About IREX 
IREX is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $100 million, offices in 20 countries, and a global staff of 700. We work in more than 100 countries worldwide. 

Summary of Position
IREX seeks a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Director for the upcoming five-year, approximately $50-$100M USAID-funded Workforce Development Activity in Ukraine.  The goal of this activity will be to support the upskilling and retraining of Ukraine’s labor force to adapt to the demographic and workforce shocks caused by the war. The award will help adapt employers and employees to structural changes in the labor market. The position will be based in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The MEL Director will be responsible for leading, implementing and integrating MEL activities and personnel across the project.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Designs and oversees the monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities of the project
• Leads the design, development, planning, and implementation of the activity MEL plan and project evaluation activities, including the development and dissemination of tools, materials, reports, papers, and intervention-linked research, using a collaborative approach across consortium partners
• Train, supervise and mentor a team of MEL staff including MEL capacity assessments across partners where needed
• Develop and roll-out strategies and activity-specific MEL in collaboration with MEL staff, partners and other activity staff
• Responsible for providing technical assistance, and developing and setting up systems for the timely collection, management, analysis, and reporting of valid and reliable data that meets donor reporting requirements
• Focuses on strengthening the M&E system and building capacity of partners and staff
• Integrates and implements adaptive management and Collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA) approaches, tools and strategies throughout the activity
• Works with IREX HQ to align activity MEL to IREX strategic priorities including data collection alignments; oversees and ensures contributions to IREX relational database ActivityInfo
• Undertakes periodic reviews of program and participates in planning M&E system strengthening actions
• Provides guidance on information systems for quality assurance, as well as best practices documentation and reporting
• Oversees the publication and dissemination of information on successful and promising approaches, lessons learned, and other program results to counterparts donors, program partners, and other key stakeholders
• Other duties as assigned.

• Master’s degree in statistics, demography, social science, economics, or other relevant discipline

• Minimum 10 years of experience designing and implementing monitoring, evaluating, and learning activities for USAID funded programs, preferably within the economic growth sector and including building relationships with USAID MEL and non-MEL personnel

• Strong quantitative and analytical skills and ability to articulate technical information clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences
• In-depth familiarity with USAID Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation methods and tools including experience leading/co-leading learning events with USAID personnel
• Successful experience multi-tasking priorities from USAID, home office, and country/field teams for a variety of MEL/CLA needs
• Proven experience managing, mentoring and training personnel in MEL capacities

• Knowledge of evaluation methodologies (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, mixed method, and impact) and data collection and analysis methodologies

• Experience in strategic planning and performance measurement, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, database management, and developing USAID Activity MEL Plan (AMELPs) and performance monitoring plans

• Familiarity with innovative MEL methods to ensure data collection in areas with minimal connectivity and with participants with minimal literacy skills

• Experience in designing, managing, and implementing multi-disciplinary and results-based surveys, and developing and refining data collection tools

• Experience with USAID data quality assessments

• Experience in economic growth sector, strongly preferred
• Advanced proficiency in English.