Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning Manager

Job description

Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is an adolescent health organisation that leverages the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilise at-risk youth in developing countries to overcome their greatest health challenges, live healthier, more productive lives, and be agents for change in their communities. Since 2002, GRS has reached millions of young people across the countries where it works with life-saving HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health information and services. GRS is looking to significantly scale its impact via partnerships over the next five years.

Position Description

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research have historically operated as separate functions within GRS Zambia. The MERL Manager role brings these functions together under a single, integrated Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) unit, reducing duplication of effort and ensuring that routine programme data and research findings inform one another and strengthen GRS Zambia’s overall evidence base.

The MERL Manager leads this integrated function for GRS Zambia, setting the strategic direction for both routine M&E and research and evaluation activities, and ensuring these are aligned with GRS’s Global Theory of Change, Global MEL Strategy, and Global Research priorities. The MERL Manager supervises two MERL Coordinators, and works closely with the Country Director, Global MEL team, Global Research team, and Zambia Programme Team to ensure GRS Zambia’s data and evidence drive accountability, learning, and programme quality.

The MERL Manager is also GRS Zambia’s senior digital lead for MERL systems: this role owns the quality and adoption of Salesforce and the SKILLZ mobile application across the country programme, and is the first point of escalation for related technical issues.

The ideal candidate is a confident, hands-on leader who is equally comfortable setting MERL strategy, managing a small team, troubleshooting a technical issue with a tablet in the field, and contributing to study design or overseeing research fieldwork. They communicate complex data and findings clearly to a wide range of audiences, from field staff to government officials and donors.

Primary Responsibilities

MERL Strategy & Systems (20%)

•  Set the strategic direction for GRS Zambia’s integrated MEL and research activities, ensuring alignment with GRS’s Global Theory of Change, Global MEL Strategy, and Global Research priorities.

•  Oversee the rollout, routine use, and continuous improvement of GRS key performance indicators (KPIs) and M&E tools, including attendance registers, surveys, and screening/referral tools.

•  Lead the design and revision of data flow processes and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure efficient, high-quality data collection across all provinces where GRS Zambia operates.

•  Oversee data quality assurance across the country programme, including routine) Routine Data Quality Assessments (RDQAs), and supportive supervision visits to programme sites.

Digital & Technical Leadership (15%)

•  Serve as GRS Zambia’s senior technical owner of Salesforce and the SKILLZ mobile application, setting standards and SOPs for their use across the country programme.

•  Diagnose and resolve complex Salesforce, SKILLZ App, and tablet/device issues

•   Maintain oversight of GRS Zambia’s tablet/device inventory, including procurement requests, assignment, and replacement planning, in coordination with relevant operations staff.

•   Guide troubleshooting of common field issues such as offline data capture, syncing, and connectivity problems, to minimise data loss and delays.

•  Escalate unresolved technical or systems issues to the Systems Development and Analyst Coordinator, and track issues through to resolution.

•  Ensure appropriate data security practices on mobile devices and within Salesforce, in line with GRS data protection policies.

•  Serve as GRS Zambia’s focal point on the Salesforce Governance Committee, representing the country programme’s systems and data needs.

•   Explore and pilot digital tools, including AI-enabled solutions, to improve MERL efficiency, data use, and reporting.

Research & Evaluation Leadership (25%)

•   Set the direction and quality standard for research studies and evaluations conducted in Zambia, in partnership with the Global Research team, academic and research institutions, and external collaborators.

•   Substantively contribute to research/evaluation protocol development, tool design, and analysis plans when needed (not only review completed drafts).

•   Lead or oversee ethics/Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions and approval processes for Zambia-based studies, ensuring protocols and tools meet GRS and donor standards before they go into the field.

•   Manage day-to-day research and evaluation activities, including training of data collectors, participant recruitment, and data collection

•   Review research analysis and findings for methodological rigor before they are shared externally with donors, government stakeholders, or in publications.

•   Translate routine monitoring data and research findings into actionable insights, working closely with Programme leadership to inform programme design, adaptation, and strategy.

•   Work with GRS Curriculum and Training staff to ensure research findings and monitoring data inform updates to curriculum content and implementation approaches.

•   Lead or contribute to the development of MEL and research components of new proposals, including theories of change, logic models, and evaluation frameworks.

