Location San Juan, Puerto Rico or US Remote
Position Status Full-time, Regular, Exempt
Salary: The salary range for this role is $53,000 - $57,667

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Program / Department Summary

Following Hurricane Maria, we partnered with local communities to meet urgent needs and provide immediate assistance. Today, the Puerto Rico team leads initiatives focused on disaster risk reduction, agricultural intervention and development, solar energy, potable water in case of emergencies, assistance and training for small businesses, rehabilitation of natural areas and initiatives to support tourism. At Mercy Corps we work so that the Island and its people are resilient to disasters, and empowered to develop and strengthen the country's resources.

General Position Summary

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer will work with the Mercy Corps program team as well as our local partner organizations to oversee and ensure the collection of quality M&E data for the program. The MEL Officer will be responsible for supporting the Caribbean Resilience Initiative to oversee the monitoring and data collection of the project, lead program surveys, analyze data to provide insight to project team, and contribute to report writing. S/he will ensure that performance monitoring and results reporting tools and processes across the entire program are in place, effectively implemented and well synchronized between the program sites. The MEL officer will be an integral member of the project team learning and reflection processes, leading discussion on beneficiary feedback.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Develop Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plans for programs and proposals.
• Develop a system for reporting and validating program data (Excel, Tola, Access, etc.)
• Work closely with the program teams and local partners, to ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting of program activities and results.
• Coordinate reporting with local partners, specifically tracking deadlines, ensuring adherence to monitoring formats and requirements, ensuring reporting quality and accuracy, and periodic report writing, editing, and submission.
• Compile progress against indicators and report back to the team according to the monitoring plan.
• Develop Data Quality Assessment Plan.
• Perform spot checks on the team’s data collected and reports each month.
• Actively participate in any additional evaluation M&E activities including but not limited to baseline surveys, mid-term, endline surveys, evaluations, households surveys.

Program Management

• Contribute to learning/research agenda.
• Build the capacity of all relevant team members to implement program monitoring tools, accurately enter program data into relevant databases, and enable them to develop excellent reports and other documents.
• Build the capacity of our local partner organizations through ongoing training and support on: monitoring tools, entering program data into databases, the development of reports and other documents.
• Document lessons learned and success stories on the project.
• Ensure adherence to program management minimum standards in carrying out his/her duties, advising and supporting other staff in the same as required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly to: Director - Caribbean Resilience Initiative

Works Directly with: Program Officers, Global Performance and Quality Unit and various regional operational teams as well as HQ program units and departments.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• BA/S or equivalent, preferably in data science, business administration, public administration or international development.
• 2+ years Monitoring & Evaluation experience with the proven use of program technology.
• Experience in building iterative learning systems or feedback loops and approaches in human-centered design are strongly valued.
• Knowledge of major aspects of program development, implementation, documentation, and excellent verbal and written communication skills required.
• Excellent quantitative skills and power user with Excel.
• Demonstrated understanding of intermediate and advanced statistic and the ability to summarize, generalize, and make predictions from large data sets.
• Ability to conceptualize, plan and implement research activities creatively, as well as possess the ability to analyze data and utilize lessons learned for the continuous improvement of program implementation and to promote a culture of learning.
• Previous experience working on USAID funded programs preferred.
• Relevant experience in field survey/data collection techniques, data entry, data verification, and analysis.
• Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of MS Office applications.
• Strong team coordination, listening, and consensus building skills.

Success Factors

A strong team member will be conscientious, with excellent judgement, capable of multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem-solving and attention to detail with strategic vision. They must have the confidence, and humility, to work effectively with a large variety of people who will be diverse culturally, economically and in social status. S/he must be sensitive to political and cultural nuance and able to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and fast-changing situations, as well as the ability to foster solid working relationships with Mercy Corps staff, LNGOs and CBOs. Working as part of a team and coordinating with project personnel, as well as strong organizational skills, are essential to this position.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position may be remote or based in one of our US HQ locations (Portland, Or or Washington DC), US Remote, or San Juan, Puerto Rico and it requires up to 25% travel to program locations in Puerto Rico and The Bahamas. Travel may include US headquarters offices in Portland and DC, or other Caribbean locations.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.

Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.

Covid-19 Vaccine Policy for US-Based Employees

Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status. This policy is necessary to ensure not only the safety of our workforce, but the ongoing functionality of the organization.

This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.
For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment. Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations. Failure to comply may impact your employment. Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.