Country Programme & MEAL Manager

• Job Title:   Country Programme & MEAL Manager
• Accountable to: Country Director
• Place of Assignment: Addis Ababa (Country Office)
• Type of contract: Fixed-term, full-time contract for six months
• Number Required:  One (1)
• Vacancy posting date: 10/08/2026 (October 08, 2026)
• Vacancy closing date (deadline): 10/18/2026 (October 18, 2026)
• Gross Monthly Salary: ETB 238,150 – ETB 299,889

Organizational Context

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is a global apostolate of the Society of Jesus, established in November 1980 by Fr. Pedro Arrupe SJ and currently present in 57 countries. It is an international non-governmental organization with a mission to accompany, serve and advocate for the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. JRS has been operating in Ethiopia since 1982. Presently, JRS Ethiopia is managing projects in Addis Ababa and Melkadida refugee operation. Its program priorities include protection (child and youth protection), MHPSS, Non-Formal and Adult Education, Economic Inclusion and Livelihoods, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation, and Advocacy.

Role purpose

The Programme and MEAL Manager is responsible for leading the coordination, quality assurance, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning of JRS Ethiopia programmes, under the supervision of the Country Director. The role supports the effective planning, implementation and continuous improvement of country programmes by ensuring that project design, monitoring systems, reporting processes, community feedback mechanisms and learning practices are coherent, evidence-based and aligned with JRS standards, strategic priorities and donor requirements.

The Programme and MEAL Manager works closely with Project Directors, field teams, the Country Office, Finance and relevant partners to strengthen programme quality, generate reliable data for decision-making, contribute to proposal development and donor reporting, and promote accountability to refugees, internally displaced persons, host communities and other persons of concern.

Key responsibilities:

Programme Planning and Quality Management

• Lead the planning, coordination and quality oversight of country programmes, in close collaboration with the Country Director, Project Directors, Coordinators, Country Office team and field staff.
• Contribute to the development and review of country programme strategies, annual action plans, contingency plans and operational plans, ensuring alignment with JRS mission, strategic priorities, standards and donor requirements.
• Support Project Directors and field teams throughout the project cycle, including needs assessment, project design, implementation planning, monitoring, learning and closure.
• Regularly analyze needs, risks, opportunities and priorities affecting refugees, internally displaced persons, host communities and other persons of concern, and propose relevant programme responses.
• Ensure that programme interventions are evidence-based, context-appropriate, conflict-sensitive, inclusive and responsive to community priorities and feedback.

MEAL System, Data Quality and Reporting

• • Lead the design, implementation and strengthening of the country MEAL system, ensuring that projects have appropriate MEAL plans, indicators, baselines, targets, data collection tools and reporting mechanisms.
  • Develop, adapt and roll out quantitative and qualitative monitoring tools, including surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, beneficiary satisfaction tools, monitoring checklists and analysis plans.
  • Ensure systematic monitoring of project outputs, outcomes, beneficiary reach, quality standards and implementation progress through regular field visits, data quality reviews and analysis.
  • Establish and maintain indicator tracking sheets, databases and information management systems to support accurate, timely and evidence-based reporting.
  • Coordinate the preparation of periodic internal and donor reports, ensuring that reports are coherent and supported by reliable qualitative and quantitative data.
  • Support fundraising initiatives through provision of data needed for data driven resource funding.
  • Provide data for reporting and support donor compliance in review, qualify and approve presented data in donor and internal reports.
  • Centrally manage the PME through regular updating, feeding of data, using available data to inform programming, fundraising and reporting.  Review project plans in PME across all locations. Complete and add project-level information – uploaded by the focal points at project level.

