Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager, Feed and Bloom Program At Counterpart International

Counterpart International helps people build better lives and longer-lasting futures, community by community. We equip individuals, organizations and communities – our counterparts – to become solution-makers in their own families, communities, regions and countries. We work with them in some of the world’s most challenging places to tackle social, economic, environmental, health and governance problems that threaten their lives and undermine their futures. To learn more about Counterpart, please visit our website at www.counterpart.org .

Counterpart International, together with a diverse consortium of local partners and in collaboration with the Government of El Salvador, implements Alimenta y Florece, a McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in El Salvador funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Alimenta y Florece is a five-year initiative that aims to support more than 44,000 students in the departments of San Miguel and Morazán by delivering nutritious school meals, supporting infrastructure rehabilitation, empowering local communities to decentralize school feeding, fostering local food production, and strengthening economies.

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager will oversee the monitoring and measurement of program performance, including the implementation of the Performance Monitoring Plan and Evaluation Plan, promoting robust data collection, management, and analysis tools, and writing periodic reports to the donor. Reporting directly to the Project Director, the MEL Manager will oversee the program’s MEL team and promote the principles of collaboration, learning, and adaptation (CLA) throughout implementation in close coordination with the program’s technical teams, partners, beneficiaries, and donors to achieve maximum programmatic impact and the ability to meet and exceed performance goals. This is a full-time position based in San Miguel. Join us in making a lasting difference in the lives of children and their communities!

Responsibilities

• Oversee the entire MEL lifecycle, including but not limited to MEL tools and methodologies, data collection, analysis and reporting, program evaluations, and maintenance of the Performance Monitoring Plan and Evaluation Plan as required.
• Develop and implement data collection tools and methodologies that adhere to Counterpart MEL policies, donor requirements, and industry best practices to ensure that all MEL data collected throughout the life of the program is accurate and appropriately supported by supporting documentation.
• Supervise, advise and train the MEL team, technical teams and program partners to provide cross-program quality monitoring and evaluation support.
• Develop a comprehensive MEL strategy and system tailored to the needs of the program, including quantitative and qualitative data collection tools, innovative methodologies, and internal controls that ensure timely access to accurate MEL data for decision-making and reporting.
• Ensure that the program’s MEL practices adequately address confidentiality and other ethical considerations.
• Promote engagement with CLA by leading Action Learning discussions, Pause and Reflect sessions, and other feedback mechanisms to regularly gather input from program staff, partners, and communities, actively integrating lessons learned into program design and implementation strategies.
• Work closely with the MEL and Program Execution teams in Counterpart’s US office, including regularly updating DevResults, Counterpart’s online MEL platform, and participating in annual internal data quality assessments.
• Review terms of reference for program evaluations (e.g., mid- and endline evaluations, market studies, etc.) and serve as the primary technical point of contact for external evaluators; design and lead internal evaluations and special studies as appropriate.
• Other related tasks as assigned.

Mandatory:

• Bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, statistics, research methods or other related area of ​​study.
• Minimum of six years’ experience in international cooperation project management, with at least four years’ experience supporting and/or leading MEL activities.
• Sound knowledge of MEL principles and technical concepts, including quantitative and qualitative research methods; familiarity with technical topics such as education, nutrition and rural development is an asset.
• Competence in using statistical software (e.g. SPSS or STATA) and digital data collection tools with proven experience in data analysis and writing evaluation reports.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise staff, foster team collaboration and manage performance effectively.
• Experience working with external partners, multi-level stakeholders, and strengthening community partnerships.
• Full command of Spanish.
• Willingness and availability to travel up to 25% of the time.

Preferable:

• Master’s degree in political science, international relations, statistics, research methods or other related area of ​​study.
• Knowledge of good practices in capacity building and CLA.
• Familiarity with innovative data visualization tools (e.g. Power BI, Tableau, DevResults).
• Previous experience leading or participating in assessments, special studies, or learning initiatives.
• Intermediate to advanced command of English.