MERL Coordinator

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

The Opportunity

The role of the MERL Coordinator is to ensure the quality and timely implementation of the MEAL framework of the BRAVE project that is funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs - MFA). BRAVE project is expected to run from 2026-2029*. The project is a continuation to the ongoing MFA funded SRHR programme and the impact to be delivered is that children, adolescents and youth in all their diversity have control over their bodies and futures in a healthy, safe and supportive environment.

The specific project the MERL Coordinator will support, aims to realize gender transformative and disability inclusive sexual and reproductive health rights of children, adolescents, and youth in all their diversity and will be implemented in the targeted 4 districts West Hararghe zone, particularly in Meisso,Gumbi Bordode, Chiro zuria, and Guba Koricha woredas in the Oromia region.

The MERL Coordinator will work in close collaboration with the project manager, the SRHR Coordinators, SRHR Thematic Sector Lead, and Insight Lead at Country Office as well as other project staff and relevant partner staff working in the Oromia Program Area Addis Ababa office.

The Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring high-quality and timely delivery of all MEAL products as defined in the specific MEAL framework of BRAVAE project and aligned with the BRAVE program´s MEAL strategy being implemented in 6 countries and that of PIE’s new Country Strategy (2025-2029). The incumbent will also support the building of MEAL technical capacities of the project staff and partners, especially considering Results-Based Monitoring (RBM) perspectives, and contribute to and strengthen evidence-based decision-making processes.

The Individual

Qualifications/ experience desirable:

• University Degree, Masters degree in health, Statistics, Sociology/Social Sciences, Humanities/development studies, or related fields and at least 3 years of work experience.
• Bachelors degree in the above fields and a at least 5 years of work experience within the development/humanitarian sector advising or managing M&E processes.
• Experience in Results-Based Monitoring and PMERL is an asset.
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Experience in the use of Digital Data Collection tools or/and of data visualization software solutions is an asset.
• Experience in participatory facilitation and capacity development.
• Experience in working for an international organization and with local partners.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.
• Knowledge of Afaan Oromo languages is a requirements.

Understanding key issues:

• qualitative and quantitative methodologies to MEAL initiatives for programme and influencing, including data collection and analysis, appropriate for different information needs, respondents, and contexts with a particular focus on those that are participatory, gender and age-sensitive, and inclusive.
• gender and inclusion attitudes and power dynamics, including why they exist, how they change, and how these attitudes and dynamics shape MEAL methods and approaches.
• sample strategies and frameworks appropriate for a wide range of data needs and MEAL initiatives.
• data visualization principles and approaches for a wide range of data types, and appropriate for different information needs.

Driving programme and project quality:

• identifying information and knowledge gaps at operational and strategic levels, strategizing for the provision of evidence from MEAL initiatives.
• promoting and supporting young people, especially girls, to meaningfully participate and contribute to MEAL initiatives.
• supporting programme and influencing decisions at all levels through the provision of quality and appropriate evidence from ongoing monitoring, targeted research, and/or evaluative initiatives (baselines, midlines, evaluations, and reviews).
• operationalizing MEAL initiatives with appropriate and aligned planning and budgeting processes.
• promoting and supporting application of ethical requirements and principles in MEAL initiatives.
• deploying digital tools to support data collection, management, analysis, and reporting in line with the Principles of Digital Development.
• ensuring data is of sufficient quality through embedding appropriate quality assurance approaches at all stages of the MEAL process.

Please click here full Job description

Safeguarding Children and Program Participants (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)

• Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed per the appropriate procedures.
• Ensures that all staff in the unit/function/department are properly inducted on and understand their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in day-to-day work.
• Ensures that Plan Ethiopia contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted,

Location: Oromia Program Area -Chiro

Type of Role: Fixed Term, Full Time Contract

Reports to: Project Manager

Grade: D1

Closing Date:June 30, 2026

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.