Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager

Pure Earth•New York, NY

5d•$80,000 - $96,900•Hybrid

About The Position

Pure Earth is hiring a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager to strengthen organization-wide MEL systems, processes, and practices during a period of significant growth. Reporting to the Director of MEL, the Manager will serve as a thought partner and hands-on resource to headquarters and country program teams, helping design and refine practical approaches to MEL, implementation support, and reporting. The role will cultivate inquiry, reflection, and learning from successes and failures across Pure Earth’s projects. The Manager will strengthen staff capacity, facilitate learning activities, advise on data and management information systems and evaluation approaches, and help teams translate evidence and emerging insights into improved program strategy and practice. The position partners with Country Directors, Technical Managers, Regional Directors, the Grants Manager, and other Programs staff. It is based in New York City, with a hybrid arrangement or consideration for strong U.S.-based remote candidates able to travel to New York City quarterly or more frequently.

Requirements

A degree in a relevant field or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
At least 7 years of experience designing and implementing MEL systems, preferably in the international nonprofit or NGO sector.
At least 3 years of experience designing and operationalizing management information systems for MEL data management and analysis.
Experience building collaborative learning practices that surface internal knowledge and insights across departments and translate them into program improvements.
Ability to translate MEL data into user-friendly formats for internal and external audiences and make complex information accessible to non-technical users.
Ability to navigate complexity, balance attention to detail with a broader perspective, and translate ideas into practical tools, processes, and plans.
Strong data management and analysis skills, including developing systems and processes to collect, manage, analyze, and communicate qualitative and quantitative data for program learning, strategy, fundraising, and communications.
Experience coaching, training, and supporting virtual teams to integrate MEL practices.
Ability to guide and moderate discussions productively and help groups work through differing perspectives toward clear outcomes.
Strong interpersonal and active listening skills, openness, curiosity, and humility, with adaptability to different working styles and cultural contexts.
Highly organized, able to anticipate workflows, clarify priorities, and deliver high-quality work with attention to detail and deadlines.
Legally authorized to work in the United States; Pure Earth will not sponsor visas or other work authorization.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated expertise with statistics, including sampling techniques.
Fluency in Spanish, Swahili, or another language used in countries where Pure Earth works.

Responsibilities

Advise on the continued development of organizational MEL systems, processes, and tools to support major projects and capture progress, results, insights, and lessons learned.
Advise on the design of a program-aligned database and management information system to streamline collection, management, analysis, reporting, and storage of project data.
Advise on the design and implementation of external evaluations, including developing scopes of work and evaluation materials and guiding the process to ensure evaluation standards are met.
Build staff knowledge of MEL and strengthen staff ability to integrate learning and evaluation into planning, implementation, and reflection.
Design methodologies for learning spaces and mechanisms that promote cross-learning, reflection, and decision-making, and train and support teams in using them.
Synthesize insights and emerging findings from assessments of programmatic work for internal and external learning.
Facilitate and document learning and reflection processes, and co-develop knowledge products that inform program strategy and contribute to the sector-wide evidence base.
Support development of country and major-project learning agendas and evaluation priorities with Technical Support, Research, and Programs teams and external consultants.
Integrate reflection and learning into Programs team practices and create opportunities for strategic learning, including workshops and learning events.
Support development of a learning and governance plan defining how findings are reviewed, acted on, and incorporated into future country engagements.
Support development of proposals and concept notes aligned with Pure Earth’s Programmatic Logic.
Support the design and implementation of funder-compliant project MEL plans aligned with Pure Earth’s Programmatic Logic.
Support effective and efficient data collection for project and global indicators, including training staff on data collection tools and methods as needed.