MEAL Specialist: Data-Driven Monitoring & Evaluation for US Programs

IDEA; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

IDEA (Islamic Development & Empowerment in America) is seeking a Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist for its US Programs in Alexandria, VA. The role strengthens MEAL processes, reviews proposals and reports, analyzes data, builds staff capacity, and supports program improvement.

Travel within the US is required. The candidate will contribute to MEAL activities across programs, develop indicators, conduct field monitoring, and share findings to inform decisions and learning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Information Systems, Economics, Statistics, or related field.
• 3+ years of M&E experience in the US context, including designing and executing M&E plans.
• 2+ years of experience in the non-profit sector preferably focused on food security, public health or community development in the US.
• Ability to travel within the US (up to 30%).
• Fluency in English required; proficiency in additional languages spoken by communities served preferred.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Drive improvement of MEAL processes, tools, and templates across US Programs.
• Support project development, including proposal writing, logical frameworks, and MEAL plan establishment with key indicators.
• Conduct field monitoring visits and targeted assessments to examine project performance, investigate emerging issues, and inform program improvement.
• Conduct timely trend analysis of monitoring data to support project reporting and decision making.
• Assist in collecting, analyzing and sharing feedback from beneficiaries and project stakeholders and facilitate its use.
• Support periodic assessments in coordination with the program teams and share findings, lessons learned and recommendations, and follow-ups on recommendations.
• Support development and conduct of training workshops and webinars on program design, measurement, and evaluation for staff and partners.
• Participate in project review meetings to validate data, provide feedback, and support continuous learning.
• Produce knowledge products and lead sharing events to disseminate learning internally and externally.
• 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

Skills

M&E experience

Travel readiness

Cross-cultural communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Information Systems, Economics, Statistics, or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

IDEA (Islamic Development & Empowerment in America) is seeking a Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist for its US Programs in Alexandria, VA. The role strengthens MEAL processes, reviews proposals and reports, analyzes data, builds staff capacity, and supports program improvement.

Travel within the US is required. The candidate will contribute to MEAL activities across programs, develop indicators, conduct field monitoring, and share findings to inform decisions and learning.