Evaluation and Learning Specialist

Islamic Development & Empowerm; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

IDEA (Islamic Development & Empowerment in America) seeks an Evaluation and Learning Specialist to implement evaluation and learning activities across Programs. The role involves internal program reviews, mapping and evaluations, and supporting external evaluations, with international travel to support program improvement.

The position requires commitment to IDEA’s mission, strong MEAL expertise, and the ability to work with diverse teams across countries.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, data mining, economics, statistics, or related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 4+ years of work experience in conducting and managing evaluations in humanitarian and/or development contexts internationally or in the US.
• Ability to travel internationally and domestically (up to 30% travel).
• Experience with evaluations using mixed-method approaches and MEAL methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Conduct internal evaluation studies to assess impact and effectiveness, generating evidence and learning materials.
• Contribute to design, implementation and dissemination of evaluations and assessments.
• Provide technical and administrative support for evaluation activities conducted by external consultants; liaise with external teams.
• Build tools for program evaluations and Theory of Change / Results Framework.
• Conduct field visits internationally and in the US to assess implementation and outcomes.
• Support capacity building of staff and partners on MEAL, results measurement, and learning.
• Provide guidance on MEAL tools and systems via meetings and project reviews.
• Produce knowledge products and lead learning events for internal and external audiences.
• Promote adoption of digital tools and quality control to safeguard data integrity.

Skills

Evaluation planning

Analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Data visualization

Report writing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social sciences / data mining / economics / statistics

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

MEAL systems

Grants Management System (GMS)

Job description

Job Title: Evaluation and Learning Specialist
Status: Full-Time
Division: Programs (Program Quality, Standards and Learning)
Location: Alexandria, VA

The Evaluation and Learning Specialist contributes in implementing the evaluation and learning activities across Islamic Development and Empowering in America’s (IDEA) Programs. The role conducts and contributes tointernal program reviews, mapping and evaluations, and supports external evaluations and learning studies.The position requires international travel to support program evaluation and improvement. The candidate must demonstrate commitment to IDEA’s mission and values.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct internal evaluation studies to assess the impact and effectiveness of IDEA’s programs and interventions, generating evidence and learning materials
• Provide input into the design, implementation and dissemination of evaluations, special studies and assessments
• Provide technical and administrative support for evaluation activities conducted by external consultants, perform the role of liaison with the external evaluation team/consultant
• Build required tools for program evaluations as well as Theory of Change, Results Framework for IDEA’s selected Programs
• Conduct field visits, primarily internationally and as needed in the U.S., to assess project implementation and outcomes, documenting key achievements, challenges, findings, and recommendations.
• Support the capacity building of IDEA’s Programs staff and partners on project design, MEAL systems, results measurement, evaluation, and learning, as needed.
• Provide technical guidance to Programs staff and field teams on the application of MEAL tools and systems, including through project review meetings, as needed.
• Contribute to institutional learning processes by producing knowledge products and leading events to disseminate learning internally and externally.
• Participate in learning from pilots and support with the relevant analysis.
• Promote adoption of digital tools and quality control measures to safeguard data integrity.
• Support the design, maintenance, and reporting setup of IDEA’s Grants Management System (GMS) and Program Database.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree in s ocial s ciences, data mining, economics, statistics, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• 4+ years of work experience in conducting and managing evaluations and assessments in humanitarian and/or development context internationally and/or in the US
• Ability to travel internationally and domestically (up to 3 0% travel).
• Working experience in at least one of the following areas: food security, sustainable livelihoods, humanitarian response is highly desirable
• Experience with evaluations using mixed method approaches
• Excellent knowledge of monitoring, evaluation and learning methodologies , as well as various evaluation designs
• Ability to select and apply appropriate qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to support evaluations, assessments, and learning studies.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality evaluation reports and other program documents.
• Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse staff, teams, partners, and program participants.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in international development contexts.
• Ability to thrive in an agile, evolving environment, adapting to changing priorities and adjusting approaches as organizational needs develop
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment with strong attention to detail.
• Fluency in English required; proficiency in additional languages relevant to the organization’s countries of operation preferred.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States.

At IDEA (Islamic Development & Empowerment in America), we are committed to safeguarding and protecting all individuals we come into contact with through our work. IDEA representatives must adhere to its organizational values: Integrity, Service, Resilience, Social Innovation, and Collaboration. In accordance with these values, IDEA operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Code of Ethics, and Anti-Harassment and Discrimination.