Feed the Future Bangladesh Nutrition Activity

Job Description

The World at Abt

Solving the world’s most pressing issues and improving the quality of life for people worldwide is what we do every day at Abt Global. Creating a more equitable world is no small task, but we are driven by big challenges. 

We are a team of 3,000+ people in over 50 countries working in unison and focused on the bigger picture. Only by sharing our commitment, energy, and innovation do we affect change and push the boundaries of what’s possible. We welcome diverse ideas, backgrounds, and viewpoints – joining Abt means access to exceptional thinkers at the top of their game. 

To thrive at Abt is to embrace flexibility and collaboration. Our open culture allows you to balance your work and personal life as needed to optimize personal well-being. Creating a more equitable world starts from within – we look after people around the world, and we’ll do the same for you. 

Ready to embrace rewarding and meaningful work? Now’s your chance.

The Opportunity

 Abt Global seeks a qualified Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Coordinator for the Feed the Future Bangladesh Nutrition Activity. This is a full-time position based in Sylhet.

The Feed the Future Bangladesh Nutrition Activity contributes to improvements in nutrition outcomes of household members, with an emphasis on children under the age of five years, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls and boys in the country’s Feed the Future (FTF) zone of influence (ZOI) and the zone of resilience (ZOR). Three results underwrite this goal: 1) consumption of nutritious, diverse, safe, and balanced diets by households; 2) social and economic empowerment of women and social empowerment of adolescents; and 3) adoption of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices. The Activity integrates a strong focus on gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) across all three result areas and applies a combination of market systems development (MSD) and social behavior change (SBC) approaches to achieve its goal.

 Responsibilities 

 Reporting to the Director, MEL and Communications, the MEL Coordinator will be responsible for leading the implementation of the project's MEL activities. This involves collaborating closely with the MEL team and key stakeholders, including implementing organizations, to ensure effective data collection, analysis, and reporting. MEL Coordinator will actively build local capacity in MEL to promote accountability and continuous improvement. This includes the following: 

MEL system implementation and management

• Lead the implementation of the project's MEL activities in Sylhet, ensuring alignment with the overall Activity MEL plan and guidelines. 
• Collaborate with the MEL team to refine and implement data collection tools, schedules, and analysis methods.
• Manage data collection processes, ensuring data quality and adherence to the MEL plan and guidelines.
• Manage data entry, cleaning, storage, and maintaining data integrity and confidentiality.
• Contribute to the development and monitoring of project performance indicators.
• Support the development and implementation of a learning agenda to capture and share project learnings.

Stakeholder collaboration and capacity building

• Provide technical assistance and support to partner organizations, grantees, private sector actors, and government agencies in Sylhet on MEL activities and processes.
• Conduct training and workshops to build the capacity of stakeholders in data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Data analysis and reporting

• Conduct regular data analysis to inform project decision-making for adaptive management and assist in following up on implementation of recommendations.
• Contribute to the preparation of high-quality project reports (monthly, quarterly, annual) for donor and internal program implementation staff members.
• Ensure reports are accurate, timely, and meet reporting requirements, including disaggregated data of the project indicators per performance indicator reference sheets.

Data quality assurance

• Conduct data verification exercises, including data review, site visits, and interviews, to ensure data quality.
• Implement data quality standards and procedures to mitigate risks and ensure data reliability.
• Conduct periodic data quality assessments (DQAs) to assess data validity, integrity, precision, reliability, and timeliness.

Learning and knowledge management:

• Support research activities related to the project, providing guidance and oversight to ensure the quality and relevance of research findings. 
• Facilitate learning and knowledge sharing within the project team and among stakeholders.
• Capture lessons learned and best practices and contribute to knowledge management initiatives to document and disseminate project findings.

 What We Value 

Education and experience:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant field (e.g., urban and rural planning, statistics, social sciences).
• 4-6 years of relevant professional experience, including experience with MEL systems and reporting.
• Prior experience working on donor-funded projects, preferably with USAID.

Technical skills:

• Strong understanding of MEL principles and frameworks.
• Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques.
• Proficiency in data analysis software and MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, etc.).
• Knowledge of USAID's data quality assessment (DQA) standards.

Personal skills:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written) in both English and Bangla.
• Strong presentation and reporting skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Highly organized and detail oriented.
• Ability to work in multi-cultural environments and meet deadlines consistently.

What We Offer 

We foster an environment where you can Thrive Your Way. Our innovative total rewards programs are designed to help balance your work and personal life. The approach toward your wellbeing centers around comprehensive benefits and professional development.

Abt Global is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Global provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits. Local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: Abt Global will never ask candidates for money in exchange for an offer of employment.