Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004. In partnership with civil society organizations, academic institutions, private sector, and the government, Mercy Corps Ethiopia has reached more than five million Ethiopians with interventions to save lives and build secure livelihoods. Our programs emphasize market-driven solutions, reinforce social bonds, and help communities build resilience to the impacts of climate change. Currently in six regional states (Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Tigray and the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa) Mercy Corps Ethiopia is driven by the mission to contribute the emergence of a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Ethiopia which is inclusive of youth and women.
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Position Status: Full-time, Regular
Salary Level: (Refer to the relevant salary scale)
Risk Level: ☐ Level 3 ☐Level 2 ☐Level 1
(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.
Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.
Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data)
The Program / Department / Summary
Mercy Corps is implementing a three-year program focused on catalyzing transformation in Sharia-compliant and digital financial services across the lowlands and highlands of Ethiopia. Building on the proven success of a first phase that reached over 350,000 users with inclusive digital and Islamic financial services, this second phase moves from piloting to institutionalization and system-wide scale-up. The program aims to increase incomes and enhance resilience for rural households, particularly women and youth, across implementation areas spanning Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Somali and Oromia regions.
The Position (General Position Summary)
The MEL Advisor is responsible for leading the design, implementation, and continuous strengthening of the program’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning system. This role ensures that high-quality data is collected, analyzed, and used to inform strategic and operational decisions, in line with Mercy Corps MEL standards and adaptive management approaches.
Working closely with the Project Manager, technical teams, partners, and the Country MEL unit, the MEL Advisor will support learning, accountability, and performance tracking, with a strong focus on market systems development, financial inclusion, gender integration, and digital data systems.
Essential Responsibilities
STRATEGY, PLANNING AND COLLABORATION
MEL SYSTEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
DATA MANAGEMENT, QUALITY AND ANALYSIS
LEARNING AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT
CAPACITY BUILDING AND SUPERVISION
GENDER INCLUSION AND ACCOUNTABILITY
WORKING RELATIONSHIP
The MEL Advisor will work closely with the Project Manager and program team to ensure effective integration of monitoring, evaluation, and learning across all program components. They will maintain a strong technical relationship with the Country MEL Manager team to ensure alignment with organizational standards and systems. The role requires close collaboration with technical advisors, field teams, data and analytics staff, and implementing partners to support high-quality data collection, analysis, and use. The MEL Advisor will also engage with external stakeholders, including financial institutions, implementing partners, and donors, to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective communication of program results and learning.
KEY PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
The MEL Advisor is expected to ensure the delivery of a high-quality, fully functional MEL system that meets donor and Mercy Corps standards, with timely and accurate data informing all program decisions. The role will be accountable for maintaining high data quality, ensuring that all indicators are consistently tracked, validated, and reported on time. The MEL Advisor will actively promote the use of evidence for adaptive management, ensuring that program strategies and interventions are regularly refined based on data and learning. They are expected to contribute to measuring systemic change within the financial ecosystem, including tracking adoption, adaptation, and scaling of innovations by market actors. Additionally, the role will ensure integration of gender and inclusion across all MEL processes, strengthen accountability to participants, and build the capacity of program staff and partners to effectively use data for improved performance and impact.
RISK MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
The MEL Advisor will play a key role in identifying, monitoring, and mitigating programmatic and data-related risks to ensure the integrity and reliability of program results. This includes proactively identifying potential risks related to data quality, partner reporting, and implementation challenges, and developing appropriate mitigation measures. The role will ensure adherence to Mercy Corps MEL policies, donor (JOA) requirements, and quality standards by establishing robust systems for data validation, verification, and documentation. The MEL Advisor will lead regular Data Quality Assessments (DQAs), spot checks, and audits to ensure accuracy, consistency, and credibility of data. Additionally, they will support the integration of risk monitoring into routine program management and promote a culture of quality assurance, accountability, and continuous improvement across the program and its partners.
SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES
Supervisory Responsibility
None
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Project Manager
Dotted relationship with: Country MEL Manager
Works Directly With: Program team, Country GEDSI advisor, Technical Sector Advisors, and other support functions (Operations and Finance), and implementing partners
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Success Factors
The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and translate it into clear, actionable insights that inform program decisions. They will possess excellent communication and facilitation skills, enabling them to effectively engage diverse stakeholders, present findings, and support evidence-based dialogue.
The successful candidate will be proactive, flexible, and adaptive, capable of navigating complex and evolving program environments while maintaining focus on results. They will exhibit strong collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills, working effectively across teams, partners, and institutions to strengthen program performance.
A commitment to continuous learning, innovation, and accountability is essential, with the ability to promote a culture of reflection, improvement, and results-oriented programming.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA and it requires 40% to 60% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is individual housing, and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Team Engagement and Effectiveness
Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.
We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).
All qualified individuals are invited to apply for the advertised position. All applications, including a CV, three references, and all applicable official papers, must be sent electronically.
Only candidates that are short-listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.
“Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity and diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women and youth.”
DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: June 3rd, 2026
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