Senior MEAL Officer

Job Posting Organization:
Action Against Hunger is a leading global organization dedicated to ending hunger. Established to innovate solutions and advocate for change, it reaches 24 million people annually through proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit operating in 50 countries, Action Against Hunger employs approximately 8,300 dedicated staff members who partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. The organization has been active in Zambia since 2021, working in both humanitarian and development contexts to build resilience and protect lives and livelihoods. Action Against Hunger USA is part of the international network and manages operations in eight countries, including Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Haiti, with over $100 million in programs and around 1,800 permanent staff based in various locations including New York City and Washington D.C.

Job Overview:
The Senior MEAL Officer is a senior technical role responsible for providing expert guidance, quality assurance, and strategic oversight of all Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) activities for the ECHO project in Mantapala Refugee Settlement. This position is distinct from an officer role focused on day-to-day implementation, as it leads system design, advanced data analysis, capacity building of MEAL and program staff, and strategic learning. The officer ensures that MEAL systems meet ECHO compliance standards, generate high-quality evidence, and drive adaptive management. This role also provides technical support to the Crisis Modifier mechanism and leads high-level reporting, evaluations, and learning agendas. The Senior MEAL Officer is tasked with bridging the gap between data and decision-making, mentoring MEAL and program staff, leading complex evaluations, and ensuring that learning is systematically integrated into project adaptation. The ultimate goal is to ensure that every indicator, feedback form, and lesson learned translates into better outcomes for refugees and host communities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• MEAL System Strategy & Design: Lead the design and continuous refinement of the project MEAL system, including the MEAL Plan, Indicator Tracking Table (ITT), and data flow architecture. Ensure alignment with ECHO compliance requirements, Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), and organizational MEAL guidelines. Design context-appropriate, inclusive, and gender-sensitive data collection tools and methodologies. Lead the selection and implementation of digital data systems such as Kobo Toolbox, ODK, CommCare, and Power BI.
• Advanced Data Management & Analysis: Oversee the maintenance of project databases and ensure data integrity, security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security, and ethical management. Lead quantitative and qualitative data analysis, including statistical analysis (SPSS/STATA/R) and thematic analysis. Develop advanced dashboards and visualizations for internal and external stakeholders. Conduct trend analysis, correlation analysis, and predictive modeling where relevant. Lead Data Quality Assessments (DQAs) and ensure rigorous quality assurance across all MEAL activities.
• Monitoring & Evaluation Leadership: Oversee all project monitoring activities, including baseline, midline, endline, post-distribution monitoring (PDM), and rapid assessments. Lead complex evaluations, including outcome and impact evaluations. Design and implement the project's Learning Agenda in collaboration with program teams. Lead the Crisis Modifier monitoring system, including early warning indicators and trigger tracking.
• Reporting & Strategic Learning: Lead the MEAL input into high-quality donor reports, SitReps, and internal strategic reports. Produce learning products such as learning briefs, case studies, success stories, and research summaries. Facilitate After-Action Reviews (AARs), real-time reviews, and strategic reflection sessions. Ensure that learning is systematically documented and actively used to adapt programming.
• Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) – Strategic Oversight: Provide technical guidance to strengthen community feedback and complaints response mechanisms (CRM). Ensure CRM data is analyzed and used for program adaptation at the strategic level. Lead the integration of AAP across all project sectors. Promote safe, inclusive, and accessible feedback channels, with special attention to vulnerable groups.
• Capacity Building & Mentorship: Train and mentor MEAL Officers, program staff, and partners on advanced MEAL concepts, digital data collection and management, ethical data management, safeguarding, and PSEA. Build a culture of evidence-based, accountable programming across the project team.
• Emergency Preparedness & Crisis Modifier Technical Support: Lead the technical design of early warning monitoring systems and trigger indicators. Ensure MEAL systems are ready for rapid emergency scale-up within 3–14 days of a shock. Contribute to rapid needs assessments during emergencies.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Public Health, Statistics, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field. A Master’s degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Public Health, Statistics, Demography, Development Economics, Social Sciences, or a related field is considered an added advantage. Specialized training in Monitoring & Evaluation, impact evaluation, or data science is a strong advantage.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Monitoring & Evaluation, Public Health, Statistics, Development Studies, or Social Sciences. A Master’s degree in a related field is preferred and will be considered an added advantage. Specialized training in Monitoring & Evaluation, impact evaluation, or data science is highly regarded.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of 5–7 years of progressive MEAL experience in humanitarian or development settings. Proven experience with ECHO-funded projects and a solid understanding of ECHO compliance and reporting requirements are essential. Demonstrated experience in health, nutrition (CMAM), WASH, or cash-based interventions is required. Experience working in refugee or displacement contexts is highly desirable, along with proven experience leading baseline/endline evaluations, impact evaluations, and complex data analysis. Familiarity with digital MEAL systems at a technical design level is also necessary.

Languages:
Fluency in English, both written and spoken, is mandatory. A working knowledge of other local languages is considered an asset and may enhance communication with local communities.

Additional Notes:
The position offers an attractive salary and benefits package. Action Against Hunger – USA is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or veteran status. The organization complies with applicable laws governing non-discrimination in employment.