MEL Associate, Poverty Embedded Evidence Lab

📍 Location: Kaduna, Nigeria

📅 Deadline: Date not specified

💰 Salary: Not specified

Employment Type: Professional role

Travel: Approximately 20%

Reports to: Manager, National Poverty Lab

ABOUT INNOVATIONS FOR POVERTY ACTION (IPA)

Innovations for Poverty Action is a global research and policy nonprofit that generates and advances evidence on what works to reduce poverty. IPA partners with researchers, governments and practitioners to strengthen programmes and improve public decision-making.

JOB SUMMARY

The MEL Associate will support an embedded evidence lab within a government agency delivering social-protection programmes. The role will strengthen the agency’s capacity to generate, manage, analyse and use data for programme improvement and policy decisions. It combines MEL-system development, staff capacity building, analysis, visualisation, evidence generation and operational coordination.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support development of agency-wide theories of change, results frameworks and indicator frameworks.
• Design programme-specific MEL plans, data-collection instruments, monitoring protocols and quality-assurance mechanisms.
• Conduct data-needs assessments, map existing sources and recommend improvements.
• Develop practical procedures and guidance for data collection, management, reporting, quality assurance and use.
• Implement verification, spot-check, data-audit and corrective-action processes.
• Design and deliver MEL training, learning sessions and evidence-to-action workshops.
• Mentor M&E officers, programme managers and field staff on MEL tasks and data use.
• Build staff skills in Excel, statistical tools, database management and data visualisation.
• Analyse qualitative and quantitative data and prepare reports, dashboards and clear visualisations.
• Translate technical findings into actionable insights for non-technical audiences.
• Contribute to evaluation reports, policy briefs, evidence syntheses and lessons-learned products.
• Support surveys, focus groups, key-informant interviews and case studies.
• Coordinate with government departments, IPA staff, researchers and external partners.
• Support workshop planning, procurement, field visits, documentation, work planning and reporting.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Demography, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Policy, International Development or a related quantitative or social-science field; a relevant master’s degree is preferred.
• At least three years’ professional experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning, preferably in social protection, poverty reduction, livelihoods or international development.
• Advanced Excel skills and proficiency in at least one statistical package such as Stata, R or SPSS.
• Experience with visualisation platforms such as Power BI or Tableau.
• Hands-on experience designing, strengthening or implementing MEL systems.
• Ability to manage multiple programmes or workstreams and coordinate stakeholders and deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to train, coach or mentor others in MEL and data use.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Experience working with government institutions or regulatory agencies is highly desirable.
• Cultural and political sensitivity, teamwork and commitment to data-informed development.
• Fluency in English.

The selected candidate must comply with IPA safeguarding standards and contribute to a safe, respectful environment for children, vulnerable adults and other stakeholders.

HOW TO APPLY

Use the official IPA/ADP recruitment link on this listing and select “Apply.” The employer has not stated a closing date; qualified candidates should apply as soon as possible while the route remains open.