Senior MEL Officer

Location: Palestine (Ramallah-based)

Position Status: Full-time, Regular  

Salary Level: Level 5A

Duration: 1 year, renewable

Department: Quality, Evidence, and Learning (QEL) Department

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The Program / Department / Team

Mercy Corps recently launched its global ten-year strategy, ‘’Pathway to Possibility,’’ which reflects our ambitions to not only meet basic needs of communities affected by conflict and climate, but to achieve lasting, transformational change at scale. Pathway to Possibility (P2P) includes a three-layer resilience approach at its core and aims to deliver impact through four key outcome areas: Food Security, Water Security, Economic Opportunity, and Peace and Good Governance. P2P is also driven by five organizational commitments on being climate smart; evidence-driven; safe, diverse and inclusive; locally led; and innovative and creative.   

To deliver on P2P, Mercy Corps global program departments have evolved to include two key teams: the Technical Resources and Quality (TRaQ) Unit which aims to deliver measurable impact, leads agency thinking in key technical and program management areas, and ensures quality programing while maintaining agency visibility with key audiences; and the Evidence & Learning (E&L) Unit, which leads Mercy Corps’ efforts to use data, evidence, and analytics to improve programs, scale what works, and influence others. Evidence & Learning at Mercy Corps comprises Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, Research and Learning, Crisis Analysis, and a developing Knowledge Management/Evidence Use team.  

In Mercy Corps Palestine, both TRaQ and E&L roles and responsibilities sit within the Quality, Evidence, and Learning (QEL) Department, including the Senior MEL Officer role. 

The Position

The Senior MEL Officer is an integral part of MEL Unit under the QEL Department. Working closely with the Country MEL Manager, the Senior MEL Officer will ensure structured and robust MEL systems, including activities, processes and tools, are implemented and managed across all programs within the Mercy Corps Palestine country office.  

The general duties and responsibilities of the Senior MEL Officer will include the provision of technical assistance and skills in setting up and/or improving existing MEL systems, overseeing data collection and analysis, and producing MEL analytical outputs for reporting and learning initiatives. Reporting to Country MEL Manager – the Senior MEL Officer will directly work with program level MEL officers and oversee all enumerators in assigning tasks and monitoring progress for data collection and analysis.  

Essential 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.

POSITION/ TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

MEL OVERSIGHT AND TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Provide critical support in developing and maintaining structured MEL systems across all Mercy Corps Palestine programs to improve programs’ quality, performance and impact.  
• Assist in ensuring programs’ compliance with Mercy Corps global MEL Minimum Standards. 
• Assist in documenting data flow and ensuring data diversification on program level. 
• Facilitate data consolidation and assist in ensuring live, accurate, comprehensive databases and dashboards exist for all programs and are accessible to relevant colleagues throughout the program life cycles. 
• Support in the automation of MEL systems through different tools and processes to enhance data accuracy and allow for real time monitoring.   
• Design/revise and lead in data collection standardization across all programs. Collaborate with MEL colleagues on the use of standardized data collection across programs to ensure consistency and alignment in data analysis, reporting and learning activities.  
• Mentor enumerators on data collection tools and lead in prioritizing tasks to ensure timely collection of data. 
• Support the analysis of MEL data, transforming raw data into actionable insights that support the program’s decision-making and strategic planning 
• Ensure teams adhere to a consistent MEL filing structure, and that data, tools, protocols, and other files are stored appropriately and accessible to current and future team members 

Reporting and Learning  

• Collaborate with the reporting team to ensure that MEL insights are effectively integrated into program reports and other communication materials for internal and external uses. 
• Assist in reporting on country - and programs-level metrics related to sector and/or Outcome Area achievements 
• Facilitate the use of MEL data in learning events, workshops, and other forums on program and country levels, ensuring that insights are shared and discussed to drive continuous improvement 
• Support learning initiatives and reflection sessions on quarterly basis by providing data-driven insights that inform programs - level adaptation and strategy adjustments. 

Capacity Building and team support 

• Oversee and support the MEL Officer(s) in carrying out their tasks in the area of responsibility.   
• Assist in identifying gaps within MEL team and opportunities for growth and facilitate connections between MEL teams and capacity building opportunities.  
• Strengthen linkages with other internal resources to enhance organizational learning, where relevant to Program Performance. 
• Collaborate with other MEL, QEL, and program team members to ensure consistency and alignment in data analysis, reporting, and learning activities. 
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations clearly and regularly, and provide constructive feedback formally and informally via regular one-on-ones and performance reviews 

Supervisory Responsibility

Indirect Only: MEL Officers, Coordinators, and Enumerators 

Accountability

Reports directly to: Country MEL Manager

Works Directly With: Program Teams, QEL Senior Advisor, CARM Senior Officer, Safeguarding Officer, MEL Teams across programs 

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

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Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

- Degree in a relevant field such as statistics, data science, monitoring and evaluation, international development, or other related social sciences. An advanced degree is an added advantage. 

- Approximately 6 years of experience or equivalent in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) roles, with a proven track record in data analysis, producing analytical outputs, and supporting reporting and learning initiatives. 

-  Strong technical skills in data system automation and digital data collection and visualization tools (CommCare, Power BI) 

- Proven ability to clearly and effectively communicate complex data analysis and findings to both technical and non-technical audiences, ensuring that insights are actionable and inform program strategies. 

- Strong analytical skills with experience in synthesizing data from various sources and translating findings into practical recommendations that enhance program performance and outcomes 

- Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team and contribute to high-quality reports and presentations. 

Success Factors

A successful Senior MEL Officer will be capable of multi-tasking, with technical and excellent communication and coordination skills. The ideal candidate will have the ability and curiosity to work comfortably and effectively with different programs’ team members of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem-solving. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a solid commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and prioritize effective written and verbal communication. 

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 Sunday,02 Feb 2025.  Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.