Evidence, Measurement, Learning and Impact Director, Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Nigeria Abuja, Nigeria

**Contingent upon Donor Funding**

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Position Status: Full-time, Exempt or Non-exempt, Regular

Risk Level:     X 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) 

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, and its influence spreads across the continent. Yet, inequality and insecurity have consistently undermined Nigeria's development. Mercy Corps Nigeria was established in 2012 to respond to these challenges. The Nigeria team is headquartered in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and has programs across 16 states. Mercy Corps works with communities to build economic opportunities, enhance water security, drive peace and good governance, and ensure food security. Our activities aim to build resilience through an integrated approach, helping communities and the most marginalized within them cope, adapt, and thrive in the context of numerous shocks and stresses. With a strong and growing team, Mercy Corps works to achieve the vision of a Nigeria in which all people are empowered, engaged, resilient, and secure. 

The Evidence, Measurement, Learning & Impact Director is a senior leadership position responsible for shaping and leading the program's evidence, learning, impact, and adaptive management agenda. The role ensures that data, evidence, technology, and learning are leveraged as strategic assets to improve program performance, inform decision-making, strengthen accountability, and support sustainable development outcomes.

The Director will lead the development and stewardship of integrated measurement, learning, knowledge management, and impact systems that transform data into actionable insights, enabling adaptive management, innovation, organizational learning, and evidence-based decision-making across the program.

Working closely with program leadership, partners, and technical teams, the Director will oversee the design and implementation of evidence, learning, and impact systems that strengthen performance management, support continuous improvement, and generate high-quality evidence to inform strategy, implementation, and learning.

The position will provide strategic oversight of digital systems, research initiatives, impact measurement approaches, evaluations, and knowledge-management platforms to better understand program effectiveness and inform adaptive action. The Director will ensure that evidence and learning are systematically translated into improved decision-making, stronger program quality, enhanced accountability, and sustainable results.

STRATEGY AND VISION 

•  Provide visionary leadership Development Programs’ Evidence, Learning and Impact agenda, positioning evidence, data, technology, and learning as strategic assets that drive decision-making, portfolio performance, systems change, and long-term impact.
•  Design and oversee a portfolio-wide Evidence, Learning and Impact ecosystem that enables harmonized data systems, shared services, real-time decision support, and consistent measurement across all consortium partners while generating insights that can be leveraged by broader sector actors.
•  Champion the transformation of data into actionable intelligence by driving the use of analytics, digital platforms, participant feedback, market intelligence, and emerging technologies to inform strategy, adaptive management, investment decisions, and program innovation.
•  Lead the generation and curation of evidence that demonstrates what works, for whom, under what conditions, and why, ensuring that portfolio learning informs implementation, strengthens market systems, influences policy and practice, and contributes to sector-wide knowledge.
•  Establish a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement across the portfolio, ensuring evidence is routinely translated into action, adaptation, and improved outcomes for young people to access job opportunities.
•  Position Mercy Corps as a leader in evidence-driven programming by building partnerships with research institutions, governments, private sector actors, and learning networks, and generating influential insights, thought leadership, and scalable models that inform policy, strengthen practice, and contribute to sustainable systems-level change.

MEL SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

•  Lead the design, development, and continuous evolution of an integrated portfolio-wide Evidence, Measurement, Learning & Impact Director, ecosystem that enables adaptive management, real-time performance monitoring, impact measurement, and accountability to Mercy Corps standards.
•  Serve as a member of the Portfolio Senior Leadership Team, providing strategic intelligence and evidence-based insights that inform portfolio decisions, resource allocation, risk management, innovation, and adaptive management across all consortium partners.
•  Establish and oversee portfolio-wide data governance frameworks, standards, and protocols to ensure data quality, security, interoperability, ethical data management, and responsible use of participant information across all systems and partners.
•  Design and institutionalize shared Evidence, Learning and Impact services that harmonize measurement approaches, reporting standards, analytics, learning processes, and performance management systems across the portfolio.
•  Champion the use of digital technologies, automation, analytics, dashboards, artificial intelligence, and real-time decision-support tools to transform data into actionable intelligence that improves program effectiveness and accelerates impact.
•  Lead the development of integrated learning, feedback, and accountability systems that strengthen participant voice, support adaptive management, and ensure evidence is routinely translated into program improvements and strategic decisions.
•  Collaborate with Community Accountability and Response Mechanism (CARM) teams, safeguarding leads, and technical specialists to strengthen portfolio-wide accountability, participant-centered learning, and responsible data practices.
•  Build the capacity of consortium partners to generate, interpret, and use evidence for decision-making, fostering a culture of learning, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement across the portfolio.
•  Work closely with global, regional, technology, analytics, and data teams to introduce emerging approaches, strengthen digital infrastructure, and position the portfolio as a leader in evidence-driven climate-smart agriculture programming.
•  Ensure portfolio systems generate high-quality evidence and learning products that not only support implementation but also contribute to policy influence, systems change, sector learning, and the advancement of job opportunities for young people.

