MEL Specialist at Lafiya Nigeria

Position Overview

• The team is looking for a mission-focused, strategic, and detail-oriented professional to join our team as a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Specialist. The role will be tailored to the successful candidate’s experience and qualifications. This role will report directly to the Executive Director and will require close collaboration with the Programme Director, academic partners, and governmental stakeholders, particularly their M&E teams.
• As the MEL Specialist, you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and managing robust systems to monitor and evaluate the performance and impact of Samu Lafiya’s programmes. This new and exciting position within our team was created to strengthen our capacity for learning and accountability. Previously, MEL responsibilities were handled by programme staff, with support from specialised M&E consultants. While we already have foundational MEL processes in place—including a Theory of Change, MEL framework, and ongoing impact evaluation—there is a strong need to expand, standardise, and enhance these systems as we scale our reach.

Responsibilities

Monitoring

• Analyse and evaluate programme data on a monthly basis to track progress, assess outcomes, and provide actionable insights for decision-making.
• Develop and implement a reporting and dissemination plan that provides monthly, quarterly and annual reports and work plans for evidence-based decision-making.
• Organise and undertake joint program verification visits to assess monitoring and evaluation data received from Lafiya’s programs and partners.
• Verify data to ensure accuracy, reliability, and alignment with programme objectives, and implement quality control measures as needed.
• Perform complex data analysis using statistical tools, generate dashboards and reports, and present data-driven recommendations to improve programme delivery.
• Ensure compliance with data protection laws, organisational policies, and ethical standards in all monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities.

MEL system strengthening, capacity building and learning

• Refine the Theory of Change, logframe, and evaluation plans to align with strategic objectives and ensure scalability.
• Oversee and strengthen data collection and management systems, including SurveyCTO and Google Sheets, ensuring data accuracy and consistency as the organisation grows.
• Provide consistent, constructive and professional learning advice to programs to improve their MEL systems and results.
• Train and support programme staff and partners in MEL methodologies, tools, and best practices to foster continuous improvement.
• Conduct research on best practices and emerging evidence in the field of family planning and public health, sharing findings with the team to ensure programmes are of the highest quality.
• Lead and participate in MEL events and professional development opportunities to ensure that Lafiya benefits from new developments in the MEL field.
• Facilitate regular sharing of data and insights with government stakeholders and partners.
• Conduct yearly reflection workshops with the team to facilitate learning from the field.

Evaluation

• Manage impact and process evaluations to measure programme effectiveness, improve implementation, and identify areas for refinement.
• Design and oversee qualitative and quantitative studies, including testing hypotheses to improve impact at scale and evaluating innovative approaches.
• Strengthen Lafiya’s MEL and ensure that key products, results, success stories etc. are available and shared through knowledge management platforms.
• Collaborate closely with academic partners to design and execute rigorous studies and integrate cutting-edge research into programme evaluation and development.

Who are we looking for?

• As a prerequisite, the successful candidate must believe in the core values of Samu Lafiya and be driven by the mission. The candidate should demonstrate a passion for family planning interventions.
• The following outlines our ideal candidate. While these qualifications are desired, we understand that not every applicant will meet all criteria, and we maintain a degree of flexibility. We are looking for fast learners who can independently and effectively develop the skills needed to fulfil the responsibilities of this role. If you believe you can excel in this position and are eager to learn and grow, we encourage you to apply.

Education and Experience:

• A Master's degree or higher in Economics, Development Economics, Public Health, Public Policy, Statistics, Medicine, Evaluation, or a related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of core monitoring and evaluation work experience, particularly establishing, implementing and updating MEL tools, including Theory of Change and Results Frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience in setting up and managing MEL systems that track performance.
• Demonstrated technical understanding of the health/family planning environment and governance in Nigeria (desirable)
• Proven experience designing and managing impact and process evaluations, as well as conducting qualitative and quantitative research.

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative research and knowledge of relevant statistical software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R, Python or other statistical software).
• Experience with data collection platforms (e.g., SurveyCTO) and data visualisation tools (e.g., Looker Studio, Tableau, Power BI).
• Competence in using Google Suite, Slack, and Notion to enable effective remote collaboration and communication.

Research Expertise:

• Strong aptitude for critical thinking and hypothesis testing to inform programme improvement and innovation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead rigorous research studies and integrate cutting-edge research into programme evaluation and development.

Personal Qualities:

• Highly motivated by the potential impact of your role, with a strong willingness to act and see theories and insights translated into actionable recommendations that improve programmes.
• High-agency, proactive, and self-driven, with the ability to explore new questions, identify opportunities to enhance impact, and take initiative to make them happen.
• Flexible and adaptable, excelling in both independent work and collaborative projects requiring coordination and teamwork.
• Attention to detail and ability to perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities effectively and efficiently within required timeframes

Collaboration and Communication:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex data in an accessible and actionable manner to diverse stakeholders.
• Experience working with governmental stakeholders, particularly M&E teams, and fostering collaboration with academic partners.

Although this position is primarily remote, it requires regular travel to Northern Nigeria to collaborate with the team and engage with key stakeholders. Applicants based in Nigeria or with previous experience working in the country are strongly encouraged to apply. Ideally, the candidate would spend some time each year at our Kano office and travel to other operational states, including Jigawa, Sokoto, and Kebbi.

Why should you apply?

• Your work will directly save lives by improving access to contraception and advancing public health in underserved communities.
• You’ll have the opportunity to conduct in-depth MEL work while contributing across interconnected areas such as strategy, programme delivery, operations, and technology. Your findings will play a central role in organisational decision-making.
• You’ll enjoy significant autonomy, including flexibility in deciding which areas to prioritise, designing academic-level research, leading large-scale evaluation studies, and innovating new approaches to programme improvement.
• You’ll work closely with government stakeholders to collect data that informs public policies, ensuring your work has a lasting impact beyond Lafiya.
• This is a rare opportunity to contribute to a deeply under-researched area and target demographic, where your insights will not only shape Lafiya’s programmes but also drive innovation in the broader field of family planning and public health.
• You’ll be part of a mission-driven, impact-focused organisation with strong values and evidence-based programmes.
• You’ll grow alongside a young, ambitious organisation poised for significant expansion in the coming years, giving you opportunities for personal and professional growth as well as a chance to leave a lasting mark on Lafiya’s work.
• Benefits include a competitive salary, 30 days of paid annual leave, fully paid maternity leave, and flexibility in how, when, and where you work.