Senior Manager, MEL

Introducing Integrity

Integrity is an ethical consultancy and service provider working in challenging and complex environments around the globe.

We help our clients succeed in fragile and challenging environments while building trust and understanding as the basis for transformative change. We work across all phases of the programme and project cycle, delivering eleven complementary services: monitoring, evaluation and learning / data and knowledge management / research, evidence and analysis / advisory / project management / communications / risk management / technical assistance / capability and capacity development / stakeholder engagement / grant and fund management. Our services are underpinned by the principles on which we were founded, a commitment to providing reliable information and evidence, and expert and high-quality delivery.

Headquartered in London and Washington DC, Integrity also has offices in Jordan, Kenya, and Pakistan. Our multi-national team of over 60 deliver multi-year projects, programmes and consulting assignments to a wide range of government clients, international organisations, foundations and private sector clients.

Vision: Integrity sets the international standard for ethically delivered expert services in complex and challenging contexts. Our work helps create stability, accountability, and prosperity.

Mission: Based on evidence and learning, we help clients and communities to build trust and understanding as the basis for transformative change. We do not advocate we listen, comprehend and recommend.

Commitment: Integrity upholds the highest ethical standards in our service delivery, our employment of staff and our interaction with people. Through adherence to our core values, we ensure not only that our clients receive the best possible service but that we benefit the individuals and communities amongst whom we work.

Further information about Integrity can be found at www.integrityglobal.com.

How the Senior Manager, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) fits into the Integrity Team

The Senior Manager, MEL will play a varied technical and management role at Integrity, contributing to the design and delivery of Integrity’s MEL service line, as well as supporting directorate and team management responsibilities. Drawing on MEL, project management, and other relevant service and thematic expertise, they will help win and deliver high-quality, commercially viable projects.

The Senior Manager role sits within the Services Team, which leads the design and delivery of our work. Responsibilities include: technical design and delivery, business and proposal development, project direction and management, and wider institutional learning. As a senior member on the Services Team, the Senior Manager plays roles on new bids and on existing projects, including as Project Director, Team Lead/Deputy Team Lead, Component/Technical Lead, and Subject Matter Expert, as applicable. The Senior Manager works flexibly across Integrity’s different services and teams and be attracted to a fast-paced working environment. The focus of the Senior Manager’s work depends on current priorities and may include periods that focus more on either project delivery or business development. For the first eighteen months, this role will focus on project delivery for a third party monitoring project, as reflected by the percentages split outlined in the Terms of Reference section.

The Senior Manager is a staff role that can be based in either the United Kingdom or United States. While a staff recruitment is desired, candidates that prefer a project consultant contract may be considered. A project consultancy role would have an adjusted contract (terms, duration, remuneration and benefits) and scope of work defined by project requirements. Candidates must note and explain this preference in their application.

Scope of Work

The Senior Manager, MEL will support project delivery and business development work.

The Senior Manager plays a key role in the delivery of contracted projects. This includes technical leadership, delivery, management and oversight roles. They provide quality assurance and quality control (technical and cost) on projects and programmes. In addition, they also support the consolidation of good practice within the company, the management and training of mid-level and junior staff members, and the continued development and articulation of Integrity’s technical and thematic capabilities.

The Senior Manager also supports technical design and bid development, particularly for UK and US government donors. This includes developing appropriate and innovative approaches and methodologies to meet the needs of our clients and writing technical proposals. These proposals will relate to Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, as well as key service offerings, including: Research, Evidence & Analysis, and Data & Knowledge Management. Key thematic areas include: democracy, human rights and governance, health, education, economic development, fragility and violent conflict, climate, natural resources and environment, and gender and inclusion.

Terms of Reference

Until August 2024, the Senior Manager will dedicate 100% level of effort (LOE) to support the delivery and management of a third party monitoring project. In this period, Project Delivery, Staff Management and Learning activities will be prioritised. After this period, the Senior Manager’s LOE will align with the approximated percentages indicated for each activity.

Project Delivery (75%)

The Senior Manager plays a key role in delivering Integrity’s projects, including technical leadership and delivery, project direction, and management, as applicable.

• Ensure high-quality and timely delivery of Integrity’s project portfolio and maintenance of client and partner relationships through technical delivery, management and governance roles.

• Negotiate successful proposals to contract ensuring effective coordination with relevant parties across Integrity’s four key teams.

• Deliver assigned projects on time, on budget, to high levels of quality, and in keeping with Integrity’s ethics and ethos.

