Alumni Talent Pool: MEL Lead Roles

Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, age, disability, veteran status, religion, national origin, color or any other protected class.


Position Title: Alumni Talent Pool: MEL Lead Roles

Description

The Alumni Talent Pool is openexclusively to former Mercy Corps team members who were employed within the past 4 years and completed at least 1 year of service.
You do not need to submit a cover letter, a CV/Resume is sufficient.
Application Deadline: 1 May 2026.About Mercy CorpsMercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.In disaster, in hardship, we partner to put bold solutions into action helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.Now, and for the future.The ProgramMercy Corps has created an Alumni Talent Pool to support emergency response, transitions and complex program start-up, by fast-tracking Mercy Corps alumni into temporary MEL roles. The initiative focuses on matching qualified team members with urgent country-based needs, for short-term placements (3 months on average). This is an opportunity for senior program leaders that offers more professional and personal flexibility and access to diverse experiences.

The RoleMercy Corps alumni who were employed within the last four years qualified to fill Senior MEL Roles will be eligible to join the Alumni Talent Pool. Once selected into the Pool, members will have access to short-term opportunities in countries where Mercy Corps operates. Responsibilities and supervisory structures will vary depending on the type of assignment.When on assignment, members will be eligible for competitive salary and benefits. The eligible salary ranges and a description of all benefits associated with these short-term positions will depend on the type of employment they are hired under and may vary if this is an expat position, consultancy or if the work is done remotely.Program MEL Lead, MEL Director

• Develop a comprehensive MEL team structure, align PDs to the teams requirements, manage recruitment, and ensure MEL resourcing.
• Develop, maintain, improve and implement Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plans; design, organize and implement MEL-related surveys and studies.
• Working closely with senior management and other leads, develop and drive a learning culture promoting use of data for effective program adaptation, building skills and capacities among staff and partners as needed.
• Establishing systems for capturing and presenting evidence of program impact to a wide range of stakeholders, including donors, government, peer agencies, and communities.
• Work with senior management to address gaps in the M&E system that affect program implementation; oversee implementation of the MEL Policy standards.
• Ensure that programs are set up and meet the MEL policy standards required for all Mercy Corps programs ,as well as the requirements outlined by donors. Facilitate availability of quality data for reporting to donors and internally.
• MEL Tech Focus: Develop and implement MEL Technology plans for data collection, storage, analysis and visualization; establish effective data reporting, interpretation, and decision-making workflows. Ensure program MEL Tech systems meet standards for responsible data and protection of PII.
• When acting in a MEL Director role, supervise MEL staff, ensure the roles and responsibilities are appropriately aligned, and MEL deliverables are appropriately budgeted for.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Works to ensure Mercy Corps Safeguarding Standards are integrated and upheld in all areas of HR work.
• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members tosubmit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

The ProcessShortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview process and to provide professional references; through which we will assess each candidates competency in four priority areas - inclusive people management, results-oriented program management, problem solving, and communication. Those meeting the minimum qualifications and demonstrating competency in the priority areas will be invited to join the Pool.Once selected into the Alumni Talent Pool, members will provide information about their professional experience, qualifications, availability, and preferences. Pool members will then be matched to specific temporary employment opportunities (on average 3 months) as hiring managers request support from the Talent Pool. Pool members will manage their own time and availability and will have the option to accept or decline any particular assignment.
Accountability to Participants and StakeholdersMercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.Successful Talent Pool members are self-starters who are ready to dive into an assignment on short notice. They have a positive attitude, are adaptable to changing circumstances, and are focused on problem solving. They have good self-awareness and understand their personal strengths and development needs, which they continuously work on between assignments. Talent Pool members understand it is a privilege to work in this sector and bring this enthusiasm to all their Mercy Corps assignments.Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• BA/S or equivalent in a relevant field required.
• At least 5 years of field experience in international relief and development programs.
• Prior experience with Mercy Corps within the last four years, as an employee and/or consultant (Should have worked with Mercy Corps for at least one year.)
• Experience leading teams, managing performance of supervisees, and coaching/ mentoring staff.
• Professional levelproficiency in at least one of Mercy Corps working languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic); proficiency in multiple languages is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with building and managing M&E teams as well as M&E systems and tools, including surveys and evaluations. Demonstrated ability to aalyze data, manage data quality, and visualize/report results for varied audiences.

Living Conditions / Environmental ConditionsLiving conditions will depend on the location of assignment but may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing will depend on the assigned post and will be specified in the position description.Ongoing LearningIn support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and developmentTeam Engagement and EffectivenessAchieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.Equal Employment OpportunityMercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.Safeguarding & EthicsMercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).

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