Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MERL) Specialist

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.

This position is contingent upon the successful securing of project funding. Please note that any offer of employment will be contingent on the successful award and receipt of funding.

Role Purpose: The MERL Specialist will design and manage the programme’s monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning systems to enhance the employability of TVET youth through agribusiness incubation. The role ensures robust data systems, impact assessment, and compliance with donor and World Bank safeguard requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and operate MERL systems, results frameworks, KPIs, and MIS.
• Lead baseline, monitoring, and end-of-programme impact assessments.
• Produce quarterly and final donor-standard reports.
• Oversee programme-level environmental and social safeguard reporting.
• Ensure ethical data handling, due diligence, and programme integrity.
• Support adaptive management by translating evidence into learning.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s/Master’s in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Project Management, Environmental Sciences, or related.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in M&E for development projects, ideally in agriculture, entrepreneurship, gender, and social inclusion.
• Familiarity with World Bank safeguards and SDG alignment.
• Strong skills in MIS, KPI tracking, impact assessment, and donor reporting.
• Excellent analytical and report-writing abilities; high ethical standards.

Competencies:

• Evidence-driven, detail-oriented, collaborative.
• Ability to build simple, usable systems for field teams.
• Strong integrity in data and programme management.

Please click on the link below to view and download full page JD: MERL Specialist_ReTRAP_JD (1).docx

Location: Country Office, Monrovia

Type of Role: Fixed Term

Reports to: Team Lead/ Programme Manager

Grade: 15

Closing Date: 24th July 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.