Description

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability. Local Applicants strongly encouraged to apply. FUNCTION: Heifer International is seeking a monitoring and evaluation expert for a USAID-Food for Peace (FFP) funded market systems-oriented livestock project in Zimbabwe. The Monitoring and Evaluation Lead is accountable for providing technical expertise and leadership to generate and analyze quality evidence and data through monitoring, assessments, and evaluations. The M&E Lead is a technician with demonstrated experience in building or strengthening monitoring systems, quantitiatve and qualitative analysis, survey and sample design and effectively promoting evidence-based program management. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS: Detail-oriented, self-starter, excellent communication skills, collaborative team member, creative thinker, organized, and capable of setting realistic with timelines and achieving deliverables. RESPONSIBILITIES & DELIVERABLES Lead the monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities for a USAID Food for Peace project, ensuring that learnings are incorporated into any implementation adjustments throughout the life of the project.

• Documented monitoring, evaluation, and learning business processes.
• Developed and effectively implemented monitoring with a clearly defined process for course corrections when data is not in-line with expected results.
• Completed timely and high quality progress reports and documentation.

Report on well defined success measures and indicators including output, outcome, and impact levels in coordination with field teams to monitor and report on a regular basis.

• Contributes towards an effective MEL and program management system that includes the full spectrum of monitoring and evaluation functions.
• Program management system up-to-date with project data.
• Clear and accurate data detailing progress and impact of the project.

Colloborates and coordinates with learning and evidence partners

• Presented Heifer’s work and impacts at strategically defined USAID and related fora.
• Cultivated relationships with research, evaluation instututes and learning labs and capitalize on internal learning and learning from others within the industry.
• Provided specific data to support resource mobilization teams and other organization-wide initiatives including data analysis and packaging for follow on projects and interim donor updates

Minimum Requirements:

• Master’s degree or PhD in a quantitative field (economics, agricultural/development economics, statistics, biostatistics, nutrition, applied sociology, anthropology, or other relevant subject.
• Demonstrated experience in leading the M&E of a large award, preferably for USAID
• Knowledge of theory of change, logic models, food and nutrition security indicators, M&E plans
• Experience and expertise in developing and operationalizing a comprehensive M&E plan
• Eight (8) years of progressive professional experience, including in Sub-Saharan Africa, in monitoring and evaluation of international development activities/projects is highly desirable, of which five (5) years is experience in quantitative methods
• organizations to be effective in knowledge management and learning, is desirable.
• Knowledge of different M&E tools, approaches, and methods in addition to experience working with grant making organizations, is desirable.
• Experience in training, coaching and mentoring project staff and consortium partners staff in monitoring-related techniques and methods is desirable.

Most Critical Proficiencies:

• Excellent analytical and research skills; survey design; and use of data collection tools to manage and analyse data
• Exceptional writing skills and proven previous experience writing program reports;
• Well-grounded in the discipline of project monitoring and evaluation, quantitative and qualitative data capture and representation methodologies, applied project management practices in the context of resilience and food security programming
• Ability to lead a team across a large consortium to focus, prioritize, and deflect distractions in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, and deliver results
• Systems – thinking, a demonstrated ability to operate in complex environments, with multiple developments, and manage for actions and unintended consequences by employing feedback mechanisms and review processes.
• Knowledgeable in SPSS, STATA, survey data collection tools, such as SurveyCTO or other software, and database systems
• Expertise in food security, resilience, gender, youth and other aspects of agricultural development programs

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands:

• Develop an understanding of and become a strong proponent of Heifer’ s Values Based Hoilistic Community Development (VBHCD) throughout her/his tenure as MED.
• Proven team work and cooperatively with a diverse staff.
• Constant face-to-face, telephone and electronic communication with colleagues and the general public.
• May require constant sitting; working at a computer and focusing for extended periods of time and performing office environment activities while on the road and/or in remote conditions.
• Working with sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality.
• Ability to manage and execute multiple tasks with little supervision while meeting inflexible deadlines.