Team Leader - Nigeria Portfolio Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Programme at Montrose

As the Team Leader you will be the face of the programme, liaising with the FCDO team to support the uptake of evidence for decision making, leading the PMEL programme and providing strategic guidance for the development portfolio in Nigeria.

You will:

• Bring technical expertise to support the FCDO to build a credible evidence base.
• Be a capable strategic thinker who can co-create a learning agenda with the FCDO Nigeria team.
• Be able to help synthesise and present information in ways that are conducive to learning and decision-making.
• Have experience in supporting adaptive management in programmes and portfolios.
• Be comfortable responding to changing learning needs in an agile and timely fashion.
• Bring strong relationship-building and ‘soft skills’ and be adept at establishing productive relationships.

Key Responsibilities:

• As the most senior member of the team, manages relationships and communications with FCDO, ensuring understanding and alignment of PMEL activities and strategy.
• Manages relationships with programmes being engaged by the PMEL contract and ensures open and bidirectional engagement in line with MEL best practices.
• Oversees design, development, and delivery of overall MEL approach and systems.
• Provides leadership and management oversight to all PMEL activities and holds ultimate responsibility for the performance of a team of Nigerian and international MEL professionals and specialist MEL partners.
• Leads all work planning, and ensures activities are performed in a timely fashion to a high professional standard and that technical objectives are met.
• Oversees security and risk management approach and leads on developing mitigation measures and adapting the programme where relevant.
• Responsible for the quality of all written deliverables required by FCDO. Drafts content and provides quality assurance on reports.
• Responsible for the quality of data and rigour of findings. Ensures data quality and ethics controls and protocols are in place and adhered to.
• Represents PMEL and Montrose in meetings and engagements with relevant stakeholders and counterparts, including other implementing partners, the donor community in Nigeria and relevant government officials.

Requirements

Experience, Skills, and Qualifications

• Skills and experience of managing programmes of a similar size and complexity.
• Expertise in leadership and programme management including comfort in leading and managing multiple MEL projects or activities at once.
• Evaluation and research expertise, particularly in the design and management of evaluation and research projects.
• Quantitative and qualitative methods expertise and experience in the development of a range of evidence products including evidence synthesis, systematic review, meta-analysis etc.
• Experience monitoring development programmes, including the development of monitoring systems, logical frameworks, data collection and VfM analysis.
• Technical expertise in using evidence for adaptive management.
• Experience leading capacity building/ technical assistance with government partners in developing countries.
• Strong learning uptake and communications abilities (including demonstrable soft skills to build productive relationships, influencing and collaborating, as well as hard technical skills (such as development of communications/knowledge strategies as well as IT and graphic design skills required to develop engaging content).
• Demonstrated skills in communicating complex analytical findings and methodologies to a wide range of audiences.
• Expertise in governance (diplomacy and influencing political economy assessment, etc.) and stabilization, ideally with reference to Nigeria.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of the economic, political and social context of Nigeria.
• A mix of other experience relevant to the portfolio will be useful – governance, health, economy, education, humanitarian, conflict, gender and social inclusion.
• An advanced degree in Social Sciences or a relevant field preferred., or relevant professional experience.
• Experience managing a range of stakeholders to develop agreements in approaches and strategies.
• Significant experience in designing MEL programmes.
• Demonstrated ability in working independently and as part of a team both in-person and remotely.
• Demonstrated working proficiency in written and oral English is required.
• Experience working in Nigeria preferred.
• Strong organisational and work prioritisation skills.
• Strong communication and people management skills.