Director, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL)

AmeriCares

2d•$127,036 - $139,600•Remote

About The Position

The Director, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) provides operational leadership and day-to-day oversight for the delivery of MERL across Americares global program portfolio and all three program pillars: Health Services, Humanitarian Programs and Medicine Security. This role ensures consistent, high-quality MERL support and practices are embedded throughout the program lifecycle while leading and developing a high-performing team of MERL professionals. The Director translates organizational MERL strategy into practical implementation, strengthens organizational capacity in monitoring, evaluation and learning, and promotes evidence-based decision-making that improves program quality, accountability and impact.

Requirements

Master's degree Public Health, Evaluation, Research Methods, Statistics, International Development, Social Sciences or a related field.
Demonstrated ability to build, develop and inspire high-performing teams.
Experience coaching managers and staff while fostering accountability and continuous learning.
Ability to translate strategic priorities into effective operational delivery.
Strong systems-thinking skills and experience leading complex, multi-portfolio initiatives.
Proven ability to influence across functions and levels in matrixed organizations.
Experience building trusted partnerships and aligning technical priorities with organizational goals.
Deep expertise in monitoring, evaluation, research and learning methodologies.
Ability to apply international MERL standards and evidence-based practices while balancing technical rigor with practical implementation.
Demonstrated use of data and evidence to improve systems, programs and organizational performance.
Commitment to innovation, learning and adaptive management.
Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills.
Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences.
US work authorization without restriction
Candidates must be currently living in and will continue to live in one of the following states/territories: CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, NC, NJ, NY, OR, PA, Puerto Rico, TN, TX, VA, or WA.

Nice To Haves

Experience using dashboards, business intelligence tools and data visualization platforms such as Tableau to support organizational learning and performance management.
Experience identifying opportunities to leverage AI, automation and emerging technologies to improve MERL efficiency, analysis and reporting.
Knowledge of digital systems integration and process improvement.
Fluency in languages that are spoken in at least one of our core locations (India, Philippines, Tanzania, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Colombia, etc.), in addition to English.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach and develop a diverse Program MERL team across multiple regions and technical portfolios.
Foster an inclusive, collaborative and high-performing team culture while supporting staff growth and development.
Lead the operational delivery of Program MERL across Health Services, Humanitarian Programs and Medicine Security portfolios.
Establish priorities, allocate resources and strengthen workflows, standards and service delivery mechanisms.
Provide technical oversight for monitoring, evaluation, research and learning activities across Americares programs.
Ensure the quality of monitoring frameworks, theories of change, indicators, evaluation designs and data collection methodologies.
Promote the integration of MERL throughout the program lifecycle and support adaptive management through the timely use of data and evidence.
Lead quality assurance initiatives, including data quality assessments and continuous improvement efforts.
Strengthen MERL capability across program teams and country offices through training, coaching, mentoring and the development of practical tools and resources.
Lead communities of practice and organizational learning initiatives.
Build strong partnerships with Country Offices, Technical Advisors, Development, Communications, Strategy and other key stakeholders.
Represent Program MERL internally and externally and support integrated approaches to evidence generation and learning.
Actively model and contribute to Americares values, work culture and mission.
Engage in and contribute to team spaces with openness, global competencies and a growth mindset.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.