MEL Director, Cameroon Malaria Project

Catholic Relief Services a Development Organization is seeking qualified, experienced, and highly motivated MEL Director, Cameroon Malaria Project who will manage and provide technical oversight for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) in the development and implementation of a President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)-funded project, ensuring effective MEL plans, systems and processes are in place that support high-quality programming advancing the project’s goal and objectives. Your MEL-related management skills and knowledge as well as experience with PMI and malaria programming will ensure that the project delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its malaria programming in support of the Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) mission to serve the poor and vulnerable.

The position is based in Yaoundé/Cameroon and is contingent upon approved funding by the donor

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight for MEL in the malaria project throughout the project cycle to ensure project design, start-up, implementation, and close-out are in line with CRS quality principles and standards and MEL policies, procedures, and practices, donor MEL guidelines, and industry best practices. Lead the development and ongoing updating of the project’s MEL system and plans.
• Effectively manage talent for MEL and supervise a team of MEL staff on the malaria project. Manage team dynamics and staff wellbeing. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance management for direct reports.
• Champion the development of program learning and implementation of MEL policy. Identify opportunities for learning, research and publications in malaria programming and collaborate with external research partners to facilitate the dissemination of promising practices and lessons learned to contribute to the agency knowledge management agenda. Promote the application of learning to improve program quality and to strengthen agency influence among external stakeholders. Ensure integration of MEL-related innovations and best practices.
• Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight for the development and implementation of high-quality MEL systems and processes, including digital technology to improve data quality, availability and for decision-making, and the application of responsible data principles as per agency and donor requirements for the malaria project. Promote MEL policies and industry good practices, champion the analysis and use of project performance data in the malaria project to inform decision-making and identify lessons learned. Facilitate connections between colleagues and peers to generate and share evidence-based learning.
• Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight for evaluation events and research for the malaria project, including the development of terms of reference or study protocols that include evaluation/learning questions, a balance of qualitative and quantitative methods, appropriate consideration of ethical and data protection standards, and the necessary technical rigor. Oversee the quality of evaluation data through good data management. Support the identification, recruitment, and management of external evaluators or research partners to ensure high quality evaluation, research, and learning.
• Oversee MEL-related technical assistance and capacity strengthening activities in the malaria project for staff and partner organizations to enhance program quality and impact.
• Oversee the identification, assessment, and strengthening of partnerships relevant to MEL in the malaria project and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools, and approaches.
• Oversee timely and appropriate project MEL expenditures in line with financial plans and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Master’s Degree in statistics, public health, epidemiology, international development, MEAL, or another relevant field required. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in relevant field-based project management roles required, with preferably at least 3 years working in the area of MEL technical or managerial positions. Recent experience working in PMI strongly preferred.
• Experience in managing moderately complex projects preferably with an international NGO.
• 3 to 5 years of staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment a preferred.
• Capacity strengthening experience is a plus.
• Good experience in project grants management, including project design, preferably for grants from multiple public donors, including USAID.
• Demonstrated ability to write high quality reports and contribute to technical proposals.
• Experience engaging with partner organizations and working with stakeholders at various levels.
• Strong background in supervising and providing MEL technical assistance for government, international, and local partners in malaria programming.
• Experience in designing monitoring and evaluation frameworks, conducting statistical analysis, contributing to evaluation reports, and interpreting data to facilitate project decision making.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.
• Proven ability to coach, mentor, and provide effective capacity strengthening to peers, direct reports, and partner staff.
• Ability to represent and present at high levels.

Required Languages

• High level written and oral proficiency in French and English required.
• Additional local languages a plus.

Personal Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with ability to make sound judgment and decisions and offer innovative solutions
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Good presentation and facilitation skills
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented
• Able to adapt to change quickly and respond with effective strategies.
• Attention to details, accuracy, and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities

Required Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 30% (mostly within Cameroon).

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.