Managing Director, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (M3)

Summary

The Managing Director for Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) is the Team Lead for MERL in the Department of Global Health (DGH) and sits on the MERL leadership team across the International Programs Division. The position leads DGH's learning agenda, engages in departmental strategic planning and business development, and contributes to technical forums related to program research and evaluation, both internal and external to Save the Children. In this role, you will supervise MERL staff, ensure consistent guidance for MERL-related activities, and provide targeted technical assistance to select projects within the DGH portfolio. In collaboration with thematic counterparts, you will provide guidance and support for research at global and country levels, including, but not limited to, monitoring and evaluation guidance, research partnerships, and capacity building.

What You'll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

Technical Leadership and Quality Programming (40% Level of Effort)

• Serve as the department Team Leader for MERL, participating in strategic planning, and ensuring procedures are in place for high quality, innovative MERL approaches that comply with donor and organizational mandates.

• Support development of evidence-based program standards and guidance that reflect Save the Children best practices and state of the art approaches and promote widespread application.

• Set technical standards and priorities for MERL.

• Promote the application of MERL best practices as a key element of program implementation within Save the Children and work to keep it visible as an important cross-cutting area globally.

• Sit on the MERL leadership team for International Programs, coordinating strategic initiatives such as the global learning agenda, capacity building initiatives, and strategic research partnerships.

• Represent DGH and contribute to task forces and meetings related to MERL within Save the Children.

• Lead the department's learning agenda.

• Oversee and contribute to finalizing learning products, including developing and reviewing journal manuscripts, technical briefs, conference presentations, and other dissemination events.

• Liaise with the Knowledge Management team to identify, create, disseminate, and apply learning.

Quality Technical Assistance (30% Level of Effort)

• Provide targeted technical assistance on MERL to selected projects in the DGH portfolio, including:

• Working with project teams to develop and/or finalize monitoring, evaluation, and learning plans.

• Supporting the design and implementation of adaptive management and learning strategies.

• Helping to develop and implement project learning agendas, including refinement of learning questions, methods for capturing learning, and documentation plans.

• Contributing to formative and implementation research studies and program evaluations, including development of tools and protocols, analytic plans, training materials, and IRB submissions.

• Supporting data quality audits and data review meetings.

• Supporting analyses, write-up, publication, and dissemination of findings.

• Providing mentorship/capacity building in MERL to project staff.

Resource Mobilization (10% Level of Effort)

• In collaboration with technical teams, Partnerships & Philanthropy (P&P), New Business Development (NBD), and regional and country offices, support efforts to secure and diversify funding for global health.

• Participate in regular resource mobilization meetings on upcoming opportunities and priority bids, and coordinate with MERL team to assign MERL staff to serve as MERL Leads on specific bids. Ensure updating of MERL capability statement for use in business development efforts.

• Serve as MERL Lead on specific bids.

External Representation (10% Level of Effort)

• Participate in external working groups. Contribute to technical and advisory forums and meetings as requested and participate in select technical working groups to ensure completion and achievement of objective Cultivate relationships and collaborate with UNICEF, WHO, DHS, and other stakeholders to promote metrics and data use.

• Cultivate relationships and seek collaboration with research partners.

• Represent DGH and contribute to task forces and meetings related to monitoring, evaluation, and learning in global for

Staff Management and Development (10% Level of Effort)

• Lead MERL team and work with DGH and HR staff to effectively and efficiently recruit, hire, onboard, and retain talent for the agency; hold regular meetings with staff individually and as a team.

• Train, develop, coach, lead, and supervise staff, clearly communicating organization, division, and department priorities, and how their work contributes to our mission, ensuring that the working environment continually fosters diversity, inclusion, and belonging - supporting Save the Children values.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience plus at least 10 years of relevant experience.

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning within global health programs.

• Proven qualitative and quantitative research skills required, including but not limited to study design, survey instrument design and use, sampling, data analysis plans, data cleaning, statistical analysis, and presentation and reporting and communication of results.

• Demonstrated proficiency in team leadership and management of MERL, i.e., providing technical advice, guidance, and direction related to various sized programs and grants.

• Experience leading and contributing to proposal development.

• Prior experience with USAID-funded programs; demonstrated knowledge and application of USAID's Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning frameworks and requirements including Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting.

• Demonstrated professional proficiency in collaborative communication within and across teams, as well as with internal and external audiences.

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 20% time.

Preferred Qualifications

• An advanced degree in public health, or equivalent degree, with emphasis on epidemiology, demography, research methods, or measurement.

• Experience developing and implementing implementation research highly preferred.

• Knowledge and experience establishing and measuring health indicators, as well as associated capacity building with country nationals.

Compensation

Save the Children is offering the following salary ranges for this position, dependent on candidate location:

• Geo 1 - NY Metro, DC, and other locations with labor costs significantly above national average: Target Salary for this position is $188,700 - $210,900 base salary

The salary ranges listed above are for US based candidates. For candidates located outside of the US, salary ranges will be based on the salary scales of the local employer of record.

Actual base salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, business sector, and geographic location (more information on job structure is available here). Employee may be eligible for an incentive program. Save the Children US also offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, a retirement savings plan with employer contribution, paid vacation leave, safety & wellness leave, family leave, parental/adoption leave, caregiver leave, and much more.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children - every day and in times of crisis - transforming their lives and the future we share.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.