Program Director, MEL & Reporting

The Program Director, MEL & Reporting is part of the Core Team of the Programs Department at Pure Earth HQ. S/he has primary responsibility to build, execute and lead a robust MEL and analytical system with the objective of measuring, understanding, and maximizing the effectiveness of Pure Earth’s programs, demonstrating the impact of promising approaches, and informing strategic program decision-making across all geographies. The Program Director will also contribute to a culture of shared learning that increases Pure Earth’s impact and advances its mission by supporting ongoing improvement and adaptation of programming with the objective of assuring highest quality program delivery. The scope of this role includes both technical and coordination responsibilities contributing directly to the achievement of Pure Earth’s measurement, effectiveness, and impact goals. It also includes supporting Country Directors and programmatic staff to better understand and achieve program results and in using data to inform decision-making, while making sure good practices and systems for reporting and accountability about Pure Earth’s program activities are in place. Pure Earth undertakes its programs directly or in partnership with other organizations and is committed to building capacity in these partner organizations as needed.

This position is critical for quality programming and generation of evidence-based approaches. The Program Director provides technical input and review for M&E components of project proposals, and coordinates the reporting system mechanisms timely and adequately. Additionally, s/he conducts analysis, facilitates and leads formal and informal learning processes, and provides advice to program and organization-wide decision makers on program design, measurement, evaluation, and learning.

This position hierarchically reports to the VP, Programs. In functional terms, s/he works with all the Country Directors, and Programs and technical staff, potentially with MEL officers. This role requires an experienced leader and influencer with extensive understanding of operational management, preferably in a nonprofit that intervenes internationally. The Program Director will be a dynamic, engaging, and approachable colleague with effective interpersonal and relational skills, including a demonstrated ability to work successfully across complex, matrixed teams and with roles at multiple levels. S/he has to demonstrate a solid knowledge on project design, MEL issues, and reporting as well as managerial experience and strong pragmatism.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning activities Lead the development and implementation of an organizational MEL system that delivers technically sound and consistent approaches to: • Indicator development across programs and countries. • Routine reporting and monitoring of program activities. • Evaluations of program performance, effectiveness and impact. • Data collection, including digital data collection where feasible. • Data storage and its secure accessibility. • Design, coordinate and/or deliver cohesive training and capacity building activities for country offices and partner organizations to implement the MEL system. • Provide hands-on technical assistance to country offices by contributing to or reviewing project proposals. • Ensure that appropriate M&E mechanisms are incorporated into proposals and work plans. • Support and mentor country program staff to use MEL systems to improve program quality. • Capture appropriate cost and financial information to track money indicators, including benchmarking information to analyze program effectiveness and cost-effective inputs. • Support project reviews and evaluation activities, including coordinating mid-term and final evaluations, and supporting donor and external reviews. • Contribute to the incorporation of evidence-based good practices, M&E findings, and lessons learned into organizational program management activities. • Contribute to a culture of learning, inquiry, experimentation, understanding of and tolerance for risk, and a commitment to learning from failures. • Attend to specific MEL-related technical assistance requests from in-country staff. • Lead efforts to embed practices that normalize measurement and learning into organizational routines at the Board, HQ and country office levels. • Give presentations to the Board about measurement, evaluation, and learning work. • Represent the technical content of MEL systems externally to donors and other organizations, and support country offices in their conversations with key donors.

Reporting • Through implementing effective monitoring tools and approaches to demonstrate the efficacy and effectiveness of program interventions, is able to explain and document results and outcomes of programs and projects in a timely and proper manner. • Coordinates the reporting system mechanisms in the Programs team and support the country offices and other teams in HQ in report elaboration. • Identify and document promising practices, trends, learning, and generate insights related to program effectiveness; support efforts to report best practices, program achievements and evidence of learning around program impact. • Participate in the development of guidance, policies, processes and tools that will institutionalize and support high-quality performance, results, and impact. • Through assessing the impact and effectiveness of projects and programmatic structures; identify and report gaps, recommend capacities required to improve effectiveness, and suggest remedial actions to allow greater program delivery and accountability.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE • Ten years of experience working in an international managerial role, some of which in an international nonprofit setting, and with responsibilities on MEL and reporting activities. • Advanced degree in relevant field such as economics, statistics, environmental or public health, international development, public policy, or other social sciences. • Good cultural awareness and sensitivity – demonstrated ability to work successfully across borders. • Experience in developing, implementing, and operationalizing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation strategy. • Thorough familiarity with principles and current approaches to MEL using both quantitative and qualitative methods. • Experience in developing baseline research, logic models, data collection and analysis, mid-term evaluations, and outcomes analysis, and in coaching program staff in the cost-effective use of these M&E tools. • Understanding of donor expectations and trends for MEL and reporting. • Experience in mentoring, coaching, facilitation and training applying adult learning principles and practices. • Experience in strategic planning, process improvement, data management, and performance monitoring. • Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to facilitate meetings, effectively engaging staff in interactive and creative ways. Strong active listening capabilities and proven ability to build collaborative relationships and operate in a team environment. • Commitment to diversity and inclusion, ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • Strong problem-solving and analytical skills. • Ability and willingness to travel internationally, as needed. • Ability to work flexible hours or across time zones, as needed. • Multi-lingual capabilities a plus.

This job description may be reviewed, revised and updated as required to meet organizational objectives.