About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, 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 Program / Department / Team

USAID's Office of Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) awarded funding to a Mercy Corps-led consortium of Kenyan and international partners for an 8-year Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) in Turkana and Samburu Counties of Kenya. Through a phased approach that emphasizes evidence gap analysis, as well as partnership, learning, and co-creation with government, civil society, communities, and the private sector, the USAID Nawiri program aims to drive sustained reductions in acute malnutrition in both counties.

ey responsibilities include supporting routine data collection and analysis, strengthening local data platforms, ensuring alignment with MEL standards and frameworks, and building the capacity of program staff, County Data Focal Point Officers, and M&E Assistants. The position plays a central role in ensuring the reliability and quality of data used at various implementation levels, contributing directly to program performance and strategic outcomes.

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND PLANNING

• •  Support the development and rollout of the USAID Nawiri Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) strategy and tools at the sub-county level, ensuring alignment with program objectives and responsiveness to local contexts.
  •  Actively participate in county and sub-county program coordination and collaboration platforms, promoting the use of data and evidence to inform adaptive program management and decision-making.

•  Contribute to program targeting, design, integration, layering, and sequencing of interventions, and support the tracking of resilience programming across county and sub-county levels.
•  Provide M&E leadership and technical guidance to program teams and M&E Assistants at the sub-county level, ensuring coherence, quality, and integration of MEL activities across program components.
•  Contribute to strategic reviews, reflection sessions, and learning events at the sub-county level by delivering timely, data-driven insights that support adaptive learning and informed course corrections.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

•  Lead data collection, collation, validation, and analysis of program data across county, sub-county, and ward levels. Conduct regular Routine Data Quality Assessments (RDQA) in collaboration with the program team to ensure data quality and timely reporting.
•  Oversee the implementation of MEL systems at the sub-county level, ensuring alignment with the MEL Plan and consistent monitoring of progress against strategic objectives.
•  Develop and execute supportive supervision and mentoring planstogether with the County MEL Coordinatorto strengthen the program team's capacity in data collection, entry, analysis, and use for decision-making.
•  Facilitate Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) processes by organizing learning reviews, reflection sessions, and supporting the integration of evidence into adaptive programming and course correction at the sub-county level.
•  Collaborate with the MIS team to support program participant registration and ensure regular updates and maintenance of databases at the sub-county and ward levels.
•  Support County Program teams in the preparation of quarterly and annual reports and in verifying the accuracy and completeness of reported data.
•  Contribute to the county government M&E system strengthening at the sub-county and ward levels, including the rollout of Actionable Context Monitoring Systems and promoting data use for local planning and decision-making.
•  Participate in key program assessmentsincluding annual surveys, qualitative inquiries, and post-distribution monitoring surveysto assess the effectiveness and efficiency of USAID Nawiri programming and fulfill BHA reporting requirements.
•  Ensure adherence to Mercy Corps' Program Management Minimum Standards, including the integration and monitoring of the Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM).

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• •  Foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment that emphasizes mutual respect, continuous learning, and high-quality MEL performance.
  •  Communicate clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations; promote accountability through regular coaching, performance feedback, and recognition of achievements.

•  Build MEL capacity among county and partner staff through targeted training and ongoing mentorship, supporting the effective use of tools, systems, and data for learning and decision-making.
•  Facilitate regular reflection sessions with program teams to review monitoring data and draw insights that inform programming and learning at sub-county and ward levels.
•  Support the timely preparation and submission of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual donor reports, ensuring alignment with agreed performance indicators and deadlines.

REPRESENTATION

• •  Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with consortium partners, local government stakeholders, and other development actors to advance MEL objectives at the sub-county level.
  •  Represent Mercy Corps in relevant coordination platforms, technical working groups, and learning forums, effectively communicating project progress, findings, and innovations.

•  Promote Mercy Corps' values and technical excellence by actively sharing programmatic insights, learning, and best practices with external stakeholders.
•  Uphold a high standard of professionalism, serving as a trusted and credible representative of Mercy Corps and the USAID Nawiri program in all engagements.

SECURITY

•  Ensure full adherence to Mercy Corps' security policies and protocols, promoting a culture of safety and risk awareness within the sub county MEL team.
•  Proactively monitor and address security concerns in collaboration with field and security focal points, ensuring all MEL staff operate in safe and secure environments.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

•  Contribute to Mercy Corps' culture of continuous learning and improvement by dedicating time to personal and professional development, innovation, and knowledge sharing.
•  Actively participate in learning initiatives, communities of practice, and reflection sessions to enhance program quality and promote adaptive management across teams.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

•  Actively learns 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 to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Supervisory Responsibility

Sub county M&E Assistants.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Sub-County Program Manager- Operations and MEL Coordinator - Technical.

Works Directly With: USAID Nawiri Program Performance and Learning team, all program staff and implementing partners at county and sub-county level.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy 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.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

•  Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Statistics, International Development, Public Health, Agriculture, or a related field. Coursework in Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), research methods, statistical analysis, or organizational development is highly desirable.
•  Minimum of 2-4 years of relevant experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), preferably within development or humanitarian programs.
•  Familiarity with USAID-funded projects, particularly USAID/BHA programs, and understanding of their MEL policies, guidance, and reporting requirements is a strong asset.
•  Demonstrated understanding of core MEL concepts and frameworks, including Theories of Change, Results Frameworks/ LogFrames, MEL Plans, and data collection tools.
•  Strong writing, data analysis, and reporting skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights.
•  Solid knowledge and practical experience in both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, including ability to apply basic statistical concepts (e.g., measures of central tendency and dispersion).
•  Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and at least one data analysis or visualization tool (e.g., SPSS, STATA, Power BI, or Tableau) for managing and presenting data.
•  Fluency in s

  Success Factors

  The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong curiosity and adaptability in navigating Kenya's dynamic cultural, political, and social landscape. They will be a clear and confident communicator, skilled at managing multiple priorities in complex or uncertain environments. A commitment to fostering a culture of learning, critical inquiry, and continuous improvement is essential. The candidate should be flexible, resilient under pressure, and able to uphold high standards while working in challenging settings. Success in this role will also require strong interpersonal and team-building skills, a strategic mindset, and a passion for mentoring and building the capacity of sub-county staff. A sense of humor, humility, and a collaborative spirit will be valuable assets in advancing the program's learning and impact goals.

  Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

  The position is based in Baragoi, Samburu County, with frequent travel to field locations to support program activities. Some travel may involve remote or insecure areas with limited amenities and restricted movement. Baragoi is a semi-urban town with access to basic services and infrastructure. Staff are responsible for securing their own accommodation. While the living conditions are modest, essential amenities and medical services are available. The role requires flexibility, cultural sensitivity, and adherence to organizational safety and security protocols in a dynamic operating environment.

  Ongoing Learning

  In 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 development

  Global talent acquisition

  Team Efficiency and Effectiveness

  Achieving 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 Opportunity

  Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

  We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

  Safeguarding & Ethics

  Mercy 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.

  Tags

  collaborating learning and adapting

  data analysis

  data collection

  food security

  monitoring evaluation and learning

  Skills

  Monitoring Evaluation and Learning

  Data Analysis

  Statistical Analysis

  Report Writing

  Microsoft Excel

  SPSS

  Stata

  Power BI

  Tableau

  English

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