The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global humanitarian and development organization committed to helping people whose lives have been disrupted by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and regain control of their future. At the heart of our efforts is the aspiration to produce programs of the highest global standards—programs that create power and lasting change not only for the clients we serve but for all communities affected by crises.
As we work to ensure that our efforts are impactful, scalable, and sustainable, our Technical Excellence (TE) unit within the Crisis Response, Recovery, and Development (CRRD) Department plays a pivotal role. This group provides world-class technical assistance to IRC’s country programs and draws on the learning from our field to influence global humanitarian and development practice.
The TE team comprises seven technical units: Health, Education, Economic Wellbeing, Governance, Violence Prevention and Response, Grants & Operations, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL). As part of our ongoing efforts to align regional and technical approaches to maximize impact, we have created a new leadership role to guide and unify MEAL practices across the organization. We are proud to announce the opening for the position of Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Global Practice Lead.
About MEAL at IRC
IRC is deeply committed to outcome-driven, evidence-based programming. The MEAL function is critical to this, providing the tools, skills, and standards required to generate high-quality data that informs both decision-making and donor accountability.
Our MEAL strategy is centered around five strategic priorities:
- Deepen our understanding of clients, programs, and outcomes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- Promote the use of data to enhance program design and implementation.
- Expand and integrate existing data systems for better quality program data.
- Build capacity to implement rigorous MEAL systems.
- Encourage the uptake and use of MEAL tools and resources across teams.
The MEAL Global Practice Lead will be a key driver in implementing this strategy organization-wide.
Position Overview
The MEAL Global Practice Lead will serve as the organizational lead for defining and promoting gold-standard MEAL practices across the CRRD department. This individual will operate as a central figure in the Measurement Unit’s senior management team and collaborate closely with other Technical Excellence teams to ensure the consistency, quality, and impact of MEAL systems and standards across all programs.
The role’s core objective is to harmonize MEAL practices and establish organizational standards that are both technically rigorous and practically applicable across various sectors and regions. The position involves substantial strategic leadership, global coordination, cross-functional capacity building, and relationship management.
The MEAL Global Practice Lead will report to the Senior Director of MEAL and work collaboratively with MEAL leads from each Technical Unit, Regional Measurement Teams, and other stakeholders across the organization.
Key Responsibilities
1. Define the Gold Standard for What and How We Measure
- Lead the MEAL Technical Working Group to unify MEAL practices across all technical sectors.
- Develop cross-sectoral guidance on outcome measurement, indicator development, and evaluation standards.
- Provide technical oversight to the Core Indicator List and global data analysis projects like the Annual Statistics initiative.
- Refresh and maintain global MEAL standards, competency frameworks, and supporting documentation.
- Collaborate on the development and implementation of tools and methodologies, ensuring their alignment with IRC’s technological infrastructure.
- Strategize on the integration of evaluation and learning components into all program designs.
- Promote client-centered programming by embedding client feedback and responsiveness mechanisms into decision-making processes.
2. Strengthen Capacity to Deliver MEAL Technical Excellence
- Coordinate technical efforts across units to enhance MEAL performance, including tool development, standard setting, and methodological testing.
- Prioritize Global Practice Areas (interventions) for MEAL improvement in consultation with Technical Unit leaders.
- Revitalize the MEAL Community of Practice and strengthen internal communication platforms to foster innovation and peer learning.
- Support the rollout of global MEAL standards to regional and country levels.
- Develop data fluency among technical staff by integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods into decision-making processes.
- Organize and deliver training sessions and workshops to increase MEAL capabilities across the organization.
- Keep abreast of global MEAL innovations and ensure their incorporation into IRC’s strategic priorities and tools.
3. Drive a Culture of Continuous Learning
- Cultivate a learning culture that values inquiry, adaptive management, and learning from failure.
- Assist technical and regional teams in developing and maintaining actionable learning agendas.
- Elevate key learning questions and insights to promote organization-wide reflection and adaptation.
- Encourage and guide technical staff in the practice of adaptive program management.
- Ensure that regional and technical teams have mechanisms to share and adopt cross-cutting lessons learned.
4. Business Development and External Influence
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with global stakeholders, including donors, UN agencies, academic institutions, and peer organizations.
- Support MEAL planning and budgeting for high-impact and strategic grant applications.
- Represent the IRC in external forums and networks relevant to MEAL, showcasing IRC’s innovations and influencing the broader sector.
Supervisory and Collaborative Responsibilities
Reporting To:
- Senior Director, MEAL, CRRD Technical Excellence
Direct Reports:
- Global MEAL Practice Advisor
Collaborative Management With:
- Technical Unit MEAL Advisors
Key Internal Collaborators:
- Deputy Director, MEAL
- Regional Measurement Teams
- Policy, Advocacy, and Systems Change Teams
- CRRD and Regional Leadership
- Global Headquarters and Awards Management Unit
Experience and Skills Required
Candidates must meet the minimum criteria denoted by double asterisks (**) as part of IRC’s Disability Confident Employer Scheme in the UK. These include:
- Proven experience in developing and monitoring metrics for impact measurement in humanitarian or development contexts.
- Advanced analytical skills including the use of statistical methods, visualizations, and tools like PowerBI.
- Strong proficiency in qualitative data collection and synthesis, including drawing actionable insights from findings.
- Experience conducting program evaluations and integrating learning into strategic decisions.
- Ability to translate complex datasets into user-friendly insights for diverse stakeholders.
- A record of working across complex organizations and leading cross-functional projects.
- Strong leadership skills, including managing teams and building staff capacity through coaching and mentorship.
- Experience leading knowledge sharing through communities of practice or similar mechanisms.
- Ability to identify system gaps and deliver tangible improvements.
- Advanced computer literacy, including Excel, PowerPoint, web conferencing tools, and data analytics platforms.
Language requirements include fluency in English, with proficiency in Arabic, French, or Spanish strongly preferred.
Education:
A Master’s or post-graduate degree in MEAL, a related IRC technical sector (e.g. health, education, governance), or a comparable combination of education and work experience is preferred.
Travel Requirements:
The position involves global travel up to 25% of the time, occasionally on short notice.
Recruitment Process
The selection process for this role includes:
- Initial screening interview
- First-round interview with the hiring manager
- Second-round panel interview, which includes a presentation task
Compensation and Benefits
Pay ranges vary by location and are competitive within local labor markets. Actual compensation will depend on experience, qualifications, and work location.
For US-based candidates:
Comprehensive benefits include 10 sick days, 10 holidays, 20-25 vacation days, subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance, commuter and healthcare FSAs, 403(b) retirement savings with matching contributions, disability and life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program for mental health and crisis support.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
IRC values diversity and inclusion. All qualified applicants are considered regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, or other protected characteristics.
Locations
- New York, NY, USA
- London, UK
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Open to remote work arrangements
If you are an experienced MEAL professional seeking a dynamic global leadership role with one of the world’s most respected humanitarian organizations, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity. The role offers the chance to set global standards, influence programming worldwide, and contribute meaningfully to humanitarian outcomes for millions.
