Monitoring Evaluation, Design, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Coordinator

Food For The Poor, one of the nation's largest international relief and development organizations, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the elders, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance.

"Join us in our mission to serve the poorest of the poor".

Overall Responsibility:

The MEAL Coordinator is responsible for planning, implementing, and managing monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning activities for Food For the Poor programs. This role ensures that program data is accurate, timely, and effectively used to improve program quality, inform strategic decisions, and demonstrate impact to stakeholders. The MEAL Coordinator supports a culture of continuous learning and accountability across program teams.

Key Duties:

1. Monitoring & Data Collection:

• Develop and implement monitoring plans for all programs, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and donor requirements.
• Collect, manage, and validate quantitative and qualitative data from program sites.
• Train program staff on data collection tools, methods, and reporting procedures.

2. Evaluation & Analysis:

• Conduct periodic evaluations to assess program effectiveness, efficiency, and impact.
• Analyze program data to identify trends, successes, gaps, and lessons learned.
• Prepare clear, actionable reports for internal teams, management, and donors.

3. Accountability & Compliance:

• Ensure that programs comply with donor requirements, organizational policies, and local regulations.
• Implement accountability mechanisms for program beneficiaries, including feedback and complaint handling systems.
• Support external audits and donor reporting as needed.

4. Learning & Capacity Building:

• Promote a culture of learning by facilitating reflection sessions, workshops, and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with program teams to integrate lessons learned into program design and implementation.
• Contribute to organizational learning initiatives, including best practices documentation.

5. Collaboration & Communication:

• Work closely with program staff, Finance, HR, and leadership to ensure data-driven decision-making.
• Serve as a liaison between program teams and donors, providing updates on MEAL activities.
• Support proposal development and reporting by providing evidence-based data and analysis.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Social Sciences, Statistics, Development Studies, International Relations, or related field.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation in an international NGO or humanitarian organization.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and reporting mechanisms.
• Strong grasp of all stages of program cycle management and quality standards in humanitarian programming.
• Experience in designing tools and strategies for data collection, analysis and production of reports.
• Experience with data collection tools, databases, and data analysis software (e.g., Excel, SPSS, KoboToolbox, DHIS2).
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) required.
• Experience with participatory approaches and community engagement in program evaluation.
• Knowledge of donor reporting requirements (e.g., USAID, EU, private foundations).
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 30% of the time, often to remote domestic locations, with occasional international trips.

Skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication abilities, with proficiency in English and Spanish, to craft well-written reports and effectively liaise with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multicultural environment.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong capacity for analytical thinking, with the ability to interpret complex data and financial information, facilitating informed decision-making.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing project requirements and environments, with a solution-oriented approach to challenges.
• Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure as part of a team.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.