MEAL Officer

About the Organization

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) addresses some of the world's most severe humanitarian emergencies, working to restore health, safety, education, economic stability, and empowerment for communities devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at Albert Einstein's call, the IRC is among the world's largest humanitarian NGOs, operating in over 40 countries and 29 cities in the U.S. They pursue lasting impact by restoring dignity and hope to millions. As a passionate, solution-oriented change-maker, join IRC to help transform millions of lives globally.

Scope and Reporting

Reporting to the MEAL Manager, the MEAL Officer collaborates closely with program teams to enhance monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning throughout IRC Uganda's operations, ensuring superior program quality that benefits clients while supporting global and country-level strategic aims. This role leads and coordinates MEAL activities for the Country Response Framework (CRF) alongside the country MEAL team.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership over MEAL activities across Southwest and West Nile regions, ensuring excellence in data collection, analysis, reporting, and accountability to clients, partners, and donors.
• Lead systematic documentation and sharing of program progress, lessons learned, and best practices for internal and external stakeholders.
• Represent IRC in MEAL-related technical forums and external engagements.
• Develop internal and external strategic partnerships to strengthen data systems, learning, and accountability.
• Promote the use of data to support informed decision-making and adaptive programming.
• Implement MEAL systems throughout project cycles in alignment with IRC's Country and Global strategies.
• Ensure accurate monitoring of outputs and beneficiaries via robust beneficiary registration, verification, and validation mechanisms.
• Collaborate with program and MEAL staff to maintain high data quality standards from collection to reporting.
• Manage digital data collection platforms (including CommCare, Kobo, and ODK), ensuring updates, quality checks, and visualization through dashboards.
• Conduct regular data quality assessments, audits, and spot checks to maintain data integrity.
• Analyze monitoring data routinely to support program managers in real-time program adjustments.
• Prepare detailed reports and dashboards that highlight findings, trends, risks, and recommendations for continuous learning and improvement.
• Lead and manage baseline, midline, and endline evaluations including external surveys, developing related frameworks, tools, and Terms of Reference.
• Supervise enumerators and data teams during evaluations and ensure findings are well documented and actioned.
• Facilitate participatory monitoring approaches, engaging beneficiaries through reflection sessions and feedback meetings to incorporate community perspectives into program improvement.
• Oversee client feedback mechanisms in collaboration with MEAL and Accountability and Protection teams; maintain databases, produce monthly analytical reports, and coordinate action plans.
• Build capacity through mentoring and coaching MEAL staff and program teams in data management and accountability practices.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of MEAL team members, fostering a respectful and high-performing work environment.

Required Qualifications and Competencies

• At least a Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Information Management, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or closely related field (alternatively, commensurate experience may be considered).
• Minimum three years of advancing experience in MEAL, data management, or similar roles, including supervising technical staff (e.g., Data Officers, MEAL Assistants).
• Proven expertise in output and beneficiary monitoring, logical frameworks, theories of change, evaluation methodologies, participatory monitoring, and client feedback mechanisms.
• Experience managing baseline/endline surveys and other evaluations.
• Proficiency with mobile data collection tools such as CommCare, Kobo, and ODK; familiarity with Power BI, Tableau, or GIS tools is advantageous.
• Strong skills in advanced Excel and report writing, accompanied by analytical thinking and problem-solving ability.
• Excellent attention to detail with capacity to work effectively under pressure.
• Willingness to travel regularly to field sites.

Professional Ethics

IRC staff are expected to uphold the IRC Way’s professional conduct standards emphasizing Integrity, Service, Equality, and Accountability. The organization enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflict of Interest, Fiscal Responsibility, and Protection from Retaliation to ensure a safe, respectful environment for clients and employees.

Application Details

Applications are evaluated continuously until the closing date of August 7, 2026.