Title:            Senior Program Manager – Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)

Location:    Arlington, Virginia, (Hybrid 50/50, see condition of employment below)

Start Date:   ASAP,

Reports to:   Vice President, Project Management

Direct Reports:   Project Manager – Liberia DELTA

I am retained by IBI International to find and accept applications for Senior Program Manager (MEL).  Established in 1996, IBI is a woman-owned international economic development consulting firm whose main client is the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). IBI has successfully implemented some 50 projects in over 70 countries and is a winner of the USAID Small Business of the Year Award. IBI is growing rapidly, solidifying its experience in the focus areas of economic growth, governance, M&E, and information technology for governance.

IBI is searching for a Senior Project Manager with experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning. This is a great position for an experienced MEL Project Manager with at least seven years of USAID Project Management and MEL project experience, and ready to take a step up in their career.

Position Summary: The Senior Project Manager - MEL (Senior PM-MEL) will provide project management oversight of our new USAID-Liberia Data, Evaluation, Learning, and Technical (DELTA) Activity and one ongoing project in the Asia Pacific region. The Senior PM-MEL will manage key aspects of the programming cycle, specifically strategic planning, project design, performance monitoring and evaluation, and institutionalized learning and adaptation and will manage all aspects of the MEL projects, including, project implementation strategy, technical oversight and reporting; client relationships, subcontractor and personnel management, financial forecasting and budgets.

The Senior PM-MEL will also play a key role in the MEL business development efforts (up to 25% of their time), including technical writing for MEL proposals.  This position has a strong potential for growth within IBI as the MEL portfolio grows under the recently awarded EVAL-ME II IDIQ contracts are implemented.

Condition of Employment:

Office Reporting:     Hybrid 50/50. Home office staff are required to physically report to the office 50% of each pay period. The remaining 50% can be telework. 

Travel:                       Ability to travel at least 25% of the time, occasionally up to four weeks, to low-resource and insecure environments.

Vaccines:                    Ability to be vaccinated as required by local authorities, i.e., Yellow Fever Vaccination, COVID-19. IBI requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. IBI covers the full cost of required vaccines. Please refer to our career’s website for additional COVID-19 vaccine information.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of MEL projects under the EVAL-ME II IDIQ, including oversight of all aspects of contract implementation
• Serve as the Home Office Technical Lead on evaluations, data collection, and assessments
• Lead the design and implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan and ensure indicators, evaluation methodology and data collection systems are appropriate and practical
• Responsible for linking adaptive management learning with M&E data in a continuous feedback loop through quarterly strategy reviews and after activity reviews
• Lead strategic planning for MEL contracts
• Manage subcontractors, including major partners
• Build MEL capacity within the firm and mentorship and guidance towards junior staff in general project management
• Lead and manage timely and quality preparation of all quarterly progress reports, annual reports, inception report, ad-hoc technical reports, and success stories for USAID, in line with contract requirements.
• Provide technical advice and guidance to other IB projects, including developing AMELP plans, trainings, and MEL related long-term and short-term Terms of Reference.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with clients, team members, and stakeholders.

• Oversee program monitoring and reporting across multiple activities and programs. She/he will work with stakeholders including implementers and Mission staff providing oversight of monitoring functions, such as the creation of performance indicators, development of activity and project Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plans, setting of targets, collection of program data, assessment of data quality, analyses of data, reporting, and measurement of impact.  
• Work with Chief of Party (COP), Senior Assessment and Evaluation Advisor, and CLA Advisor to ensure that monitoring information is shared and fully utilized through knowledge sharing and strategic learning processes to speed innovation and improve upon and bring new innovations to the Mission’s programmatic work in-country.  
• Provide training to various stakeholders on results-based management and creating effective monitoring indicators, plans, processes, and systems to improve performance monitoring.  
• Ensure that short- and long-term monitoring team members recruited under this contract are of a high caliber and possess the required technical expertise.  
• Supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of the PM-DELTA, and future project/M&E team. 

Business Development: 25%

• Provide technical writing for MEL proposals or MEL sections
• Review MEL technical proposals as requested
• Identify new business opportunities

 Other:

Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications and Skills:  

• Must have current authorization to work in the United States permanently, full-time; IBI does not provide US visa sponsorship. This position is not eligible for IBI’s OPT sponsorship.

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Social Science, International Development, Statistics, or related field, and

• A minimum of 7 years of demonstrable MEL-focused project; developing monitoring and evaluation plans, results frameworks and log frames, performance management plans, designing and implementing data collection tools, conducting data analysis, writing evaluation and research reports.
• A minimum of 5 years of management work experience on MEL projects with USAID or similar donor agency.

• Demonstrated experience developing Performance Management and Evaluation Plans (PMEPs), theories of change, logical frameworks, and results frameworks, at an activity level.  

• Experience training/facilitating workshops with various types of stakeholders on M&E topics; proven ability to distill complex information down to useable and understandable.
• Experience developing performance indicators, assessing, and tracking data quality, data management, and/or training in performance management topics.  
• Experience writing, editing, and formatting documents, correspondence using Microsoft Office 365 products,

• Knowledge of standard USAID policies, guidance, processes, and indicators; and capable of developing customized indicators.  
• Qualified candidates will need to have scheduling flexibility to accommodate projects/clients in various time zones  (able to work late at night or early in the morning  if necessary).     
• Able to work independently, while also able to collaborate with team members.
• Flexibility to adjust to changes in demands, new situations or approaches.  

• Fluency in English; fluency in a second language is a plus
• Managerial, leadership, and interpersonal skills

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Social Science, International Development, Statistics, or related field.
• Experience living and working in a developing country  
• Fluency in a second language; preferably Spanish, French, or Arabic

• Familiar with publicly available data sources (such as those of multilateral organizations, think tanks, research institutions, Liberian government agencies/ministries, etc.) and the indicators they measure.  

IBI offers domestic employees outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, an Employee Assistance Program, generous company sponsored 401k contribution, generous paid time off, summer alternative work schedules, parental/adoption leave, commuter benefits, telework office equipment, and more. 

How to Apply:

Please send theses Required Application Materials to recruit@internationalink.net

• CV in English that clearly shows you meet all requirements, and
• (3 professional contacts for references?)
• In the subject line, please indicate “Senior Program Manager - MEL / (Last Name)”. CV/resumes will be reviewed as they are received, early application is encouraged.

Deadline for Application:  Open until filled.

Aines International serves as agent for sourcing and screening applicants on behalf of IBI for this position only.  As a condition of employment with IBI, all final candidates are subject to a pre-employment screening. The pre-employment screening will be conducted in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and for this position includes a criminal background check, education verification, previous employment verification, and reference checks.

IBI participate in E-Verify for all US based domestic hires.

IBI reserves the right to validate COVID-19 vaccination status. IBI reserves the right to rescind an offer if vaccination conditions of employment are not met prior to the candidate’s scheduled start date.

IBI is an equal opportunity employer with a very diverse staff. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, age, or other legally protected characteristics. Military veterans, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.