Location:  Washington, D.C.

Application Deadline:  until filled

Please Note: Solidarity Center staff enjoy a hybrid telework/in-person schedule. All candidates applying for this role will be expected to work in the Washington, D.C. office a minimum of three days per week unless an ADA or health-related exemption is approved.

Summary:

Solidarity Center seeks an early-career practitioner to fill a newly created position in our expanding Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team. This individual will support and collaborate with program teams in HQ and the field on MEL needs, under the guidance of the department’s Senior MEL Specialists. The MEL Officer will help to develop resources and to provide technical guidance and training on methodologies and data collection tools; help to build HQ and field staff capacity; strengthen monitoring systems; contribute to Solidarity Center’s MEL community of practice; and advance knowledge management and organizational learning. This position is part of a highly collaborative team, which may require backstopping for MEL colleagues and taking on new responsibilities according to shifting priorities. International travel may be required.

Responsibilities:

Project Design, and Performance Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Participate in cross-functional proposal team(s) assembled to respond to competitive funding opportunities, including supporting the lead facilitator during design meetings and contributing to the development and/or review of MEL-related content
• Contribute to the development of logic models/results framework/theories of change, performance monitoring and evaluation plans, and M&E narratives for non-competitive proposals, work plans, and other framework documents, including the identification and use of appropriate indicators, developing M&E matrices and indicator reference sheets, and other related tasks
• Design data collection and reporting instruments and protocols consistent with program needs, including designing indicator tracking tables based on approved MEL Plans
• Conduct a review of data and progress reports and maintain a tracking system to monitor the implementation of suggestions to improve reporting systems
• Conduct data entry, including consolidating large data sets for global programs with a keen eye for data quality
• Support monitoring efforts, baseline and end-line assessments, data quality assessments, and the development of methodologies to capture success stories, throughout the program life cycle
• Support evaluation activities, including serving as a member of internal evaluation teams and collecting data for performance evaluations, as well as contributing to data cleaning and developing summaries for data analysis. Contribute to report writing.
• Support learning activities by capturing and documenting findings and lessons learned
• Help design staff training on MEL practices such as data collection and quality standards, documentation, and reporting
• Maintain MEL-related information in an organized and archived way to facilitate knowledge management.
• Contribute to an internal MEL community of practice

MEL Resources

• Help develop an online toolkit of MEL resources – standard procedures, templates, data collection tools and quality standards, training manuals and guides, etc. – for use throughout the project life cycle
• Support efforts to document and share best practices, lessons learned, and success stories across programs to foster organizational learning and capture impact

Requirements:

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience working in a MEL unit and implementing MEL activities for international development projects, preferably related to labor, social justice, human rights, or civil society
• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, social science, social justice, human rights, international relations, public policy, economics, or a related field. Master’s degree or advanced certificate in MEL preferred
• Fluency in English (verbal and written)
• Excellent writing skills in English to effectively create clear and concise documents, and strong oral communication skills to effectively present information, respond to inquiries, and support training efforts
• Experience working in an international organization and/or in monitoring and evaluating labor, social justice, human rights, or civil society programs; using participatory M&E approaches; and designing and implementing MEL systems
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact and collaborate with host country-based, HQ-based, and funder staff
• Excellent judgment, problem-solving, critical thinking, and analysis skills, with strong attention to detail
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize and work on multiple tasks under tight deadlines with competing priorities and staff in different time zones
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Experience with standard office software (word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation)

Desired Qualifications:

• Familiarity with M&E requirements specifically for US Government funded programs (e.g., USAID, DOS/DRL, and DOL/ILAB)
• Demonstrated ability to use simple qualitative and quantitative data and findings to inform programs and knowledge management
• Previous experience contributing to a MEL community of practice
• Proficiency in a second language
• Experience with quantitative or qualitative data analysis software
• Experience in data science, data curation, and databases as well as data collection and analysis

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

This is a collective bargaining unit position, generously compensated with a gross annual salary starting at approximately $76,138 USD based on experience. A robust benefits package includes fully paid health insurance, a retirement plan and pension, life insurance, and ample paid time off for holidays, vacation, and medical leave. Pre-tax deduction programs are also available for commuting, dependent care, and health care expenses. In addition, we offer opportunities and funds for professional development.

About Us:

The Solidarity Center cultivates the values of diversity, equality, and inclusion among its staff and partners. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected under applicable law. Candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodations to apply for this position, please contact us at information@solidaritycenter.org.

For Candidates Applying from the AFL-CIO: Solidarity Center works in partnership with the AFL-CIO on recruiting and filling positions. Our policy is to notify the AFL-CIO prior to interviewing any of its current employees.