•   Represent GRS Zambia’s research agenda with universities, research institutions, and other research-specific stakeholders.

•   Oversee the development and dissemination of abstracts, presentations, and publications arising from Zambia research activities, in coordination with the Global Research team.

•   Ensure research activities uphold participant confidentiality and ethical research standards, particularly for sensitive health data and adolescent participants.

Data Protection Officer Duties (5%)

•   Serve as GRS Zambia’s designated Data Protection Officer, in accordance with the Zambia Data Protection Act (2021), acting as the primary point of contact with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

•   Oversee GRS Zambia’s compliance with national data protection requirements, including data processing registration, data subject rights, and breach notification obligations.

•   Advise the Country Director and relevant teams on data protection risks and requirements for new systems, partnerships, or research activities.

Team Leadership, Training & Capacity Building (10%)

•   Directly supervise and mentor two MERL Coordinators, ensuring an effective division of labour, quality of work, and professional development for both.

•   Mentor the MERL Coordinators on research methods, protocol design, and analysis, building their methodological capacity over time.

•   Build the capacity of Programme staff, Coaches, Data Capturers, and partner staff on MERL systems, standardised indicators, and the use of data for decision-making.

•   Lead onboarding and training of new MERL staff and partner organisations on GRS systems and processes, including Salesforce, the SKILLZ App, and data collection tools.

•   Facilitate regular data review and learning calls with Programme and partner teams to reinforce feedback loops and a culture of learning.

Reporting & External Engagement (20%)

•   Compile and quality-assure quarterly and annual KPI and donor reports, ensuring timely and accurate reporting to the Country Director, Global MEL team, and donors.

•   Create dashboards, data visualisations, and narrative monitoring reports that make MERL and research findings clear and accessible to technical and non-technical audiences alike.

•   Represent GRS Zambia’s MERL function and build relationships with implementing partners, government stakeholders (e.g. Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education), and donors, attending meetings as required.

•   Prepare and deliver presentations of MERL and research data and findings to internal teams, partners, government stakeholders, and donors.

•   Support the Country Director’s engagement with Zambia’s M&E coordination structures, including providing data or technical input and attending on the Country Director’s behalf as needed.

Budget & Compliance (5%)

•   Manage the Zambia MERL budget, allocating resources effectively across MEL and research priorities.

•   Ensure compliance with donor M&E and research reporting requirements and grant management standards.

•   Perform other MERL-related duties as assigned by the Country Director.

Qualifications

•   Master’s degree preferred (Bachelor’s degree considered with equivalent experience) in public health, Monitoring & Evaluation, social sciences, statistics, or a related field.

•   5–8 years of progressive experience managing M&E and/or research functions for international health or development programmes, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa.

•   Proven experience designing and leading research studies or evaluations, including protocol development, quantitative and qualitative methods, and ethics/IRB approval processes.

•   Demonstrated people management experience, including supervising, coaching, and developing staff.

•   Hands-on experience administering or providing technical support for Salesforce (or a similar CRM/database) and mobile data collection platforms (e.g. the SKILLZ App or similar).

•   Experience applying technology solutions, including AI tools, to strengthen MERL systems and processes is an asset.

•   Familiarity with adolescent health, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), HIV/AIDS, and/or mental health programming strongly preferred.

•   Working knowledge of data protection and research ethics standards relevant to sensitive health data and adolescent participants.

•   Proficiency with Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets required; familiarity with statistical software (e.g. STATA, SPSS, R) preferred.

•   Based in Zambia or eligible to work in Zambia; fluency in English and in a local Zambian language is required.

•   Willingness to travel within Zambia to programme sites as required (up to 25% of time).

Skills

•   Strong strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to translate data and research findings into actionable recommendations.

•   Proven leadership and people management skills, including coaching, performance management, and team development.

•   Confidence to get hands-on with technical or research problems when needed, and the patience to coach others through them rather than simply taking over.

•    Excellent presentation and communication skills, with the confidence to engage donors, government officials, and senior stakeholders.

•    Ability to manage competing priorities across MEL and research work streams with limited supervision.

•    Building strong working relationships across diverse social, cultural, and professional contexts.

Strong attention to detail balanced with the ability to think strategically and know when to engage with the details.