Accountability to Affected Populations and Community Feedback

• • Lead the establishment and strengthening of feedback and complaints mechanisms that are safe, accessible, confidential, inclusive and appropriate for different gender, age and diversity groups.
  • Orient and support staff on JRS accountability standards and accountability to affected populations, ensuring that community participation and feedback are integrated throughout the project cycle.
  • Ensure that feedback and complaints are received, recorded, referred, followed up and responded to in a timely and appropriate manner.
  • Support project teams to use participatory methods, including surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews, to capture community perspectives and inform programme adaptation.
  • Contribute to the documentation, follow-up and reporting of incidents, complaints and accountability-related issues in line with JRS policies and procedures.
  • Support field teams with tools and resources needed during engagement with communities to collect data and report.
  • Monitor sustainability efforts through data driven engagement with communities, donors and ensure compliance to JRS Ethiopia sustainability and exit strategy.

 Proposal Development, Grant Support and Donor Compliance

• • Contribute to the development of concept notes, project proposals, logframes, theories of change, MEAL plans, budgets and donor reporting frameworks, in coordination with the Country Director, Project Directors, Finance team and relevant technical staff.
  • Ensure that project design is informed by needs assessments, monitoring findings, evaluation results, community feedback, lessons learned and JRS strategic priorities.
  • Support the follow-up of donor reporting schedules and internal reporting priorities, ensuring timely submission of quality reports and compliance with donor requirements.
  • Provide programme evidence, results, beneficiary data, learning products and technical inputs to support fundraising, donor engagement and grant management.
  • Work with Project Directors and Finance staff to monitor project implementation against approved workplans, indicators, budgets and donor commitments.
  •  Coordinate and oversee the monthly update of the Global Grants module to ensure operations are informed on the nature of granting.

 Learning, Knowledge Management and Capacity Building

• • Promote a culture of learning, reflection and adaptive management by facilitating learning sessions, programme reviews and reflection meetings with country and project teams.
  • Ensure that lessons learned, best practices, evaluation findings and community feedback are systematically captured, documented, shared and incorporated into programme design and implementation.
  • Maintain and safeguard organizational knowledge products, archives, master data sources and programme documentation to preserve institutional memory and support accountability.
  • Identify MEAL, programme management, reporting and data-quality capacity needs among country and project teams and provide appropriate training, coaching and technical support.
  • Lead or contribute to the production of learning products, case studies, research summaries, best practice notes, guidelines and training materials.

Coordination, Representation and Resource Monitoring

• • Maintain effective working relationships with partner organizations, donors, government counterparts, coordination bodies, Church actors and other relevant stakeholders.
  • Represent JRS in relevant coordination meetings, technical working groups, clusters, donor meetings and external forums when delegated by the Country Director.
  • Ensure effective coordination and information-sharing between the country office, project teams, partners and external stakeholders.
  • Work closely with the Country Director, Project Directors and Finance team to support budget planning, monitoring and review for programme and MEAL activities.

• Undertake any other lawful and related duties assigned by the Country Director.

Travel

• The position may require travel to JRS project locations.

Qualifications and competencies

• Master’s degree in development studies, Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Economics, Sociology, Social Sciences, or a related field, with a minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in a similar role.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the project cycle management process, including needs assessment, project design, implementation planning, monitoring, reporting, learning, and project closure.
• Proven experience designing and implementing MEAL systems, logical frameworks, theories of change, indicators, baselines, targets, data collection tools, evaluations and data quality assurance processes.
• Strong ability to collect, analyze, interpret and present qualitative and quantitative data for decision-making, reporting and programme improvement.
• Experience contributing to concept notes, project proposals, donor reports, MEAL plans and evidence-based programme documents.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, facilitation, presentation and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse teams, partners, donors and community stakeholders.
• Previous field-based experience with an international, intergovernmental or non-governmental organization is required; experience in a humanitarian or refugee-response context is an asset.
• Good organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines and deliver accurate, high-quality work with attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to work proactively and independently, as well as collaboratively within a team environment.
• Strong command of Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Word and PowerPoint. Knowledge of statistical or data analysis software such as SPSS, STATA, KoboToolbox, Power BI or similar tools is an advantage.
• Proficiency in both written and spoken English is required; professional working proficiency in Amharic and/or other relevant local languages is an asset .

Core values and ethics

• Commitment to JRS’s mission, vision and values; ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and to advocate for their right to protection and a life in dignity.
• High integrity, honesty and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with people, situations and information.
• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as a core value.