Immediate Vacancy: Meal Officer

Job Overview/Summary:

Location - Mieso and Goro Gutu under Harar Field Office

The MEAL Officer administratively reports to the Program Manager and is technically supervised by the Area MEAL Manager. S/he will work in close collaboration with program teams to optimize monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning capacities and opportunities of FCDO Life Saving Multipurpose Cash Program in Tigray, Oromia, Benishangul Gumz and Amhara regions, Ethiopia. The MEAL Officer oversees, leads, and implements routine MEAL activities for FCDO Life Saving Multipurpose Cash Program in the assigned region within the FO MEAL team. This role is crucial for ensuring high-quality programming for the clients we serve and supporting the endeavors to meet the donor expectations with in the IRC global ambitions of Strategy 100 and the Country Strategic Action Plan.

Major responsibilities include:

Leadership and Partnership

• Work with AMM in providing all technical aspects and actions of MEAL for the FCDO Life Saving Multipurpose Cash Program in the assigned region; respond to program needs on the ground; foster high standards and practices for quality program data collection, analysis, and reports there by enabling accountability to clients, partners, and donors.
• Implement and support MEAL system and approaches for the program and foster learning.
• Represent MEAL at local/Zonal level technical meetings, forums, and other events & build partnerships within IRC and area of expertise.
• Champion access to quality program data and use of data for shared learning, sound decision-making, and data-informed programmatic adaptations for the program.
• Closely support program team in meeting MEAL standards and requirements for client selection, registration, verification and progress monitoring/evaluation as agreed in the project design.

Technical Oversight

MEAL System Implementation

• In collaboration with the Program team and AMM, lead the rollout of Project’s MEAL plans, tools, and processes for field-level activities in alignment with donor’s and or IRC’s country/global MEAL strategies.
• Implement planned Project’s MEAL activities (surveys and compliance checks) including routine monitoring.
• Collaborate with MEAL and non-MEAL staff to ensure routine and periodic program data is collected, compiled, checked for quality and completeness in compliance with IRC and donor standards.
• Maintain and troubleshoot digital data collection platforms (e.g. CommCare) and ensure secure and organized data storage.
• Regularly updating program data trackers including Program Indicator Dashboard, client reach data, Detail Implementation Plan (DIP) with appropriate desegregation level in collaboration with program teams.
• Support deployment of surveys such as baseline, PDMs, end line, evaluations in coordination with colleagues, consultants and partners.

Data Quality & Learning

• Conduct regular project level data quality checks, audits, and completeness reviews, including online data management processes.
• Undertake routine analysis of monitoring data and work closely with program officers/managers to facilitate real-time decision-making and adaptive programming.
• Produce concise analytical reports (Verification and PDMs), dashboards, and visualizations with key findings for assigned projects and sharing during Project Cycle Management (PCM) and team meetings in collaboration with Area MEAL Manager.
• Document and share learning, evidence, and data from previous projects to inform proposal design and program improvement.

Accountability & Client Feedback

• Implement and monitor Client Feedback and Response Mechanisms (CFRM) in coordination with the Accountability Focal.
• Ensure client feedback is systematically recorded, analyzed, and acted upon to enhance quality.
• Join and contribute to IRC’s internal and external accountability commitments through sound feedback and response mechanisms.
• Identify, document, and share client feedback to improve services and outcomes.
• Support building the culture of accountability by promoting program staff to collect, respond and use client feedback to improve service delivery and program quality.

Technical Support & Capacity Building

• Provide on-the-job technical support to program team, enumerators, and MEAL Assistants (if any).
• Deliver training on MEAL standards, digital tools and accountability for field teams and enumerators.
• Promote the use of standard mobile data technology and online dashboards to improve timeliness and quality of data collection, analysis, and visualization.
• Work closely with the Area MEAL Manager to strengthen technical capacity and consistency in MEAL practices.

Coordination & Representation

• Actively participate in field-level coordination meetings, representing MEAL priorities and findings.
• Collaborate with program team to integrate MEAL insights into program adaptation and implementation.
• Support joint monitoring missions and evaluations with partners, donors, or government bodies.

Safeguarding Responsibilities: -

• Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC [team/office]
• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies

Requirements:

Educational Requirements:

• BSc/BA graduate in Monitoring and Evaluation, project management, social science, monitoring & data management, economic development, statistics or a related field
• Bachelor degree in a relevant field– Economics, Statistics, M&E, Demography etc. is required

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• A Minimum of 2 years of direct work experience in establishing and implementing digitalized Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning systems.
• Basic understanding and technical skills in MEAL processes and creating MEAL frameworks and data analysis, learning documentation and action.
• Demonstrated analytical, systematic-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Basic proficiency and experience with mobile data collection such as Kobo, CommCare, ODK Collect is required, knowledge of Tableau, PowerBi software tools are additional assets.
• Good computer skills in MS Office, especially Excel; and Word – with experience in writing reports.
• Self-motivated and proactive attitude with good organization, planning, and analytic skills, including prioritizing work, multi-tasking and attention to detail.
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and in constantly evolving work environments.
• Experience in analyzing and presenting quantitative and qualitative data in a way that facilitates effective decision making.
• Demonstrated analytical, systematic-thinking, and problem-solving skills are definite assets.
• A strong understanding of accountability and proven ability to build Client Feedback Systems
• Willingness to travel to visit various project sites (60%)

Language Skills:

• Excellent written and verbal communication in English, Amharic, and ability to speak local language is advantageous.

Skills Required:

• Economics / Statistics
• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development