Career Opportunities at Blue Ventures

Summary job description

• This is a full-time role, reporting to the global Senior Manager Programme Monitoring & Evaluation as part of the Programme Management (PM) team. The team supports and monitors programme delivery across Blue Ventures’ (BV’s) countries and regions of operation, helping ensure alignment with our global strategy. The team sits as a cross-cutting function in the organisation, to monitor, identify, and help address challenges, learnings, and successes in our support of partners and their work with communities, and to link in expert advice from other teams across the organisation.
• This is a key role in supporting Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) colleagues and our team, partners, and communities to use monitoring and evaluation tools that support learning and adaptive management. Occasional international and national travel is required to provide in-country support and learning.

Responsibilities

Project Management

• Coordinate with M&E and PM colleagues to collate, review, and verify project indicator reports (particularly through logframe or result frameworks).
• Create materials and support colleagues to ensure understanding and maintain consistency in indicator monitoring and reporting and other grant requirements for M&E.
• Coordinate the preparation of materials for logframe amendments.
• Review applications and proposals against organisational indicators and flag discrepancies for review.
• Support project evaluations required by funders; for example, through the collation and organisation of data and synthesis of results for internal use.

Programme Management & Organisational M&E

• Support the development and roll out of programme management templates and documents such as logframes, M&E plans and work plans across the organisation.
• Support the development and tracking of organisational indicators.
• Support the review and evaluation of organisational progress via the theory of change data, programme performance metrics, and other organisational indicators to highlight any areas of concern or learning.

Capacity building and support to regional/country staff and partners

• Support colleagues to identify knowledge and capacity gaps in global and regional teams.
• Support the creation of and manage M&E training materials and documents.
• Support development and delivery of training on the use of programme management and M&E tools, systems, and outputs.
• Coordinate global/regional M&E events and learning activities.

Skills and experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field and/or equivalent work experience.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Proven experience in monitoring and evaluation support, including logical framework development and reporting.
• Proven experience in donor reporting processes, particularly for large institutional donors.
• Competency in data management systems and tools such as Excel, Smartsheets, etc.
• Proven experience in the development of training materials and documentation and delivery of training, preferably remotely.
• Attention to detail and excellent organisational skills.
• Proactive problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively as part of a multicultural and dispersed team and communicate results.
• Remote coordination skills across multiple countries.
• Willingness to travel globally for occasional in-country support and training.

We would also love to see

• Experience of the small-scale fisheries, marine conservation or rural development sectors.
• Experience in community-led monitoring programmes or community-based conservation.
• Experience in project and/or programme management support function.
• Experience working with partner organisations.
• Experience of impact evaluation processes.
• Basic proficiency in Kiswahili, French, Malagasy or Bahasa Indonesian.
• Knowledge of research design, data management, analysis, and reporting, including large dataset interpretation.
• Understanding of monitoring method development, sampling design, and data capture tools.
• Knowledge of specialist data management and analysis tools such as Tableau, RShiny, Kobo Toolbox.
• Master's degree or other further education and training in a relevant field.

Closing date for applications: 17th November 2024

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Summary job description

• As the Director of Programme Performance, you will be pivotal in leading a team responsible for the design, implementation, and management of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems. Your leadership will be critical in developing performance indicators and data pipelines that inform organisational and programmatic key results, guide data-driven decision-making, and deliver meaningful impact assessments.
• The Director of Programme Performance will ensure the effective development of culturally relevant, community-centric performance indicators and alignment with donor requirements. They will collaborate closely with the Data Science and Technical Knowledge teams to design and refine performance indicators, implement monitoring frameworks, and develop data flows that align with Blue Ventures’ strategic goals.
• This role also includes overseeing the integration of community feedback, fostering continuous learning, and ensuring that programmatic data informs adaptive management.
• The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader with a strong background in marine conservation, socioeconomics, and MEL systems and experience working with small-scale fishing communities in diverse geographical contexts. This role will report to the Chief Technical Officer.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership and Management:

• Lead, mentor, and manage the Programme Performance team to achieve critical programmatic and organisational objectives. Ensure team members have the necessary skills, resources, and support to deliver high-quality MEL activities across Blue Ventures’ programs.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive team environment that promotes innovation, continuous learning, and professional development.
• As the Director of Programme Performance, you will foster a culture of professional development within the team. This will involve encouraging staff to pursue relevant certifications, attend workshops, and engage with industry networks in MEL, thereby promoting continuous learning and growth.

