Senior Assistant for MERL, South America At Internews

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Internews seeks a Senior Assistant for Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) for South America. Under the supervision of the Americas Regional MERL Manager, the Senior Assistant will support the regional MERL team in implementing MERL processes and plans for the South America subregion and capturing and demonstrating the impact of Internews’ work at the local and subregional level. The Senior Assistant will support the design and delivery of high-quality data collection and monitoring processes and contribute to evaluative efforts within the South America subregion.

This is a junior position, and our ideal candidate is an early-career professional who has between two and four years of experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning and/or implementation of international programs, preferably including experience with USG donors and/or in the media development sector. This position will involve a hands-on approach to supporting the development of MERL frameworks, approaches, and plans throughout the proposal and project start-up phase, communicating regularly with the team, and addressing any gaps that arise.

LOGISTICS

This position will be based remotely in Latin America and the Caribbean; our preferred candidate is based in Colombia, Brazil, or Ecuador.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply soon.

This is a limited-duration position, with an expected term of 12 months.

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:

MERL Technical Support for Conservando Juntos (CJ)

Lead the implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (MELP) for the CJ project to capture project performance results.
Manage essential reporting of data for the CJ project, including into the consortium platform, updating the workplan with information on deliverables and indicators, contributing data to semi-annual narrative reports, and gathering data for the performance indicator tracking table.
Monitor the results and the work of external consultants and project staff in the implementation of Internews’ Organizational Capacity Assessment methodology.
Support the CJ team in following methodological guidelines to compile and present project results and support the CJ team in drafting the workplan and semiannual reports.

MEL Technical Support for Other Projects in South America

Assist program teams in South America in creating and implementing MEL frameworks, procedures, and data collection and reporting tools for the monitoring and evaluation of project activities.
Lead the project setup and data entry for South America projects in Internews’ ProgramSource database.
Support project teams to track indicator data in performance indicator tracking tables, in compliance with data quality standards of Internews, USAID, and other funders.
Conduct MEL check-ins with relevant staff members and use feedback to adapt the MEL plan and data collection systems accordingly.
Collaborate with the South America project teams to gather, document, and share relevant success and impact stories using both quantitative and qualitative data.
Compile written documentation on MEL activities and indicator results for progress and annual reports as appropriate.

Maintain MERL Processes for All Projects in South America

Work collaboratively with members of the project team and Americas regional and project-based MERL staff to ensure coordination, implementation of standard processes, and quality of subregional data.
Support the South America subregion to ensure the integration of Belonging, Dignity, and Justice (BDJ) principles into our programming for a comprehensive and inclusive approach.
Contribute to proposal efforts from a MERL perspective, supporting project design and MERL plans at the proposal stage.
Support the Regional MERL team in developing, implementing, and ensuring alignment of monitoring and evaluation processes, including implementation of MEL plans, project kick-off and closeout, internal evaluations, impact measurements, and capacity-building workshops for project teams throughout South America.
Support capacity-building efforts for local partners in MERL needs and priorities within South American projects, including training, mentorship, and accompaniment.

Contribute to Overall Regional MERL Strategies:

Contribute to Americas MERL strategic planning and Americas overall strategic planning.
Contribute to documenting subregional best practices that can be implemented in other subregions.
Liaise with Internews’ Global Impact and Learning team and experts, when appropriate.
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.
3 years’ experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning and/or implementation of international programs, preferably with experience with USG donors and/or in the media development sector.
Spanish and English fluency.
Experience contributing to or leading the design of logical frameworks and the development of indicators and corresponding 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 or interest in delivering trainings and building capacity of colleagues and local partners.
Strong time management and organizational skills; ability to effectively manage a dynamic workload and shifting priorities.
Proven ability and/or interest in operating in a multicultural, 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 to learn, are encouraged to apply.

Familiarity with the media landscape and information ecosystems in Latin America, including main challenges and opportunities for media and public access to information.
Experience implementing US funded projects a significant asset; experience with other government-funded programs, or other programs with significant reporting, evaluation, and compliance components, strongly desired.
Experience working for an international nonprofit or in the international development sector.
Experience 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.
Familiarity with or experience in implementing projects to strengthen organizational capacity and inclusion of marginalized communities.
Portuguese familiarity and/or fluency.

TO APPLY

Please submit a CV and cover letter.

This position is being offered and hired by Internews Network. Benefits will be consistent with Internews Network’s offerings and will be reviewed during the hiring process. Additional information can be found on our Benefits page.