tools where appropriate
• Actively collaborate with Accountability and Inclusion colleagues for mutual benefit, ensuring comprehensive learning and information sharing, as well as to support a cohesive and unified QEL Department
• Participate in MEL budget development for new programs and proposals, including related staff and initiative planning
• Engage in relevant working groups, monitoring committees, clusters, and other coordination bodies relevant to the MEL work of the BNC

Program Management

• Develop, lead, and maintain the MEL system for the BNC, including all tools and data collection processes, information management, vulnerability targeting and market monitoring for program activities.
• Lead the development of the M&E Plan, Learning Plan, MEL Technology Plan, and other related standards and guiding protocols for the Consortium in collaboration with relevant team members
• Plan and lead all MEL activities — in coordination with Consortium Partners — including the baseline, midterm, and endline assessments, and develop standards for data collection and quality assurance.
• Lead coordination across partners for the planning and oversight of the final external evaluation
• Train Consortium representatives on their MEL responsibilities
• Update MEL and project management systems to reflect program progress and needs; enforce proper usage of these systems by Consortium partner representatives
• Ensure rigorous, clear, and timely collection of all monitoring data and provide relevant donor and stakeholder report inputs
• Ensure data collection and use is not limited to donor reporting our output monitoring, but that MEL systems capture higher-level impact and facilitate reflection and adaptive management Present data analysis and periodic reporting in consultation with technical staff; ensure reporting incorporates meaningful analysis and interpretation of results, and is not limited to datapoint presentation
• Facilitate discussions and processes to capture learning throughout project implementation; ensure that lessons learned are captured and communicated to internal and external stakeholders through appropriate channels
• Liaise with various stakeholders and project-related donors on relevant program MEL concerns.
• Address any other task assigned by the Consortium Director.
• Given the nature of the work, team members are expected to be flexible and may be asked to carry out duties which are not specifically listed above. The job description may be revised after discussion between the team member and the organization.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning 

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

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Accountability

Reports Directly To: Consortium Director

Works Directly With: Senior Advisor for Quality, Evidence and Learning, Consortium Partner MEL teams, Consortium Communication and Reports Coordinator

Knowledge and Experience

• BA/S or equivalent, preferable in business administration, public administration or international development. MA/S in similar relevant fields preferred.
• 5 - 10 years of demonstrated professional experience, and a minimum of 3 years of demonstrated professional experience in international development with knowledge of relevant sectoral and/or operational areas.
• A minimum of 4 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation management for humanitarian programs; ECHO or other donor, or NGO preferred.
• Experience with ArcGIS or other geographic information system preferred but not required.
• Ability to prepare clear and concise reports.
• High degree of computer literacy; Excel and Word skills are essential. Knowledge of PowerBI, Azure, and data collection platforms such as CommCare are strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently on multi-task load.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Fluency in written and oral English. Must be able to read and interpret documents,
  and communicate with others as necessary to perform job duties effectively.
• Basic mathematical skills and able to perform job specific mathematics with experience in statistical analysis and statistical software.
• Oral and written Arabic preferred.
• Understanding of social, political and economic context in Palestine preferred.

Success Factors

The ideal candidate will have a strong curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the complex cultural, political, security and social environment of Palestine.  He/She will be an excellent communicator, multi-tasker, and able to work in ambiguous situations. They should excel in communication, both written and verbal, and have a knack for presenting complex MEL data and analysis in an accessible, useful way. He/She should be a skilled facilitator, and comfortable working with and drawing input from diverse personalities and organizational approaches. He/She will be a tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures  The successful candidate will be focused on team-building and capacity-building of national staff; be a strategic thinker, have strong skills in design monitoring and evaluation of development programs and maintain a sense of humor.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Ramallah, and it requires up to 20% travel across Gaza, West Bank and Jordan to support teams and country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision.  Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online HERE no later than 12:00PM on Thursday,03 April 2025.  Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.