MEL Manager - Syria Idleb

General Description of the Programme:

Established in 1977, GOAL is an international humanitarian and development agency, committed to working with communities to achieve sustainable and innovative early response in crises, and lasting solutions to poverty and vulnerability. GOAL has worked in over 60 countries and has responded to almost every major humanitarian disaster. We are currently operational in 18 countries.

GOAL began operations in Syria in 2013 responding to the acute needs of conflict-affected communities. GOAL's areas of operations include but not limited to Aleppo, Idleb and Lattakia Governorates, and is expanding to new governorates in Syria. Programmes focus on Food and Nutrition Security, WASH, Shelter, Livelihoods/ERMS and Emergency Response with an emphasis on cash and voucher modalities. GOAL Syria implements its programmes directly, with over 500 staff based in Syria, and through Syrian NGO partners. GOAL's programme works at the household and community levels to improve community resilience and household coping strategies.

Job purpose:

Leading the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) department and oversee the effective implementation of GOAL Syria’s MEL system to ensure that high-quality data is collected, analysed, reviewed, and utilised to inform improvements in programme implementation and design, as well as ensure timely reporting. The MEL Manager will be a strong advocate for quality and accountability in GOAL programmes and will build the capacity of programme staff and partners.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Leadership and Management:

• Manage assigned MEL team and oversee the performance of team members, including ensuring compliance with work regulations (including working hours) and other GOAL policies.
• Manage the MEL Data analyst and oversee the generating monitoring reports and dashboards.
• Monitor the teams’ performance in the field through weekly field visits and ensure regular employee work appraisals according to GOAL procedures.
• Lead regular Learning Review Consultations & Workshops with key stakeholders in GOAL Syria’s programmes.

Support to Program Quality

• Lead on development and updating of Monitoring Frameworks, guidelines, and SOPs, bringing together tools and outlining systems.
• Design data collection tools, design and coordinate surveys and studies to support monitoring and evaluation of GOAL programming, including beneficiary satisfaction surveys. Ensure that MEL findings are channelled back to key programme staff to allow for programme design modification and adjustments, as necessary.
• Conduct systematic data quality audit checks for GOAL and ensure tools and reporting mechanisms are reviewed and updated to meet programme needs.
• Ensure that Lessons Learned generated from MEL activities are tracked and addressed and ensure participation of the MEL team in Programme Review and Planning meetings. Undertake additional roles requested by MEAL Co..
• Lead on GOAL MEL systems by which the MEL team supports the program implementation team in timely and accurate reporting to donors (Planner).
• Ensure proper documentation and administration of all MEL team outputs.

Capacity Building:

• Identify capacity-building needs of team members and ensure on-the-job training as needed.
• Provide capacity building, coaching, and leadership to MEL staff, including partner organizations’ M&E staff.
• Support staff participation in other capacity-building initiatives, including online training.

Monitoring Activities:

• Develop or update M&E plans and ensure that routine project monitoring takes place on time.
• Plan and oversee the implementation of all monitoring activities, including distribution monitoring, post-distribution monitoring, market assessments, and shopping monitoring using various tools (e.g., household surveys, focus group discussions, key stakeholder interviews, observation).
• Plan and oversee the monitoring activities for GOAL partners ensuring the partners implement their activities up to GOAL standards and considerations.
• Prepare sampling plans for monitoring activities to ensure representative and reliable data collection.
• Carry out spot-checks and data validation exercises to ensure high-quality data.

Partner Engagement:

• Ensure standardization of M&E tools used by GOAL and Partners, including monitoring tools, SoPs, Data Aggregation tools and guidelines, lead on training and orientation sessions conducted to ensure harmonization of application.
• Provide capacity building, technical support, and training to GOAL’s local partners on all areas of M&E.
• Review GOAL Partner M&E products and provide technical feedback as needed.
• Coordinate donor communication with the partners as needed.

Data Quality and Reporting:

• Ensure clean and accurate datasets, liaising with team members and documenting changes.
• Translate data collection tools, qualitative data, and reports as needed (Arabic <-> English).
• Work with the MEL Data Analyst to generate and review data analysis and MEL reports.
• Ensure effective communication of MEL results and findings through meetings and reports.
• Ensure timely reporting to the line manager, including weekly updates in the survey tracker and daily activity/incident reports (translated into English).
• Prepare the weekly MEL report and share it with relevant teams, highlighting key findings and recommendations.
• Oversee the reporting of GOAL Global and country indicators through ensuring quarterly and timely reporting of indicators on the SCORE system and ITT.

Learning & Adaptive Management

• Facilitate a quarterly learning reviews sessions and/or learning briefs.
• Lead knowledge management efforts, ensuring best practices and lessons learned are documented and shared for future programming.
• Establish and maintain a centralized, accessible digital knowledge repository for evaluations, case studies, and toolkits.

Other Tasks:

• Undertake any additional tasks as requested by the line manager.

Requirements (essential)

• Bachelor's degree in social sciences, business administration, engineering or another relevant field.
• Minimum five years’ experience in M&E or MEL
• Strong experience in leading, managing and coordinating data collection activities in the humanitarian sector.
• Strong understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, sampling strategies
• Strong experience in writing monitoring reports
• Strong experience in Donor Reporting and tracking indicator achievements
• Good English language skills (spoken, written, and reading).
• Excellent computer skills (MS Word, and Excel)

Requirements (desired)

• High degree of familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Microsoft Power BI or similar platforms).
• Working knowledge of managing digital data collection platforms (Kobo Collect or CommCare)
• Fluency in English (advanced level).

Interested? Then apply for this position via clicking on the "apply now" button and fill out the application form. All applicants must send a Cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in English.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

GOAL has the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with GOAL at the same grade level and with similar job descriptions, experience, and educational requirements.

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

The application deadline is 17 June 2026 however, you are encouraged to apply immediately as we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, therefore we may withdraw the position before the advertisement’s closing date if a suitable candidate/s is identified.

Please note that GOAL does not charge a fee of any kind or any other financial obligation at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training, induction) or other fees, or request information on applicants’ bank accounts. GOAL does not work with intermediary institutions and individuals or employment agencies during the recruitment process. If any fee or payment is requested from you at the application or any stage of the recruitment process, please do not respond.  

GOAL does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy, errors or omissions of any of the information contained in translated advertisements by an independent party on other sites or through other channels.

General terms and conditions

Safeguarding

Children and vulnerable adults a must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Safeguarding Statement
GOAL has zero tolerance for safeguarding violations. All staff are expected to adhere to GOAL’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policies, including the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PSEAH). Recruitment is subject to safeguarding checks, including reference verification

Accountability within GOAL

Alongside our safeguarding policy, GOAL is an equal opportunities employer and has a set of integrity policies. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability:

• Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, Code of Conduct, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a GOAL staff or partner.

This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document. Any published closing dates are estimated.  Due to the nature of GOAL’s work we aim to fill vacancies as quickly as possible.  This means that we will close adverts as soon as we have found the right candidate and this may be before the published closing date.  We would therefore advise interested applicants to submit an application as early as possible.

Thank you.