Senior Technical Advisor MEAL at International Rescue Committee

Direct Response Support

• Manage the coordination and backstopping of ERT / EST MEAL Cdeployments aimed at building or reinforcing MEAL systems in new emergencies (in both existing country programs and new start-ups).
• Ensure close coordination and liaison with Regional Measurement Advisors in deployment planning and eventual handover of a response.
• Ensure response teams meet minimum standards for MEAL in new response start-up (as outlined in the Emergency Roadmap).
• Onboard MEAL Coordinators and other relevant response members tthe SAP reporting requirements and support forward planning around data collection or learning exercises, as relevant. Develop materials tsupport this onboarding, including one-pagers.
• Ensure appropriate budget resourcing in both direct and partner-led projects. 
• As required, deploy tsupport MEAL start-up in complex or large-scale emergencies (max 20% of time and maximum 6 weeks for single deployment). This is inclusive of, but not limited to, responsibilities such as:
• Leading a multi-sector needs assessment
• Setting up feedback and monitoring mechanisms
• Recruiting and onboarding new MEAL Coordinators
• Advising and training IRC and/or IRC partners on emergency MEAL tools and resources for emergency preparedness, early action and response, as needed.
• Participate in QiE Leadership Team weekly calls taddress response level updates and questions.
• Strategic Reporting and Analysis
• Serve as the QiE focal point for Emergencies and Humanitarian Action SAP response metric reporting which speak tresponse quality and scale, including for quarterly and annual reporting. Work closely with MEAL Systems Advisor on data/information storage of response metrics, including in Airtable.
• Seek new or improved ways tincrease the efficiency of our work and tleverage existing data collection thelp IRC understand the quality of our emergency response work.
• Prepare analysis and visualizations thelp QiE understand and speak tthe impact and process of our work.

Guidance, Tools and Learning

• Contribute tmaintenance of MEAL in emergency resources, tools and guidance for use by both IRC colleagues and partners.
• Project manage the review and update processes of tools and guidance, as needed. Including the finalization of the MSNA pilot and toolkit.
• Co-lead, alongside the Director Strategy & Measurement, the roll-out of new tools in collaboration with the rest of the EHAU MEAL team.
• Contribute tfurther building out the QiE knowledge management database, in collaboration with the Director Strategy & Measurement and the MEAL Systems Advisor, and proactively consider ways tanalyze and share trends and learning within.
• Stay abreast of initiatives within the IRC, such as IMPACT, PCM, Evidence tAction, Partnership in Emergencies, Data Toolkits, and Best Use of Resources, tensure coherency and the achievement of joint objectives – as for all members of the EHAU MEAL Team.
• Participate and contribute tMEAL training for EHAU, regional, and relevant country programs.
• Contribute tthe learning agenda in emergencies, including by working on guidance notes, leading or coordinating learning exercises, and feed introutines around learning data collection, dissemination and accountability. 

Team Culture and People Management

• Provide day-to-day line management of the ERT / EST MEAL Coordinators, ensuring they maintain high performance, collaborate effectively and are accountable for quality of work.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with EHAU colleagues and continually promote a culture of partnership and collaboration.
• Cultivate and maintain a positive, inclusive, safe and caring work environment, while additionally setting an example of ‘One IRC’-way of working within the team, EHAU and the wider organization.
• Advance efforts across EHAU tpromote gender equality, diversity and more inclusive practice across our programming and our ways of working.
• Engage in effective power-sharing practices and ensure colleagues have the knowledge, support, and power tdtheir work with autonomy.

Key Working Relationships

• Position reports to:Director Strategy & Measurement
• Position directly supervises: Emergency Response Team MEAL Coordinators 
• Indirect Reporting: Emergency Surge Roster MEAL Coordinators, when deployed
• Other Internal and/or external contacts: Close working relationship with EHAU MEAL Team, Quality in Emergencies team (from leadership through tEmergency Response Team deployees), Regional Emergency Directors, Regional Measurement Advisors, and country office colleagues responding temergencies.

REQUIREMENTS:

• A university degree in a relevant subject area (statistics, data management, international programming, public health, economics) or related experience. 
• Proven experience working on MEAL in emergency contexts, including in the design and implementation of rapid multi-sector needs assessments. Experience in new start-ups highly desirable.
• Strong data analysis and data story telling skills.
• Experience in the design and facilitation of learning exercises along with uptake of recommendations.
• Proactive, highly organized and interest in thinking outside of the box.
• Flexible and interested in advancing team goals.
• Familiarity with the principles of MEAL as they are applied in emergency settings, and ability tthink creatively and pro-actively about their adoption.
• Experience setting up and managing beneficiary feedback mechanisms and multi-sectoral monitoring systems.
• Experience with mobile data collection tools (particularly via Kobor Commcare).
• Knowledge of data visualization tools (particularly PowerBi), preferred.
• Experience developing technology solutions for humanitarian programming, preferred.
• Experience and competency in moderate statistical analysis and reporting preferred.