Strategy Development:

• Lead the integration of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) strategies with Blue Ventures’ long-term strategic objectives, ensuring that performance data drives organisational growth and innovation.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and trends in MEL activities to incorporate them into strategy and ensure competitive advantage.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to align MEL activities with Blue Ventures' overall vision, adjusting strategies to address programmatic and organisational priorities.

Project Management:

• Ensure that MEL initiatives adhere to project management best practices, focusing on maintaining high-quality deliverables, scalability, and sustainability across regions.
• Oversee the execution of robust quality assurance processes for all MEL initiatives, ensuring that performance data is accurate, timely, and actionable.
• Ensure that MEL frameworks and tools are designed for sustainability, allowing for consistent application across various geographies and evolving contexts.

Performance Indicators:

• Lead the team in developing and refining performance indicators to accurately measure programme outcomes and impacts, ensuring they reflect the unique goals of Blue Ventures’ four programme pillars.
• Ensure the team’s culturally relevant and community-centric performance indicators align with community values and donor requirements.
• Oversee the integration of performance indicators into donor reporting frameworks, ensuring transparency and alignment with expectations.
• Utilise data and trends to forecast potential future outcomes in conservation efforts.
• This will allow for proactive adjustments to programmatic strategies and enhance the overall impact of Blue Ventures’ interventions.

Data Flow and Management:

• Guide the team’s collaboration with the Data Science team to design data flows and pipelines that deliver fundamental indicator values and ensure timely access to programme data.
• Ensure the Programme Performance team maintains rigorous data quality, reliability, and validity standards across all programme metrics.
• Oversee the development of data access and visualisation platforms, ensuring the real-time delivery of programme data for internal and external stakeholders.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E):

• Oversee the development and execution of comprehensive monitoring frameworks, ensuring that programme progress and performance are tracked in an inclusive and participatory manner.
• Design and execute impact assessments to evaluate program effectiveness, using data to highlight successes and opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure the Programme Performance team coordinates with teams across the organisation to integrate feedback into M&E processes, centralising local knowledge and perspectives in assessments.
• Collaboration with Data Science and Technical Knowledge Teams:
• Guide the Programme Performance team’s collaboration with the Data Science team to ensure alignment between programme metrics and data system infrastructure.
• Work closely with the Data Science team to integrate insights from advanced data science methodologies, such as machine learning and AI, to improve the precision and effectiveness of performance monitoring and evaluation systems.
• Coordinate with the Technical Knowledge team to ensure performance indicators effectively measure key outcomes and that the Programme Performance team’s data informs programmatic decisions.

Reporting and Knowledge Sharing:

• Lead the Programme Performance team in developing reporting mechanisms that effectively communicate findings to BV staff, partners, donors, and stakeholders, ensuring insights are actionable and accessible.
• Oversee the team’s efforts in knowledge sharing, ensuring that best practices and innovative approaches are disseminated internally and externally.

Capacity Building:

• Empower the Programme Performance team to build the capacity of staff, field teams, and partners in using performance indicators and M&E frameworks.
• Ensure the team provides training and support to foster active participation in assessing programme outcomes.

Data-Driven Decision Making:

• Lead the Programme Performance team in leveraging data to inform adaptive management.
• Ensure that performance data is used to adjust programme activities to meet community needs and organisational goals better.

Skills and experience Required

Education

• Advanced degree in Marine Conservation, Marine Ecology, Socioeconomics, Fisheries Management, International Development, Environmental Science, or a related field.

Experience

• Requires at least 10 years of experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems, particularly in developing countries. Must have at least four years in a leadership role managing cross-functional teams.

Technical Expertise

• Skills in data analysis tools (e.g., R, Python, SQL) and data visualisation platforms (e.g., Power BI, RShiny), with the ability to interpret and communicate complex data effectively.
• Familiarity with advanced data technologies, such as machine learning and AI, and their application in monitoring and evaluation practices.
• Expertise in community-based fisheries management, with experience in food security, financial inclusion, and secure rights for fishing communities.
• Strong understanding of small-scale fisheries and the socio-economic challenges in fishing communities.
• Proven track record of leading multidisciplinary teams and working collaboratively with local communities and external partners.
• Experience in managing MEL systems for programme performance, data analysis, and delivering insights for programme adjustments.
• Leadership and Communication Skills
• Strong leadership and team management skills, focusing on fostering a collaborative and innovative team culture.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.

Closing date for applications: 5 November 2024