Advisor, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (P3)

Save the Children

For over 100 years, Save the Children has been fighting for the rights of children. The right to a healthy start in life. To have access to education. To be in a safe environment, protected from harm. We work in some of the world's hardest-to-reach places - over 100 countries, including the U.S. No matter what your role is, when you join Save the Children, you're creating positive, irreversible change for children, and the future we all share.

The Role

The Advisor, MERL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning) provides technical leadership to strengthen evidence, learning, and accountability across Save the Children US' International and Domestic Programs. In this role, you will lead applied research, monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities that support program quality, adaptive management, and donor accountability.

You will blend advanced research and evaluation expertise with strong monitoring systems and data-use leadership. You will design and oversee data systems, evaluation approaches, and learning processes; supports teams to analyze and interpret data; and translate findings into actionable insights for program improvement, reporting, and strategy. Operating with a high degree of independence, you will serve as a technical resource to colleagues and partners across both international and U.S.-based programs, taking on both leadership and support roles depending on program needs, capacity, and risk, while contributing to proposal development, donor engagement, and evidence-informed strategy.

*This is a part-time role at 75% level of effort.

Location

Hybrid - Washington DC, Fairfield, CT or Lexington, KY office locations

What You'll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

Technical leadership: research, evaluation, and learning (40%)

• Lead the design and implementation of research, evaluations, and learning activities across International and Domestic Programs, with depth in the USDA FFE portfolio within International Programs ensuring rigor, feasibility, and ethical standards.
• Provide technical guidance on outcome measurement (e.g., literacy, numeracy, education participation, nutrition, and related school-aged outcomes), including tool selection, sampling, and analytic approaches.
• Conduct literature reviews and synthesize the evidence base to inform program planning and strategic decision making in domestic and international programs
• Develop and support learning agendas and evidence-building priorities in collaboration with technical, program, and country teams.
• Guide teams in interpreting findings and applying evidence to strengthen program design, adaptation, targeting, and quality improvement.

Monitoring systems, data quality, and data use (30%)

• Lead and strengthen monitoring and data management systems for complex programs across International and Domestic portfolios, including multi-country USDA FFE programs and multi-state Community Impact and Food Security programs, ensuring alignment with donor and organizational requirements and internal learning needs.
• Oversee development and maintenance of data collection tools, documentation, and workflows that enable consistent, high-quality reporting
• Train and support staff and partners on data systems and tools; provide ongoing technical support to improve system adoption and effective data use.
• Ensure data completeness, accuracy, and reliability through routine data quality checks, follow-up, and structured data review processes.

Analysis, visualization, and communications (20%)

• Conduct and/or oversee quantitative and qualitative data analysis using appropriate statistical and analytic methods.
• Develop dashboards, tables, charts, briefs, and other data visualization products to support donor reporting, management decision-making, and learning.
• Synthesize and present findings for internal and external audiences, translating complex analyses into clear, actionable recommendations.

Resource development and external engagement (10%)

• Lead or contribute to MERL components of proposals for USDA FFE and other International and Domestic Programs, including results frameworks, indicators, MEL plans, learning agendas, evaluation scopes, and budgets.
• Support engagement with external partners (e.g., donors, research institutions, implementers) to strengthen evidence generation and learning.
• Contribute to thought leadership and positioning efforts that elevate Save the Children's role in applied research, monitoring, and learning.

Required qualifications for the role

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience, plus a minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in research and evaluation design, outcome measurement, and quantitative analytic methods.
• Experience supporting USDA Food for Education (FFE) or similar large-scale donor-funded education and nutrition programs and proposals
• Proven experience managing, cleaning, and analyzing data across multiple projects, with a high level of attention to detail.
• Proven ability to design, implement, and support monitoring and data systems, including training and supporting system users.
• Experience producing high-quality reporting products and presenting findings to diverse technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience contributing to MERL components of proposals and donor-facing deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and collaborate effectively across teams and levels.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 15%
• Professional proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced Excel functions
• Experience with statistical software (e.g., Stata and/or R) and electronic data collection platforms.
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written French
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English

Preferred qualifications for the role

• Applied research or evaluation experience in low- and middle-income country contexts.
• Experience with qualitative research methods and qualitative analysis software.
• Experience developing dashboards and data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI).
• Experience working with multi-country or multi-site programs and complex reporting requirements.
• Experience with Salesforce
• Proficiency in Spanish.

Compensation

Save the Children is offering the following salary ranges for this position, dependent on candidate location:

• Geo 1 - NY Metro, DC, and other locations with labor costs significantly above national average: Target Salary for this position is $91,800 - $102,600 base salary
• Geo 2 - Locations around the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $83,725 - $93,575 base salary
• Geo 3 - Locations significantly below the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $74,800 - $83,600 base salary

The salary ranges listed above are for US based candidates. For candidates located outside of the US, salary ranges will be based on the salary scales of the local employer of record. Actual base salary may vary based on, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, business sector, and geographic location (more information on job structure is available here)

About Us

We are looking to build an inclusive team at Save the Children. We offer a range of outstanding benefits to support this goal:

• Flexible schedules and time off: Flexible schedules, generous PTO, 11 paid holidays plus 2 floating holidays, and hybrid working opportunities
• Health: Competitive health care, dental and vision coverage for you and your family
• Family: A variety of paid leaves: caregiver, parental/adoption, critical child illness and fertility benefits
• Employee Rewards Program: Annual merit increases and/or additional incentives for eligible employees
• Retirement: A retirement savings plan with employer contributions (after one year)
• Wellness: 15 safety and wellness days annually (if hired on or after July 1, safety and wellness days prorated to 8 days), mental health benefits and support through Calm and company-hosted events
• Employee Assistance Program: free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services
• Learning & Growth: Access to internal and external learning & development opportunities and mentorships

Click here to learn more about how Save the Children US will invest in you.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.

If you require disability assistance with the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to applicantsupport@savechildren.org.