Senior Associate, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

CATALYZE is a $250 million 8-year program, designed to mobilize $2 billion in private capital, especially to underfinanced social sectors (such as education) and higher risk countries (especially low-income and post-conflict countries) around the globe, complemented by a cross-cutting inclusion of gender-lens investing. CATALYZE serves as a “platform of platforms” that provides services to many missions and bureaus that “buy in” to tap the CATALYZE investment and pay-for-results project management expertise. The aim is for investors to explore and find commercially viable opportunities and approaches to creating jobs, developing sustainable social services, tightening, and rationalizing supply chains, and advancing inclusive growth – ultimately, reducing the need for development institutions to provide donor funding. 

Palladium is seeking a Senior Associate, Monitoring Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) to support the CATALYZE project. The Senior Associate will support EduFinance Activities in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance to the project team and implementing partners to ensure USAID MEL requirements are met on a timely basis.
• Support in the development, maintenance, and updating of the project’s MEL Plan(s), for both ongoing and new buy-ins.
• Guide data collection, data cleaning, management of data, and display of results, based on both quantitative and qualitative inputs, for the execution of the project’s MEL Plan(s), for both ongoing and new buy-ins.
• Develop and/or maintain efficient and accurate data collection and analysis systems while ensuring data quality.
• Assist in the implementation, dissemination, and use of evaluations, assessments, and monitoring data in program development, adjustment, or review.
• Produce data visualizations and analyses to support project learning and communications materials for the client, and internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to learning through supporting specific analysis, lessons learned, and reports.

Qualifications 

• Relevant professional experience supporting USAID-funded projects.
• Demonstrated relevant work in data analysis and monitoring and evaluation activities, including experience supporting a large donor-funded project.
• Familiarity with USAID MEL requirements.
• Proficiency in word processing, database management, statistical analysis, survey, and presentation software.
• A track record of working collaboratively with various stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills to maintain good relations with staff, relevant partners and counterparts.
• Well-organized, strong attention to detail, able to work independently, skilled in handling multiple MEL tasks preserving high quality work, and able to adhere to deadlines.
• Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to develop and communicate a common vision and foster collaboration across an interdisciplinary team.