• Lead on aspects of technical delivery, including the design of new monitoring activities, report drafting, and quality assurance, including but not limited to:

  • The development and/or revision of data collection tools, methods, and monitoring proposals for reporting activities.
  • Coordinate with relevant team members on the day-to-day management and technical guidance of the TPM monitoring cycles.
  • Oversee submission of reports or other deliverables, ensuring that they are on time and meet agreed quality standards.
  • Collaborate with other relevant team members, oversee tasking and workflow planning and processes.
  • Provide regular reporting progress updates through established coordination mechanisms.
  • Lead or contribute to external (i.e., with client teams) and internal (i.e., company or project teams) engagement and workshops.

• Lead the active management of strategic or priority risks and opportunities to sustain our reputation for high quality, innovative and client- and community-focused work.

• Coordinate with project management on teaming and resource requirements required to fulfil technical delivery requirements.

• Line manage project team members.

• Effectively, empathetically, and diligently manage relationships with clients, consortium partners and stakeholders more broadly to ensure effective technical collaboration.

• Perform technical leadership, advisory and other roles on contracted projects.

Business Development (15%)

The Senior Manager leads or supports technical proposals, assuring the quality of the overall technical approach and representing Integrity externally.

• Lead on, and/or contribute to, the technical design of new opportunities, from identification and pre-positioning through to submission, negotiation and inception.
• Contribute to successful and viable bids through: designing and developing technical approaches, selecting and refining methods; building resource and work plans; and contributing to budget development.
• Contribute and sometimes lead the articulation, development and roll-out of approaches and methodologies, in line with Company Strategy.
• Provide internal and external thought leadership on Integrity’s technical offering.
• Develop and sustain strong working relationships with key government clients and other relevant accounts.
• Provide constructive quality assurance of technical offers on selected new programmes and/or bids.
• Support the growth and/or improvement of our service, thematic and geographic capabilities. In particular, work closely with other Services Directorate colleagues to improve Integrity’s MEL offering.
• Engage with and influence emerging opportunities and delivery concepts and ensure Integrity’s MEL offering is responsive to market requirements.
• Lead and/or contribute to internal and external communications on agreed services, thematics and/or geographies.

Staff Management (5%)

• Line manage select Integrity staff and/or corporate consultants.
• Work with colleagues under line management to develop their careers, contributing to professional advancement, job satisfaction, and personnel retention.

Learning (5%)

• Collaborate with Integrity staff and programme teams globally to share best practice, lessons, and experience.

Your Experience and Expertise

The successful candidate must have:

• 7-12 years’ experience working within international development or consultancy sector, with significant experience in MEL and research activities.
• The ability to produce high-quality technical work expeditiously and independently.
• Experience managing teams of staff and consultants in successful project delivery.
• Strong people skills evidenced by client and team management experience, including through Project Manager roles.
• Demonstrated experience in MEL reporting and technical proposal writing skills.
• High proficiency in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience using Microsoft Project and PowerBI preferred.
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative analysis software (e.g., SPSS, Nvivo, STATA, etc.).

It is desirable that you also have:

• Thematic experience in conflict, security and justice, governance, gender and social inclusion, economic development, climate, natural resources and environment, health and/or education.
• Experience managing technical aspects of contract performance as well as procurement, staffing and personnel management, and reporting requirements.
• An understanding of key geographies including Middle East & North Africa, East Africa, and/or South-East and Central Asia, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected areas.
• Experience using data engineering and analytics programming languages (e.g. Python, R).
• Experience working in Afghanistan.
• Experience working with a UN agency, fund, or programme.

Languages

• Written and oral fluency in English, with the ability to write clear and compelling narrative.
• Working proficiency in another language (e.g., Arabic, Dari, French, Pashto, Somali), preferred but not required.

Core Competencies

You should also demonstrate the following core competencies:

Level 1: Team competencies

• Ethics
• Leadership
• Planning and Organising
• Development and Continual Learning
• Results Focus and Initiative
• Teamwork
• Customer Orientation
• Communication
• Managing Change

Level 2-4: Management competencies

• Analytical and Flexible Thinking
• Achievement Focus
• Managing Resources
• Teamwork and Team Leadership
• Customer Orientation
• Influencing
• Organisational Knowledge
• Organisational Alignment
• Strategic Thinking
• Accountability
• Developing Talent

Hybrid Working

Integrity is a hybrid work employer offering a flexible working model that supports a blend of in-office and working from home time. Each office has its own flexible working model to meet local needs and demands.