Latin America: MERL Coordinator At Internews

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Under the supervision of the Activity Director and with support from the Americas Regional MERL Unit, the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) Coordinator will provide day-to-day MERL leadership for a disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation (MDM) project in Latin America. They will work collaboratively with regional staff and Internews HQ teams to develop effective monitoring methodologies and tracking systems, ensuring consistent and accurate data collection, and supporting effective analysis of and reporting on the overall impact and results of the project. They will also work with project staff to develop and improve their monitoring and evaluation capacities and ensure that organizational and project-level targets are met, with special attention to those related to the operational capacity of independent media partners, gender equity, and the inclusiveness of marginalized populations. The MERL Coordinator will play a critical role in the project by ensuring adherence to our regional MERL procedures and systems and providing input to the project’s annual strategic planning.

LOGISTICS

Our ideal candidate is based in Colombia, Ecuador, or Mexico. Candidates based elsewhere in Latin America will also be considered.

This is a limited-duration position with an expected end date in September 2028.

Note: Hiring of this position is contingent upon donor approval.

OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE OF BELONGING

We are an organization of dynamic, mission-driven individuals who are passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We believe that diverse teams are strong teams and work to support an ethic of belonging, dignity, and justice for all people. Our current team includes a mix of genders, parents and non-parents, and people of multiple races, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are an EEO employer and encourage candidates of all races, genders, ages, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply, and welcome those with alternative backgrounds and experiences.

DAY-TO-DAY TASKS will include:

• Lead the planning and implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities for the project and make sure they are designed in a methodologically sound and feasible way, accurately implemented, and that the results are analyzed and reported appropriately.
• Support the rollout of the project’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) plan, which will guide key activities, performance indicators, annual and life-of-activity targets, and learning that will take place during the life of the project.
• Advise on the design, development, and administration of resources and tools to evaluate and track project indicators, such as pre- and post-activity surveys, focus group questionnaires, uniform qualitative data collection, internal tracking systems, impact stories, etc.
• Advise project staff on best practices to ensure activities and MEL efforts are integrated into all activities and consider the inclusiveness of women and marginalized and vulnerable populations, including differentiated targets for men, women, and/or specific groups, including Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and other populations.
• Coordinate the quarterly collection of indicator data for both the project and Internews’ overall monitoring and evaluation efforts, including use and management of program data in the internal ProgramSource database.
• Ensure that data is verified, synthesized, and updated for inclusion in reports, briefings, and meetings for donors and project stakeholders and Internews materials.
• Serve as the main point of contact with external M&E contractors as advised by the donor and project team.
• Propose and implement strategies for improved communications on project activities and accomplishments.
• Provide technical support to local project partners in the design and administration of MERL systems in their subgrants and to local consultants to collect necessary data as part of their services.
• Facilitate regular pause and reflect sessions with the project team and partners to inform project implementation and learnings.
• In all duties, uphold Internews’ Core Values and demonstrate commitment to fostering a culture of Belonging, Dignity, and Justice.

QUALIFICATIONS WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Required

• University degree or equivalent lived/professional experience.
• At least five years’ experience in monitoring and evaluation of international programs, preferably with experience in the media development sector.
• Spanish and English fluency.
• Strong qualitative research skills, and experience with designing and managing mixed methods research, including the design of logical frameworks, indicators, and appropriate data collection methods.
• Knowledge of or aptitude for grasping common organizational methods such as social network analysis, Outcome Harvesting, Organizational Capacity Assessments, and digital analytics.
• Experience delivering MERL training and building the capacity of colleagues and local partners.
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills and experience adapting oral and written outputs to present in non-technical language to diverse audiences, including colleagues, partners, consultants, and donors.
• Strong time management and organizational skills; ability to effectively manage a dynamic workload and shifting priorities.
• Proven ability to operate in a multicultural and remote work environment.
• Proven ability to work both independently and as an effective team member.
• Flexibility to travel periodically to other countries for meetings with colleagues, local partners, and donors.
• Flexibility to work outside traditional office hours as required.

Preferred

Note: Candidates who do not have these preferred qualifications, but who are interested and willing o learn, are encouraged to apply.

• Familiarity with the misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation landscape in the Americas. Prior experience working for projects addressing MDM issues is a plus.
• Experience working for an international nonprofit or in the international development sector.
• Experience in developing or supporting projects in closed or hostile environments; knowledge of security risks and mitigation protocols.
• Experience with implementing projects in diverse information environments and training in technologies that support access to information, and experience with privacy, censorship circumvention, and anonymity tools.
• Experience implementing US-funded projects is a significant asset; experience with other government-funded programs, or other programs with significant reporting, evaluation, and compliance components, is strongly desired.
• Familiarity with and experience in implementing projects to strengthen organizational capacity and inclusion of marginalized communities.