| Job title |
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist |
| Reports to |
Associate Director of Impact |
| Start Date |
ASAP |
| Location |
Kigali, Rwanda |
About Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) is Carnegie Mellon University’s global location in Africa, based in Kigali, Rwanda. Established in 2011, CMU-Africa is advancing engineering, technology, research, and innovation across the continent through world class graduate education, applied research, and strategic partnerships.
With students from more than 25 African countries and a growing portfolio of sponsored programs, research initiatives, and talent development activities, CMU-Africa is helping develop the next generation of technology leaders while contributing to Africa’s digital transformation.
The Opportunity
CMU-Africa is seeking an experienced, analytical, and mission-driven Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist to strengthen the institution’s ability to measure, understand, communicate, and improve its impact.
Working across CMU-Africa’s educational, research, and sponsored programs, the MEL Specialist will serve as a strategic partner to program leaders, faculty, staff, and partner institutions, helping to establish effective approaches for monitoring progress, evaluating outcomes, generating evidence, and fostering organizational learning.
This is a highly collaborative role that combines evaluation, learning, capacity strengthening, funding partner reporting, and strategic decision support. The successful candidate will help ensure that evidence is not only collected, but also used to improve programs, inform decision-making, demonstrate accountability, and strengthen institutional impact.
The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable facilitating learning conversations, supporting evaluation activities, advising program teams on measurement approaches, synthesizing findings into actionable insights, and engaging diverse stakeholders across multiple institutions and cultures.
The scope of responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:
Key Responsibilities
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
- Partner with CMU-Africa leadership, program teams, and partner institutions to strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems across educational, research, and sponsored programs.
- Provide technical guidance on theories of change, results frameworks, indicators, measurement approaches, and reporting requirements.
- Support the integration of MEL best practices into program planning, implementation, review, and continuous improvement processes.
- Promote consistent application of MEL frameworks, standards, and methodologies across programs and partner institutions.
Evaluation and Learning
- Support the planning, coordination, and implementation of evaluations, assessments, and research activities that generate evidence on program effectiveness, outcomes, and impact.
- Facilitate structured learning and reflection processes that help teams identify lessons learned, opportunities for improvement, and emerging priorities.
- Synthesize findings into actionable recommendations that support program adaptation, strategic planning, and organizational learning.
- Contribute to the development of learning briefs, case studies, evidence summaries, impact stories, and other knowledge products that communicate program outcomes and lessons learned.
- Coordinate with external evaluators, consultants, researchers, and other technical partners as required.
Funding Partner Reporting and Accountability
- Coordinate the preparation of periodic program reports, outcome reports, and evidence products for funding partners and other stakeholders.
- Support program teams in documenting progress, outcomes, lessons learned, and impact in accordance with reporting requirements and quality standards.
- Ensure that reporting processes are timely, consistent, and supported by credible evidence and appropriate documentation.
- Contribute to institutional reporting, strategic reviews, and impact communications.
Partner Capacity Strengthening
- Provide training, coaching, and technical assistance to strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and learning capacity across CMU-Africa and partner institutions.
- Support partners in adopting effective MEL frameworks, indicators, reporting practices, evaluation methodologies, and learning approaches.
- Develop and promote the use of standardized MEL tools, templates, and guidance materials that improve consistency and quality across programs and partners.
- Contribute to communities of practice, peer-learning initiatives, and other capacity-strengthening activities across partner networks.
Strategic Insights and Decision Support
- Interpret monitoring, evaluation, and research findings to identify trends, opportunities, risks, and areas requiring attention.
- Translate evidence into clear and actionable insights that support leadership decision-making, program improvement, and strategic planning.
- Develop presentations, briefs, and summary reports that communicate key findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Support leadership and program teams with evidence-based recommendations on program performance, outcomes, and impact.
Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
- Serve as a trusted advisor to program teams, faculty, researchers, and institutional leadership on monitoring, evaluation, and learning matters.
- Collaborate closely with the Data Analyst and other colleagues to ensure data systems, analyses, and reporting products effectively support monitoring, evaluation, learning, and decision-making needs.
- Foster collaboration among internal and external stakeholders to strengthen evidence generation, reporting, learning, and accountability.
- Build productive working relationships across multidisciplinary teams, partner institutions, and diverse cultural contexts.
Other Responsibilities
- Undertake other duties and special projects as assigned in support of CMU-Africa’s mission and strategic priorities.
Qualifications
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Master’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Economics, Public Policy, International Development, Education, Social Sciences, Data Analytics, or a related field.
- An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
- Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in monitoring, evaluation, learning, research, impact measurement, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience supporting complex programs or portfolios in higher education, research, international development, nonprofit, or social impact settings.
- Experience designing or supporting MEL frameworks, evaluations, reporting processes, and organizational learning initiatives.
- Experience working with donor-funded or externally funded programs and supporting stakeholder reporting requirements.
- Experience facilitating training, capacity-building, or technical assistance activities.
- Experience working across multiple institutions, countries, or stakeholder groups is highly desirable.
Knowledge, Skills and Competencies
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Strong understanding of monitoring, evaluation, learning, and impact measurement principles and practices.
- Experience developing theories of change, results frameworks, indicators, and evaluation methodologies.
- Knowledge of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research approaches.
- Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Strong facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and relationship-management skills.
- Experience developing reports, learning products, presentations, and evidence based recommendations.
- Familiarity with data collection, survey, and reporting platforms and an ability to work effectively with data and analytics teams.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
- High levels of professionalism, initiative, adaptability, and cultural awareness.
- Commitment to evidence-based decision-making, continuous learning, and social impact.
Why Join CMU-Africa?
This is a unique opportunity to help shape how a world class higher education institution operating on the African continent measures, understands, and amplifies its impact. You will work alongside ditinguished faculty, researchers, program leaders, and partner institutions while contributing to initiatives that are transforming education, innovation, entrepreneurship, research, and digital opportunity across the continent.
If you are passionate about using evidence to drive meaningful change and thrive in a collaborative, mission-driven environment, we encourage you to apply.
If you are energized by educational impact, program leadership, and working in a highly collaborative and mission-driven environment, we encourage you to submit your application and resume by August 30, 2026 through this link: https://www.africa.engineering.cmu.edu/about/careers.html