LEARNING AND ADAPTATION:

•  Lead the Portfolio Learning Agenda, ensuring the generation of actionable evidence on what works, for whom, under what conditions, and why, to strengthen the portfolio's contribution to jobs for young people.
•  Establish portfolio-wide learning and adaptive management processes that integrate implementation data, participant feedback, market intelligence, climate evidence, and partner experiences to inform strategic decisions, program adaptation, and investment priorities.
•  Drive the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of high-value evidence, insights, and learning products that influence portfolio strategy, strengthen ecosystem actors, inform policy engagement, and contribute to broader sector knowledge and practice.
•  Foster a culture of learning, innovation, and evidence use across portfolio partners, ensuring that lessons and insights are translated into improved performance, adaptive action, and scalable approaches that benefit both the portfolio and the wider climate-smart agriculture ecosystem.

REPORTS MANAGEMENT

•  Provide strategic oversight of portfolio reporting, ensuring timely, high-quality, and evidence-based reporting that demonstrates results, impact, learning, and contribution to systems change.
•  Lead the generation, synthesis, and communication of evidence, insights, and knowledge products, transforming data into actionable intelligence that informs decision-making, influences stakeholders, and supports adaptive management.
•  Establish and maintain portfolio-wide reporting standards and quality assurance processes, ensuring consistency, data integrity, and effective knowledge sharing across all portfolio partners.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION/ ASSESSMENTS

•  Liaise with the baseline lead to ensure baseline methodology, tools, and approaches are in line with overall program MEL.
•  Support in ensuring baseline quality of data in compliance with MEL Policy, including leading on coordination for quarterly programme review meetings, regular Data Quality Assessments, record retention, and a final internal performance review.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

•  Onboard the new permanent MEL Manager and other MEL team members.
•  Ensure smooth handover of MEL framework, plans, and tools to the permanent team.
•  Assist team members with information, tools, and resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
•  Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-ones and performance reviews.
•  Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
•  Play an active role in hiring, orienting, and leading team members as necessary. 

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES 

•  Actively learns safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work. 
•  Practices the values of Mercy Corps, including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members. 
•  Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms, e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options. 

MEL Programme managers and Advisors.  Mentorship and support to local partner MEL teams

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.

•  Advanced degree/s in Statistics, Data Science, Economics, Public Policy, International Development, Organizational Learning, Information Systems, Social Sciences, or a related discipline.
•  Minimum of 10 years of international experience in progressively senior leadership roles, including Director-level or above responsibilities in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), Evidence and Learning, Data and Analytics, Program Performance, Impact Measurement, or Performance Management for large, complex development portfolios.
•  Proven experience designing and leading enterprise-scale evidence, learning, impact, and performance ecosystems that enable data-driven decision-making, adaptive management, accountability, and organizational performance improvement.
•  Demonstrated success in transforming data and evidence into strategic insights that influence program direction, executive decision-making, donor investments, policy engagement, and systems change.
•  Strong experience leading the development and deployment of digital and technology-enabled performance management systems, including data analytics, business intelligence, visualization platforms, automation, artificial intelligence, and real-time decision-support tools.
•  Proven track record of leading portfolio-wide learning agendas, evaluations, research, impact measurement, knowledge management, and adaptive management processes for large-scale development investments.
•  Experience providing strategic advisory support to senior leadership teams and serving as a thought partner on portfolio performance, impact, innovation, and organizational learning.
•  Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing teams and strengthen the capacity of organizations and partners to generate, interpret, and use evidence to improve performance and results.
•  Strong understanding of market systems development, youth employment, economic inclusion, climate-smart agriculture, resilience, and systems-change programming in Africa.
•  Outstanding communication, facilitation, and influencing skills, with the ability to effectively engage senior leaders, donors, governments, research institutions, private sector actors, and ecosystem partners.
•  Experience working with major international donors, foundations, or large-scale development investments; experience with Mastercard Foundation-funded programs would be a strong advantage.

The ideal candidate will have a strong curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the complex cultural, political, security, and social environment of Nigeria. They will be excellent communicators, multi-tasker, and able to work in ambiguous situations. They will be tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures. The successful candidate will be focused on team building and capacity-building of national staff; be a strategic thinker, and have strong skills in design, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes. 

The Director - Evidence Learning & Impact will be based in Abuja, Nigeria. This position requires at least 40% of time traveling by flight or road to field offices in areas with varying degrees of insecurity. 

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs, and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

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. 

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

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.

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. 

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination based on race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

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 the 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 professionally, 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 e-learning 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 ([email protected]).