Job Title

Head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) – NGO Job Opportunity in Ghana

Job Summary

• Organisation: Lively Minds
• Sector: NGO / INGO (Early Childhood Development)
• Category: Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)
• Location: Ghana (preferred), with regional scope
• Employment Type: Part-time
• Salary: £29,000 – £(as stated in official listing)
• Education: MPH, MSc, or related postgraduate qualification
• Experience: Minimum of 3 years
• Application Deadline: 7 January 2026

About Lively Minds

Lively Minds is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to expanding access to quality early childhood development (ECD) services for rural preschool children in Ghana and Uganda. By empowering parents and caregivers, Lively Minds delivers evidence-based ECD programmes through cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable implementation models that create long-term impact.

Role Overview

Lively Minds places evidence at the core of everything it does. As Head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), you will lead the organisation’s evidence generation, learning systems, and data-driven decision-making processes across all programmes. This role will support organisational planning, strategy development, and performance management by ensuring that reliable, timely, and high-quality data informs decisions at every level.

The position requires deep expertise in theories of change, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, data analysis, and learning systems, including the management of external evaluators. You will strengthen and scale MEL systems during a critical growth phase, working closely with senior leaders to align MEL activities with organisational priorities.

This role sits within the Organisational Effectiveness Directorate, reports to the Director of Organisational Effectiveness, and is a core member of Lively Minds’ Global Senior Management Team (SMT). You will lead the MEL function, overseeing one MEL Manager and four MEL Officers.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

MEL Leadership

• Serve as a member of the Global Senior Management Team and contribute to Lively Minds’ overall strategic direction
• Lead the development and refinement of theories of change and programme design, coordinating input from senior colleagues
• Support teams across the organisation to define, monitor, and review KPIs, integrating learning into programme planning and delivery
• Promote effective use and dissemination of evidence across all departments
• Manage, coach, and build the capacity of the MEL team to deliver high-quality monitoring, evaluation, and learning outputs
• Support capacity building for government partners to strengthen ownership of MEL within partnership programmes

Technical Oversight

• Ensure MEL frameworks and theories of change are embedded consistently across projects and updated when required
• Lead the design and rollout of new MEL systems, tools, and processes
• Provide technical guidance on appropriate MEL methodologies across different project contexts
• Oversee the development of robust quantitative and qualitative data collection tools, analysis, and reporting

Data Systems and Analytics

• Strengthen and optimise data systems, visualisation tools, and information-sharing processes for internal teams and external partners
• Review existing data systems against organisational needs and ensure scalability as programmes expand
• Supervise data cleaning, validation, analysis, and routine reporting processes

Reporting and Learning

• Collaborate with Fundraising, Advocacy, and Communications teams to support donor proposals, reports, and publications
• Ensure MEL findings contribute meaningfully to organisational learning and external communications

External Evaluation and Research

• Commission and manage external evaluations, research studies, and MEL-related consultancy projects
• Ensure insights and recommendations from evaluations are shared internally to improve programme quality and impact
• Support the dissemination of research findings to external audiences through reports, articles, blogs, and presentations

Other responsibilities may be assigned in consultation with your line manager, reflecting organisational priorities and your professional expertise. Flexibility and collaboration across teams are expected.

Required Skills and Experience

Technical Expertise (Essential)

• Strong experience in both quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation methods
• Proven ability to design evaluations, sampling strategies, data collection tools, QA processes, and data analysis workflows
• Experience setting up, adapting, and managing digital data collection platforms for both online and offline contexts
• Strong reporting skills, with the ability to present complex data clearly for diverse audiences including donors and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience leading and managing teams, including remote staff
• Experience commissioning and managing external evaluators and research partners
• Solid understanding of data protection, safeguarding, ethics, consent, and data governance
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel

Desirable Experience

• Familiarity with Kobo Toolbox
• Experience with data analysis and visualisation tools such as VBA, R, Python, or AI-based tools
• Knowledge of international education systems and early childhood development
• Experience working in sub-Saharan Africa

Core Competencies and Behaviours

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to adapt messaging for varied audiences
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving ability
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to motivate high-performing teams
• Creativity, initiative, and a proactive mindset
• Systems-thinking approach to building sustainable MEL processes
• Commitment to inclusivity, collaboration, and positive team culture
• Ability to deliver high-quality outputs under pressure with minimal supervision
• Strong resource management skills focused on efficiency and beneficiary impact

How to Apply

Interested candidates should complete the official online application form by midnight (GMT) on 7 January 2026. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Lively Minds operates a strict Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy, and successful candidates will undergo background checks, including reference and police checks. The organisation is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities.

Disclaimer

Due to the high number of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. MarkDona.com does not participate in recruitment decisions and does not guarantee shortlisting or selection.