MERLA Director - DRC Global Health Security

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.

IDG’s Global Health Division works in Neglected Tropical Diseases, infectious disease, including TB, HIV/AIDS, and Malaria; global health security, Heath Systems Strengthening - including Health Governance, Health Finance, Human Resources for Health, Capacity Building, and Health Policy and Advocacy; Public-Private Partnerships; and Maternal-Neonatal-Child Heath and Reproductive 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Global Health Security (GHS) Activity within the USAID/DRC Resilient Health Systems for Healthy, Resilient Communities Annual Program Statement. The new project will assist the DRC in strengthening its GHS architecture through a One Health framework. This activity will seek to improve national, regional and local-level prevention, early detection and response to epidemics and pandemics. This 5-year program will focus on expanding health security-focused workforces, strengthening systems for multi-sectoral One Health governance, coordination, infectious disease surveillance, and laboratory systems.

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 Activity’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan. The position will be responsible for the development and oversight of the Activity’s collaboration, learning, and adaptation agenda and research undertaken by the Activity. The MERLA Director will provide primary support to the team for timely, complete, and quality reporting of all monitoring, evaluation, and research data from the Activity’s interventions. The position will be based in the DRC (exact area to be decided) and the 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 the Activity’s MEL system; develops and operationalizes indicators, sets targets, and monitors progress.

Oversees all interventions 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.

Supports overall surveillance strategies and implementation of interventions on surveillance and detection.

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 health emergency response, infectious diseases, economics, data science or a related field.

Minimum of 4 years of experience with M&E systems, ideally relevant to health sectors in the DRC or similar countries in the region.

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).

Excellent interpersonal communication, writing, and oral presentation skills.

Proven ability to work under pressure, and with multiple concurrent demands.

Verbal and written French proficiency is required.

Work experience in Africa, and the DRC or other fragile or conflict affected countries is required. Congolese nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Regular Full-Time