Senior Manager Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

Arthan; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Arthan is seeking a Senior Manager – MEL to lead the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning function. You will drive strategic directives for measuring and communicating impact within the organization, guiding a small team of professionals.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience in MEL within the development sector, a strong background in evaluation design, and proven leadership skills. This position offers an opportunity to instill a data-driven culture across programs.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in MEL, with a track record of leading MEL functions.
• Experience in designing and managing end-to-end evaluation studies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Responsibilities

• Lead the MEL vision and strategy aligning with program goals.
• Design and oversee rigorous evaluation studies.
• Champion a data-driven culture across the organisation.

Skills

MEL leadership

Evaluation design

Data management

Communication skills

Team mentoring

Education

Master's degree in relevant field

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

SPSS

Job description

About the Role

As the Senior Manager – MEL, you will lead the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning function and set the strategic direction for how the organisation measures, understands and communicates its impact.

You will build and guide a small team of MEL professionals, champion a culture of evidence and learning across the organisation, and ensure that data and insights are embedded into program design and decision-making at every level.

This role is best suited for someone who has led MEL functions in the development or education sector and combines strategic thinking with strong hands‑on capability in evaluation design, data systems and team leadership.

Roles and Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Define and drive the MEL vision and strategy for the organisation in alignment with its Theory of Change and programmatic goals.
• Develop and continuously refine organisational impact measurement frameworks across diverse programs and geographies.
• Serve as the internal thought leader on evaluation methodology, learning systems and data culture.

Evaluation & Research

• Design and oversee rigorous evaluation studies including baseline, midline and endline assessments, impact evaluations, and formative and summative studies, ideally with prior experience leading such studies end-to-end.
• Select and apply appropriate evaluation methodologies (experimental, quasi-experimental, mixed methods, participatory approaches, etc.) based on program context.
• Collaborate with external research partners and academic institutions to co‑create and validate evaluation frameworks and study designs.

Data Systems & Quality

• Lead efforts to streamline and strengthen data collection, management and quality assurance processes across programs.
• Optimise data metrics and indicators, ensuring they are meaningful, measurable and actionable.
• Conduct periodic M&E audits to assess data quality, system robustness and alignment with program outcomes.
• Develop standards and templates for M&E that can be adopted by program and field teams at scale.

Data Culture & Capacity Building

• Champion and embed a data‑driven culture across the organisation, enabling teams to interpret and act on evidence in day‑to‑day program management.
• Build the MEL capacity of program staff, field teams and government partners through training, mentoring and peer learning.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor and develop a small team of MEL professionals, setting clear expectations, driving their growth and maintaining high standards of output.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Present MEL findings and insights to senior leadership, donors, government partners and external audiences in clear, compelling formats.
• Partner with Communications and Fundraising teams to translate impact evidence into compelling narratives for donor reporting and outreach.

Experience and Competencies Required

Must Have

• 7+ years of experience in MEL, with a demonstrated track record of leading MEL functions or evaluation studies in the development or education sector.
• Prior experience in designing and managing end‑to‑end evaluation studies (baseline, endline, impact evaluations, etc.) using a range of methodologies, including experimental, quasi‑experimental, mixed methods and participatory approaches.
• processes, optimising indicators and metrics, and conducting M&E audits.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to present complex data insights clearly to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated experience managing and mentoring teams.
• Master's degree in Public Policy, Education, Development Studies, Social Research, Statistics, Data Science or a related field.

Good to Have

• Hands‑on experience with data systems and tools such as Power BI, Looker Studio, Tableau, SurveyCTO, KoboToolbox, ODK, SPSS, Stata, R or similar.
• Familiarity with government education data systems, MIS platforms or EdTech ecosystems (e.g., DIKSHA, UDISE).
• Experience working directly with or alongside government partners at state or district levels in India.
• Knowledge of Hindi or a regional Indian language.