MEAL Specialist for Türkiye and North-West Syria

Location: Gaziantep, Türkiye

Duration: 1 year with possible extension

Starting Date: ASAP

Line Manager: MEAL Manager

About the mission

PIN has been working in Türkiye & Northwest Syria since 2012, providing emergency relief and early recovery support to conflict-affected communities and IDPs. PIN’s contribution to the overall Syria humanitarian response is amongst the largest, with an annual turnover of over $55 million. The major donors are: ECHO, BHA, ENI and SDC. In NW Syria the annual turnover is $40 million with offices in Gaziantep and 3 offices inside Syria and over 560 staff.

About the role

Under the direct supervision of the MEAL Manager, the MEAL specialist will provide technical support to the MEAL team based in Gaziantep in strengthening the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning system and processes across PIN’s area programmes in Türkiye and North-West Syria (Food security, Livelihoods, Education, Protection, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Shelter Programmes). He/She will focus on increasing the capacity of the department in evaluating outcomes resulting from humanitarian assistance and early recovery modalities, as well as increasing the quality of MEAL related deliverables in compliance with donors’ as well as PIN’s internal guidelines.

Main duties and responsibilities

Support the development of MEAL frameworks and quality outputs

• Contribute to the design of functional and sustainable MEAL processes and procedures to ensure continuous improvement in line with PIN guidelines across all programmes in Türkiye and Syria
• Drafting guidance notes and SOPs to facilitate mainstreaming of improved MEAL procedures at field level and across all projects in coordination with NES and KLD
• Participate in programme design and proposal development, including theory of change development and logframe design
• Support the MEAL team in drafting MEAL sections in proposals and reports to donors
• Review and consolidate MEAL products, including needs assessments, monitoring reports, outcome / impact-level reporting and analysis
• Support the verification of reports’ accuracy and presentation of information, including systematic validation and triangulation of findings from participative forms of community engagement and community feedback mechanisms
• Support in formulating and documenting lessons learned and actionable recommendations, including on cross-cutting issues, and in designing processes to track their implementation and use in programme development
• Support the MEAL team in producing and reviewing case studies, success stories, and knowledge sharing
• Contribute to organizing after-action reviews, reflection sessions and learning events
• Support in monitoring and reporting on adherence to Do No Harm and on application of PIN key mainstreaming strategies across field activities
• Support the management of administrative and logistic process of external evaluations, third party monitoring assessments and other MEAL related service contracts (standalone NWS/TR awards mainly)

Qualitative and quantitative techniques

• Support in developing strategies for assessing the quality of collected data for all indicators proposing tools and methods for assessing data quality and developing actions plans to implement corrective measures
• Develop and use different qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection, perform qualitative textual analysis, develop topical outlines (coding) and support the team in narrating the findings
• Train and supervise data gathering and analysis from participatory MEAL techniques
• Conduct high-level analysis of trends to guide beneficiary and modality targeting, including the design of procedures to address systemic findings
• Manage/minimise data bias and errors due to social dynamics, ensure the data collected is representative of marginalised groups and populations without power (avoiding over dependence on community leaders, local authorities, and/or government authorities as primary sources for defining communities’ needs and preferences).

Qualifications and requirements

• University degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Science, Data Science, Economics, Business, or a related field, MA/MS preferred.
• Significant experience of undertaking a MEAL related role (at least 4 years), including planning/participating in evaluations
• Advanced skills in data analysis as well as in MEAL concepts and methodologies
• Capacity for analysing and synthetizing comprehensive information & technical data, ability to write clear and well-argued assessment reports
• Ability to facilitate trainings and workshops, experience leading a consultative process to develop and finalise a Theory of Change is an advantage
• Excellent communication skills, a high level of written and spoken English, including editing skills
• Strong organizational, critical analysis and problem-solving skills; with excellent attention to detail
• Ability to plan and work with limited supervision to meet objectives.

• Knowledge of quasi- experimental and experimental research methods an advantage

• Experience of, and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability, experience in participatory MEAL methods an advantage

PIN Offers

• Working environment in a well-established and growing humanitarian organization;

• Salary and benefits according to PIN salary scale and HR policies, expected salary 2,100 - 2,300 EUR (supergross, before taxation); per diems 1,350 EUR
• 25 days of paid leave annually;
• Reimbursement of travel expenses with travel to the country of residence once per every 6 months of completed work,
• Reimbursement of costs of visas and vaccinations; assistance with visa application procedure;
• Accommodation in PIN’s guesthouse on PIN’s expenses

• Free medical helpdesk and psychological consultation available online; travel health insurance.

• Successful candidates with nationality of the country program this role will be operating in will be undergoing the national hiring process in that country.

How to apply:

Are you interested in this position? Great. Send us your CV and short cover letter via our application form.

Please note only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on rolling basis and the vacancy will be closed when filled.

People in Need staff are expected to perform job duties and responsibilities in accordance with People in Need Code of conduct and key policies (available at: https://www.peopleinneed.net/key-policies-4142gp).

People in Need is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct and committed to promoting the welfare of children and adults with whom People in Need involves. People in Need expects all staff to perform job duties and responsibilities in accordance with People in Need code of conduct and key policies (available at: https://www.peopleinneed.net/key-policies-4142gp). People in Need Staff will undertake the appropriate level of training.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.