Manager - MELS

BACKGROUND:
Passing Gifts Private Limited (PGPL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Heifer International USA and it provides services in educating, consulting, training, advising, and providing professional and technical services to individuals, associations, and entities in India and abroad, particularly those who support or are working in the areas of social advancement and sustainable development. This position may also require service agreements, secondment agreements and agreements between entities, etc.
PGPL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability
FUNCTION:
The Manager – MELS will lead the operationalization and strengthening of MELS systems across PGPL’s projects and portfolios. Sitting between the Associate Director – MELS & Program Quality and the MELS Officer/Sr. MELS Officer, the position plays a pivotal role in:
Ensuring high-quality MEL planning and execution,
Leading project-level evaluations and outcome monitoring,
Driving data quality, analytics, and reporting, and
Ensuring learning integration across projects and partners.
The Manager – MELS will work with the MELS Officer/Sr. MELS Officer and ensure alignment of their work with project and organizational MEL frameworks. The role bridges strategic direction from the Associate Director with operational execution at the field and project levels.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVERABLES: (including approximate percentage effort)
Strengthen Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and System (MELS) at Organization Level (30%)
Lead the development and periodic revision of MEL Plans for all projects, ensuring alignment with the organization’s program model.
Guide and support the MELS Officer/Sr. MELS Officer in executing project-level MEL tasks, ensuring alignment with organizational standards.
Ensure effective rollout and management of Project Management Information System (PMIS).
Standardize MEL tools, SOPs, quality assurance protocols, and reporting templates across all projects.
Coordinate quarterly and annual data reviews, ensuring data integrity and consistency across all programs.
Support digital transformation initiatives in MEL—including automation, dashboards, Power BI, and AI-enabled quality checks.
Ensure integration of standard indicators, harmonized PIRS definitions, and alignment with Heifer’s MELS standards.
Project Level MEL Execution and Quality Assurance (30%)
Lead implementation of baselines, midline, endline surveys, outcome monitoring, and special studies across projects.
Prepare and review ToRs for external evaluators; supervise consultants and research partners.
Review data sets, conduct data cleaning, and ensure analysis is accurate and ready for reporting.
Oversee routine Data Quality Assessments (DQAs) at partner and field levels.
Ensure real-time tracking of log-frame and IPTT indicator progress for all projects.
Support adaptive management through technical advisories and evidence-based recommendations.
Data Analytics, Reporting, and Knowledge Management (15%)
Lead consolidation and analysis of program data for monthly, quarterly, and donor reporting.