MEL Officer (100%)

Job Title and Company

The MEL Officer will be line-managed by the Country Coordinator and will report for all MEL-technical aspects to the Global Impact Manager at the headquarters in Switzerland. In addition, the MEL Officer will work in close coordination with the Programme and Partner Management team at headquarters. The position is based in Kampala and involves frequent travel within the country and may involve occasional trips in the region. The Suyana Foundation is a Swiss non-profit organization founded in 2003. We design and implement long term, integrated development programmes in Bolivia and Peru and collaborate with trusted local partners in Africa, Switzerland, and beyond. Suyana began its engagement in Africa in 2021 and currently supports several partner-led initiatives, primarily in Rwanda and Uganda. In Uganda, we currently support three projects implemented by local partners, promoting community empowerment through a holistic approach across health, livelihoods, and education.

Location

The position is based in Kampala and involves frequent travel within the country and may involve occasional trips in the region.

Job Description and Responsibilities

Main responsibilities

• Act as Suyana’s focal point for MEL at country level, serving as the main interface between implementing partners, country coordination, and Suyana’s global Impact Management as well as the Programme and Partner Management team at Headquarters.
• Support implementing partners across the full project cycle by contributing to the development and refinement of project MEL components and by supporting the integration of Suyana’s MEL framework in ongoing projects, adapting tools to local realities where appropriate and ensuring their practical and consistent use in day-to-day implementation.
• Support project development by contributing to the design of clear Theories of Change, meaningful log frames, and practical MEAL plans and systems for new projects, both partner-led and Suyana implemented, in line with Suyana’s global MEAL requirements.
• Support the integration and use of Suyana’s Global Data Platform (KOBO/PowerBI) and ensure data quality and harmonized reporting across partners in coordination with global Impact Management team.
• Support the preparation and implementation of baseline and endline assessments, evaluations, and reviews, working closely with partners, Suyana’s Global Impact Management team, the Suyana Programme and Partner Management team at Headquarters, and external consultants where relevant.
• Coordinate and support project level data collection processes, including the use of Kobo, follow up during reporting periods, and hands on support to partner teams and enumerators as needed.
• Review and validate project data for completeness, consistency, and plausibility, identify issues early, and liaise with partners, Suyana’s Global Impact Management team and the Suyana Programme and Partner Management team at Headquarters to resolve data quality or system related challenges
• Translate monitoring and evaluation findings into practical feedback for partners and programme management team and support cross project learning through documentation of lessons learned and field-based insights.
• Accompany Suyana team members and consultants during field visits, reviews, and evaluations as needed.
• Provide hands-on and flexible support to partners and to Suyana’s global Impact Management team and the Suyana Programme and Partner Management team on MEL related topics as they arise, proactively identifying gaps, addressing practical challenges, and ensuring smooth day-to-day implementation.

Requirements/Qualifications

• University degree in a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education and practical experience in International Development, Social Sciences, Economics, Statistics or a related field - strong hands-on MEL experience is considered equally valuable.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in monitoring, evaluation, accountability, learning, or programme management within international cooperation, involving close collaboration with implementing partners.
• Very strong practical experience with MEL concepts and tools, including indicators, baselines, theories of change, logical frameworks and basic evaluation approaches, and the ability to apply them effectively in project settings.
• Experience supporting project-level data collection and data quality, including working with partners and field teams to ensure reliable and timely reporting.
• Comfort working with digital tools for data collection and reporting, such as Kobo and Excel, and experience using dashboards and visualization tools such as Power BI.
• Strong coordination, communication, and facilitation skills, with a respectful and supportive approach to building partners’ MEL capacity through clear explanation of requirements, hands-on guidance, and constructive follow-up.
• Proficiency in English. An additional local language from Uganda is required.

Competencies & Attributes

• Strong commitment to Suyana’s mission and values, and a genuine interest in learning, reflection, and continuous improvement.
• High attention to detail and commitment to data quality, accuracy and integrity.
• Ability to work independently in a field-oriented role while collaborating closely with partners, country teams, and the team at Headquarters.
• Hands-on and solution-oriented, with a proactive attitude and willingness to take responsibility where support is needed, particularly in dynamic and evolving project contexts.

What Suyana Offers

At Suyana, you will be part of a purpose driven, international team that values collaboration, trust, and learning. As a growing foundation, we offer a supportive work environment where you can take ownership, contribute to shaping processes, and develop alongside the organization. Working with us means contributing to meaningful impact while learning from our teams across different regions and disciplines. Join our mission to empower people and communities sustainably and contribute to our social vision.

How to Apply

We invite applicants to submit written responses to the following questions (maximum 2 pages in total).

• What motivates you and drives your passion to work in the field of MEL?
• What are the biggest challenges in MEL work, and how do you deal with these constructively?
• In your experience, what makes a “Theory of Change (ToC)” genuinely useful for implementation, rather than only for proposals? And what is important when setting up a logical framework and defining indicators?

Please send your complete application (CV, cover letter, and certificates) and responses to the above questions in English Log In and Apply