MEL Manager

MEL Manager

Purpose of the Job 

The MEL Manager leads the design and delivery of Coptic Orphans' monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) function across all programs in Egypt. Reporting to the International Programs Director, the incumbent builds coherent MEL systems that strengthen programs and generate credible evidence of the change Coptic Orphans creates for the children and communities it serves.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

MEL Strategy and System Design

• Serve as Coptic Orphans' technical lead for MEL, personally carrying the function in its first phase and building it into a staffed unit as the portfolio and evidence requirements grow.
• Design, document, and roll out a unified organization-wide MEL framework covering all programs, aligned with Coptic Orphans' strategic objectives and recognized international standards.
• Develop and maintain theories of change, logframes, and results frameworks for each program, with a standard indicator system (PIRS, IPTT, and data-flow maps) that tracks performance consistently and aggregates it to organizational level.
• Develop MEL plans and standard operating procedures, ensuring MEL is planned and resourced from the design stage of every program and proposal.

Monitoring, Data Systems, and Technology

• Lead routine performance and results monitoring across all programs, designing data-collection tools and sampling approaches, and administering data management systems so data are captured, cleaned, stored, and disaggregated in a timely and structured manner.
• Institute data-quality assurance, including routine data-quality assessments and verification, so that data meet standards of validity, reliability, precision, integrity, and timeliness.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data into clear, timely dashboards and reports, and continuously improve MEL tools, including mobile data collection, automated dashboards, and the responsible use of analytics and AI.

Evaluation, Research, and Impact Measurement

• Plan and manage baseline, midline, endline, and impact evaluations across the portfolio, including terms of reference, evaluation design, and commissioning and managing external evaluators.
• Design and oversee qualitative research (in-depth interviews, focus-group discussions, and participatory methods) and outcome measurement over the short, intermediate, and long term.
• Ensure the ethical conduct of all data collection and research, including informed consent, child safeguarding, data protection, and confidentiality.

Learning and Adaptive Management

• Facilitate learning events - quarterly program reviews and lessons-learned workshops - and ensure agreed actions are captured in action trackers and followed through.
• Synthesize evidence into learning products (briefs, case studies, and success stories) and support the International Programs Director with data and analysis for strategic decision-making.

Reporting

• Produce timely, accurate, and evidence-based program performance reports (routine monitoring updates, quarterly and annual performance reports, management reports, and results dashboards) that track progress against targets and make results visible to program teams and leadership.
• Turn data into clear, actionable insight, presenting trends and disaggregated results, and giving decision-makers timely evidence and recommendations to adjust and improve programs.
• Ensure MEL practice and reporting meet international standards such as that of institutional donors, multilateral organizations, and foundations, and support proposals with logframes, indicators, and MEL plans.

Capacity Building and Coordination

Build the MEL capacity of program staff and field teams through training, coaching, and tools; and, as the function grows, provide technical leadership, supervision, and mentoring to MEL staff and focal points across programs.

Required Education, Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in social sciences, economics, statistics, development studies, public policy or a related field; with additional relevant experience and a recognized M&E/MEL certification; a Master's degree is a plus.
• A minimum of 8 years of progressive M&E/MEL experience in the international development or humanitarian sector, including managing an M&E/MEL unit or independently carrying the full M&E function for an organization or major program(s).
• A proven track record of delivering MEL to the standards of major institutional donors and international development organizations (e.g. USAID- or World-Bank-funded projects, UNICEF, Save the Children, or comparable organizations).
• Hands-on expertise designing theories of change, logframes, results frameworks, and indicator systems, and leading baseline, midline, endline, and impact evaluations.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative data-analysis skills, with statistical and qualitative software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R, or NVivo), digital data-collection platforms (e.g., KoboToolbox, ODK, or SurveyCTO), and data-visualization tools (e.g., Power BI or Tableau).
• Excellent written and spoken English and Arabic, including the ability to present data and evidence clearly to diverse audiences.

Travel and Working Requirements

• Typical office environment: sitting, typing, using office equipment, and occasional lifting of boxes or luggage during travel.
• Travel throughout Egypt of up to approximately 30% of the time, plus occasional international travel for training, conferences, or donor engagement.
• Flexibility to work outside official hours and on weekends as needed.