Senior Manager, MLE Strategy

Evidence Action

Senior Manager at Evidence Action leading MLE strategy for MMS and IFA nutrition programs. Overseeing data collection and implementation research to support program scale-up and adaptation decisions.

Posted 6/9/2026full-timeRemote • District of Columbia, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $98,700 - $110,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the design, development, and maintenance of MMS's global MLE framework and country MLE strategies to support scale-up decision-making, and provide senior technical oversight to IFA's multi-country MLE strategy, including indicator standardization across geographies, through the MLE Strategy Manager.
Be the technical owner for MMS analysis plans, sampling methodologies, data collection tools, and analysis outputs, including manuscripts, abstracts, and reports; oversee large-scale primary data collection for MMS, including survey design, enumerator training, and data quality protocols, and provide senior oversight of IFA primary data collection through the MLE Strategy Manager.
Lead implementation research for IFA and MMS, including process evaluations, pilot studies, and assessments of acceptability and feasibility for new program features or geographies.
Identify the need for and develop MLE best practices that strengthen the broader nutrition portfolio.
Identify MLE design strengths, limitations and risks against the outcomes of interest, justify design choices against the proposed activity scope, available budget, and planned use of the data; ensure MLE plans are right fit for the phase of programs (testing, pilot, scale-up, expansion) and ensure a learning orientation in the work you do.
Assess the validity and reliability of program data collection by identifying measurement error, data quality issues, and limitations in administrative or monitoring data; communicate these limitations clearly to programs and donors.
Make and defend complex, judgment-based MLE decisions, including those that fall outside of standard SOPs, to support program scaling and expansion.
Partner with Program leadership on program strategy and expansion planning, including identifying MLE evidence needs for new country contexts, contributing to theory of change updates as programs evolve, and helping translate evidence into scale-up and adaptation decisions.
Provide thought partnership to regional MLE teams on MLE planning and implementation for MMS and IFA, ensuring quality of data collection and analysis.
Lead cross-country analysis and synthesis of MLE results to inform MMS scale-up decisions, and provide senior oversight of IFA results interpretation and application across countries; translate complex MLE findings into clear, decision-relevant insights for program leadership, donors, and external audiences.
Support engagement with donors on the proposed scope of MLE activities, ensuring alignment with program goals, and provide inputs on donor reports and fundraising proposals.
Accountable for MLE scopes of work, budgets, and work plans for MMS, and oversee the IFA MLE scopes of work, budget, and work plan through the MLE Strategy Manager.
Prioritize multiple work streams, mitigate risks, resolve challenges, and communicate expectations; use tactical planning tools to forecast inputs, outputs, and resourcing needs for MMS and IFA MLE activities on a one-year horizon.
Manage the Manager, MLE Strategy initially, with potential for additional people management and consultant oversight in the future; develop direct reports to handle challenging opportunities independently, plan out career trajectories, and address underperformance when needed.

Requirements

What you’ll need

You have at least 5 years of demonstrated experience developing M&E frameworks and plans, conducting implementation research, and designing M&E activities including sampling design, survey protocols, data collection tools, and conducting global and country data analysis.
You have an advanced degree (Master's required) with significant coursework in quantitative fields (e.g., economics, statistics, epidemiology, or public health).
You have demonstrated experience leading large-scale primary data collection, including survey instrument design, enumerator training, and data quality protocols.
You have strong knowledge of M&E design methodologies, including sampling strategies, power calculations, and quasi-experimental and experimental designs.
You have high proficiency in Stata (required) and/or R, with experience independently managing, cleaning, and analyzing large quantitative datasets.
You have a demonstrated ability to provide senior-level technical leadership on complex MLE design and implementation, including the ability to make and defend judgment calls outside of standard SOPs.
You appreciate that MLE can move beyond compliance and reporting and have an eagerness to further program learning and impact through effective MLE plans.
You have demonstrated experience managing and developing direct reports, including technical coaching, performance management, and supporting career growth.
You have a demonstrated ability to lead MLE work across internal teams and with external partners (implementation partners, government counterparts, donors) without direct authority.
You are willing to work hours that overlap with colleagues in India and across Africa.

Benefits

Comp & perks

international health care
HSA/FSA options
life insurance
disability coverage
retirement plans with a matching component
generous and flexible leave options
other employee perks on a reimbursement basis

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

M&E frameworksimplementation researchsampling designsurvey protocolsdata collection toolsdata analysisStataRdata quality protocolspower calculations

Soft Skills

technical leadershipjudgment-based decision makingcommunicationteam collaborationperformance managementcoachingproblem-solvingtactical planningrisk mitigationcareer development

Certifications

Master's degree