METAL Coordinator

Job Posting Organization:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been operational in Syria since 2012, providing a range of essential services including protection, health, economic recovery, and early childhood development across various governorates. The organization has established a strong foundation through its long-standing presence and relationships with local communities and partners. As Syria undergoes significant political, economic, social, and humanitarian changes, IRC is adapting its programming to meet evolving needs. The organization is shifting from a service-delivery model to a focus on recovery, resilience, community-led development, and systems strengthening. This strategic shift necessitates a continuous understanding of changing needs, risks, and opportunities, as well as the ability to listen to communities and partners, generate evidence, and use learning to influence design" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">program design and decision-making. The METAL function is crucial in ensuring the quality and integrity of program data and understanding the relevance, effectiveness, equity, and sustainability of IRC's interventions.

Job Overview:
The METAL Coordinator will play a pivotal role in providing strategic leadership for Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (METAL) across IRC Syria. This position is designed to ensure that evidence and community perspectives are integral to program and organizational decision-making. The Coordinator will lead the establishment of a country-level METAL and learning function that is integrated throughout the program cycle, from strategy and assessment to design, implementation, adaptation, and close-out. The role requires collaboration with various program technical teams, Grants, Finance, Operations, Partnerships, and Senior Management to enhance program quality, accountability, and adaptive management. A key responsibility will be fostering a culture where evidence, learning, and community knowledge are utilized to challenge assumptions, improve program relevance and effectiveness, and support IRC's transition towards locally led and partnership-oriented programming.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strategic METAL Leadership, Evidence and Learning: Develop a coherent country METAL strategy aligned with IRC's global priorities and the Country Strategic Action Plan. Position METAL as a strategic function that generates and translates evidence, learning, and community perspectives into program and organizational decisions. Establish mechanisms for organizational reflection and learning, ensuring evidence is used to test assumptions and drive adaptation. Provide relevant evidence and analysis to inform strategic choices and program prioritization.
• Program Quality, Assessment and Adaptive Management: Ensure METAL is integrated from the earliest stages of program development, including assessments and program design. Provide strategic support to develop outcome-focused measurement approaches and systems for reviewing performance. Lead assessments, evaluations, and learning processes, ensuring findings inform program design and organizational learning. Promote cross-sectoral learning and ensure relevant data contributes to regional and global METAL initiatives.
• Accountability, Client Voice and Locally Led METAL: Provide leadership on Client Responsiveness, ensuring community feedback influences program design and implementation. Develop accessible feedback mechanisms and promote a partnership-oriented approach to METAL that strengthens local organizations' capacity.
• Data, Information Management and Quality Assurance: Establish METAL systems that ensure data accuracy and reliability. Oversee data collection, management, and reporting systems, ensuring compliance with data protection standards. Promote the use of digital tools for data visualization and accessibility.
• Donor, Partnership and External Evidence: Collaborate with Grants and program teams to ensure proposals are grounded in credible evidence. Provide analysis to support donor positioning and program development. Represent IRC Syria in relevant forums and build relationships with research institutions and other actors.
• Team Leadership and Capacity Strengthening: Lead and develop the country METAL team, ensuring effective coordination and strong technical capacity. Strengthen staff capacity in evidence generation and adaptive management through coaching and mentoring. Promote national leadership and a collaborative METAL culture.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a university degree in monitoring and evaluation, statistics, social sciences, public health, development studies, economics, data science, or a related field. Equivalent professional experience may be considered in lieu of formal education. Candidates should have a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in METAL, research, program quality, or related functions, with at least 3 years in management or senior leadership roles. Demonstrated experience in leading METAL across multi-sectoral and multi-donor programs is essential, as is the ability to use evidence and analysis to influence program design and strategic decision-making. Experience in designing and managing assessments, evaluations, and accountability systems is also required, along with a background in working with local organizations and strengthening partner capacity, particularly in complex or conflict-affected environments.

Educational Background:
A university degree in a relevant field such as monitoring and evaluation, statistics, social sciences, public health, development studies, economics, or data science is required. Candidates with equivalent professional experience may also be considered. This educational background is crucial for understanding the methodologies and frameworks necessary for effective monitoring and evaluation practices.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (METAL), research, program quality, or related functions. At least 3 years of this experience should be in a management or senior leadership capacity. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in leading METAL initiatives across multi-sectoral and multi-donor programs, as well as experience in using evidence and analysis to influence program design and strategic decision-making. Familiarity with designing and managing assessments, evaluations, and learning processes is essential, along with experience in developing accountability and client responsiveness systems. Experience working with local organizations and strengthening partner capacity is strongly preferred, particularly in complex and changing environments.

Languages:
Fluency in Arabic and English, both written and spoken, is required for this position. This bilingual proficiency is essential for effective communication with diverse stakeholders, including local communities, partners, and international teams. Additional language skills may be considered an asset but are not mandatory.

Additional Notes:
The position is full-time and based in Damascus, Syria. The role involves a minimum of 30% travel. IRC encourages national or returning national candidates to apply, offering an attractive remuneration package that includes competitive compensation, return flights, shipping allowances, temporary housing, and relocation allowances. Certain restrictions may apply. The organization is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, promoting gender equality, and ensuring a safe work environment free from discrimination and harassment. IRC adheres to professional standards and values, emphasizing integrity, service, accountability, and equality.