MEAL Coordinator

Job Posting Organization:
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, dedicated to helping displaced people and communities affected by conflict and disaster. Established in 1956, DRC operates in multiple countries, providing assistance and support to vulnerable populations. The organization focuses on various sectors including protection, economic recovery, health, and social cohesion, with a strong emphasis on gender equality and empowerment. DRC employs thousands of staff worldwide, working collaboratively with local partners and communities to deliver effective humanitarian responses. The organization is committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability and integrity in its operations, ensuring that the needs and rights of affected populations are prioritized. DRC's mission is to promote durable solutions for displaced people and to support their recovery and resilience in the face of adversity.

Job Overview:
The coordinator" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">MEAL Coordinator position is a critical role within the Danish Refugee Council, particularly for the Hope, Empowerment, and Resilience (HER) Project, which is a multi-country initiative aimed at strengthening the resilience of displacement-affected women and girls in Ethiopia and Sudan. The coordinator will be responsible for implementing and overseeing the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) systems across the project, ensuring that they are aligned with the project’s objectives and donor requirements. This role involves frequent travel to various locations, including Benishangul Gumuz, Gedaref, and Addis Ababa, to facilitate data collection, monitoring, and evaluation activities. The MEAL Coordinator will work closely with country teams and partners to ensure that evidence and learning inform project management and decision-making processes, ultimately contributing to the project's success and sustainability.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The MEAL Coordinator will have a comprehensive set of responsibilities, including:

• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Results Management: Leading the operationalization of the HER Project MEAL Plan, coordinating the development and rollout of standardized MEAL tools, ensuring systematic tracking of outputs and outcomes, overseeing baseline and end-line studies, and conducting data quality assessments.
• Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP): Designing and monitoring project-level Complaints and Feedback Mechanisms, ensuring alignment with humanitarian standards, and strengthening the capacity of staff to respond to community feedback.
• Learning and Adaptive Management: Facilitating reflection and learning processes, generating learning products, and promoting cross-country learning.
• Consortium Coordination and Partner Support: Serving as the focal point for MEAL coordination, providing technical guidance to partners, and contributing to Technical Working Groups.
• Reporting and Compliance: Supporting the preparation of donor reports, ensuring compliance with requirements, and maintaining organized MEAL documentation.
• Evaluations and Assessments: Leading or supporting external evaluations and ensuring ethical standards are upheld throughout the evaluation processes.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in MEAL roles within humanitarian or development programs, with demonstrated experience in complex, displacement-affected contexts. Proven experience in managing multi-partner projects and designing gender-responsive MEAL systems is essential. Familiarity with accountability mechanisms and community feedback systems is also required. Experience with EU or AfD-funded projects is considered a strong asset. Candidates should have strong qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills, experience with digital data collection platforms, and excellent report writing and data visualization skills.

Educational Background:
A degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Health, Economics, or a related field is required. Postgraduate degrees are an added advantage, along with certifications in data analysis, evaluation, and related areas.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in MEAL roles, particularly within humanitarian or development contexts. Candidates should have a strong background in managing MEAL systems in complex environments, with a focus on gender and protection-sensitive approaches.

Languages:
Full professional proficiency in English is required, with Arabic and/or Amharic strongly preferred to facilitate communication with local communities and stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
The contract length for this position is 12 months, and it is classified as a national contract at Band G1, which is a non-management designation. The position is based in Benishangul Gumuz, with frequent travel to Gedaref and Addis Ababa. The start date is as soon as possible, and salary and conditions will be in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National employees. The application process requires candidates to upload a cover letter and an updated CV in English, with a closing date for applications set for February 13, 202

• DRC is committed to gender equality and encourages women candidates to apply, emphasizing its dedication to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.