Senior Associate, MLE Strategy

About Evidence Action

Evidence Action is a global nonprofit organization with an approach distinctive in international development - we exclusively scale interventions that are backed by strong evidence and can be delivered with exceptional cost-effectiveness. Our programs have grown since our founding in 2013 to reach over 515 million people globally with our interventions. We deliver high impact for every dollar spent, as recognized by GiveWell, The Life You Can Save, and Charity Navigator.

We do development differently. We take a data-driven approach to identifying, scaling, and continuously improving programs which deliver immense impact, ensuring these solutions measurably improve the lives of millions. Our Deworm the World Initiative has helped governments in Africa and Asia deliver over 1.8 billion childhood deworming treatments, improving health, education, and incomes. Dispensers for Safe Water provides sustained safe water access to over 10 million people in rural Africa, preventing childhood illness and deaths. 

We drive innovation: Our Accelerator builds the next generation of exceptional programs, taking an approach most similar to a venture capital model. We are ruthless in exiting programs which do not meet our criteria; those that advance deliver outsized impact for millions of people. 

We are global. Across nine countries in Africa and Asia, our 700+ people are united by a tremendous passion for our mission and impact. We are strong because of our diversity of experience, geography, and background - with over 90% of our people in the countries where our impact is focused. We have big ambitions. Over the next decade, we’re setting our sights higher: We aim to reach over 600 million people globally to fulfill our vision of a world where hundreds of millions of people in the poorest places have better opportunities and their lives are measurably improved.

We believe in bold and urgent action - because poverty doesn’t wait, and neither should we. We need great people. Our success to date is due to the collective work of our amazing staff. To achieve our ambitious goals, we are looking for people who share our passion for evidence, cost-effectiveness, and scale. We seek individuals who take an entrepreneurial approach, enjoy tackling hard problems, and have a bias to action and results. If our vision and approach excite you as much as it does us, we invite you to join us.  

About the MLE Strategy team

The Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation (MLE) Strategy team optimizes Evidence Action’s evidence-based, cost-effective programming through versatile and right-fit monitoring and evaluation solutions and insights. Working with other global and regional teams, we develop MLE frameworks and strategies that improve programs and further our understanding of programmatic impact. 

We aim to be cost-efficient and rigorous when answering programmatic learning goals and strive to deliver services that meet programs’ needs. Although the team works across the organization, the MLE Strategy staff are committed to fostering a team culture that values connectedness, continuous growth, and learning.

Key Responsibilities:

Senior Associates on the MLE Strategy team provide crucial support to the Global MLE team and work with MLE Managers in ensuring program monitoring frameworks, research, and evaluation studies are designed to fit program MLE objectives. In this role, you would be responsible for providing high quality MLE design, analysis, and communication support to ensure the objectives of the India Safe Water Now program are met. In this role, you would report directly into the MLE Manager supporting Evidence Action’s Safe Water Now program.

Design program monitoring frameworks and plans for the India Safe Water Now program, in close collaboration with the MLE Strategy Manager.

• Draft and adapt India Safe Water Now program MLE plans, including theories of change, KPI frameworks, sampling plans, quantitative and qualitative data collection tools, data collection protocols, analytical frameworks, and reporting templates.
• Support the MLE Strategy Manager in collaborating with program leads and country teams in designing monitoring, research, and evaluation projects; by seeking inputs, coordinating workshops, and ensuring appropriate communication of program results to ensure data-driven decision-making.

Support the implementation of the MLE strategy for the India Safe Water Now program, working with India MLE, Program Teams, and in-country data collection partners.

Support MLE Manager in tracking MLE activities against annual work plans, ensuring monitoring and reporting timelines are met. 

• Provide design input and support to MLE deliverables, including contributing to technical project plans, drafting protocols, providing oversight of data collection, conducting data analysis, and drafting research and evaluation plans.
• Draft comprehensive and well-designed quantitative and qualitative data collection tools to capture relevant and reliable data as defined in individual research plans.
• Conduct technical tasks such as, power calculations, qualitative and quantitative data analyses, and data quality assessments.
• Review monitoring and operational research reports, describing the objectives and methodologies, synthesizing key results, and recommending actionable next steps for changes to program design and/or monitoring. 

Support coordination tasks for the MLE Strategy team

• Help develop MLE best practices within the organization and facilitate lesson sharing across Evidence Action geographies.Support management of and compliance with MLE quality requirements and guideline documents to ensure MLE deliverables are high-quality.
• Contribute to, and at times lead, cross-cutting projects that further the institutionalization of the MLE Strategy team.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in economics, public policy, statistics, international development, or any other relevant quantitative field required, with at least 1 year experience in design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation projects.
• Knowledge of M&E design concepts and methodologies, and experience designing and managing M&E plans.
• Proficient in using statistical software like Stata, R, and Excel; experience managing, analyzing, and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data.
• Ability to translate technical concepts to communicate to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong writing skills to deliver high-quality deliverables to international program teams.
• Ability to prioritize assignments in an efficient manner and within program deadlines.
• A team player, with the ability to collaborate within and between teams.
• Willingness to travel up to 15% of the year to program locations in India.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. for role to be based in the U.S.

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of a U.S. employment visa at this time.

Evidence Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to diversity. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.

Benefits

Evidence Action provides a comprehensive benefits package for employees worldwide. Benefits include:

• comprehensive health insurance
• retirement savings options
• life insurance
• generous leave
• avenues for engagement and recognition.