MERLA Director – USAID Bangladesh Strengthening Local Level Health Systems Activity

Job Overview:

Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has over 30 years’ experience assisting governments, communities, and the private sector. As a not-for-profit, independent research institute based in North Carolina, USA, RTI has roughly 6,000 employees with global experience implementing international development projects.

RTI’s Global Health Division (GHD) within the International Development Group, works in Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases; Global Health Security and Public Preparedness; Heath Systems Strengthening – including Health Governance, Health Finance, Human Resources for Health, Capacity Building, and Health Policy and Advocacy; and Integrated Care – including Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health and Family Planning. We address a range of public health problems to reduce disparities, lower disease burdens, and build locally owned sustainable health programs in lower- and middle-income countries.

Program Description

RTI’s GHD is pursuing the forthcoming USAID-funded Bangladesh Strengthening Local Level Health Systems Activity, which will work to improve health outcomes for all by addressing the gaps preventing local level health systems from delivering high quality and integrated public health services. This Activity will be expected to uphold USAID/Bangladesh’s Health Strategy principles of equity, quality, resource optimization, evidence-based decision making, adaptive management, resilience, and locally-led development. The anticipated Activity will be based in Dhaka, Bangladesh with a to-be-determined sub-national focus.

Position Description

The GHD is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning and Adaption (MERLA) Director for this Activity. The MERLA Director will have primary responsibility for the design, management, and implementation of systems to ensure quality monitoring and reporting of the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan. The position will be responsible for the development and oversight of the project’s learning agenda and research undertaken by the project. The MERLA Director will provide primary support to the team for timely, complete, and quality reporting of all monitoring, evaluation, and research data from project activities.

Position is contingent upon award and funding.

Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities:

Provides oversight of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) efforts and ensures efforts are informed by and feed into program decisions.
Leads the development, implementation, refinement, and harmonization of project’s MEL system; develops and operationalizes indicators, sets targets, and monitors progress.
Oversees all project activities to capture data on indicators and to identify best practices and lessons learned as required by USAID.
Works with technical staff to oversee tools for data collection, storage, and analysis, train staff and partners on MEL system operations, collection methods, and tools.
Designs needs-based operations research studies and protocols to generate evidence for which innovations work, which do not work, and why.
Ensures methodological rigor of research is undertaken.

Qualifications

Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree and 12 years of experience, Master’s degree and 10 years of experience, or PhD and 6 years of experience in public health, economics, data science or a related field.
Minimum of 4 years of experience with M&E systems, ideally relevant to health sectors in Bangladesh.
Solid experience with impact evaluations, quantitative and qualitative research methods, surveillance surveys, research methodologies, data analysis, sampling techniques and establishing M&E systems.
Demonstrated experience with computer and/or web-based performance data recording and reporting systems and other technologies that improve the quality of monitoring system integrity and data collection/analysis/reporting/visualization.
Demonstrated experience conducting social science research.
Experience with USAID development sector priorities and reporting requirements.
Ability to work effectively, responsively, and collaboratively with government counterparts such as government ministries, development and private sector partners, civil society organizations, private sector, and academic/research institutions.
Excellent management and organizational skills (attention to detail is required).
Must be fluent in English.
Ability and willingness to work throughout Bangladesh required.
Bangladeshi nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

EEO & Pay Equity Statements

RTI does not permit any payment requests demanded during any part of the hiring process.If such requests are made, please report it to the RTI Ethics Office via HRethics@rti.org. Any candidate making any payment will be disqualified from consideration for future employment with RTI.

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