MEAL Officer (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning) – International Humanitarian Respon

Job Purpose
The MEAL Officer strengthens CORE's monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning capacity during emergency responses by rapidly standing up practical systems that fit each context, capturing what CORE is delivering, whether it is reaching the right people, and what is working, while contributing to strategy and proposals and providing technical assistance and building MEAL capacity for local partners, CORE's locally recruited staff, and enumerators. Because every disaster and context differs, the core of this role is the judgment to design right sized, usable MEAL that a response and its local partners can actually maintain, integrating protection, gender, and humanitarian minimum standards.

The role deploys rapidly, often within 72 hours of a crisis, in close coordination with CORE's Director of Global Humanitarian Response, standing up data collection, indicators, and reporting from day one and laying the foundation for later evaluation and learning, including an exit or handover plan.

MEAL activities vary by context. Across hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes the right approach differs, and the Officer determines it. Depending on need, the work may include indicators and a results framework; rapid needs assessments and beneficiary registration and data systems (such as Survey123, KoboToolbox, Relief Compass); distribution tracking and post distribution monitoring; data quality assurance and verification; beneficiary feedback and complaints response mechanisms (accountability); dashboards and situation report metrics; and after action reviews and lessons learned. These are examples, not a fixed list. The Officer adapts tools and methods to the context and builds approaches CORE has not used before.

Main Responsibilities

System Setup and Data
Rapidly stand up right sized MEAL systems, including indicators, results or logframe, data flows, and mobile data collection tools (such as Survey123, KoboToolbox, Relief Compass). Establish beneficiary registration and distribution or activity tracking, ensuring responsible data management and data protection. Recruit, train, and supervise enumerators and data collectors, and provide day to day technical assistance to local partners and CORE's locally recruited staff on data collection and MEAL practice.

Monitoring and Data Quality
Lead post distribution and activity monitoring; verify data quality and reconcile figures used in reporting. Produce dashboards, situation report metrics, and analysis that inform program decisions.

Accountability
Set up and run beneficiary feedback and complaints response mechanisms; ensure findings feed back into programming (accountability to affected populations).

Evaluation and Learning
Support evaluations, after action reviews, and lessons learned; capture what worked to improve current and future responses.

Strategy, Proposals, and Capacity
Contribute MEAL frameworks, indicators, and evidence to CORE's strategy and to donor proposals and reporting. Provide technical assistance and build MEAL capacity through mentoring, coaching, and training local partners, CORE's locally recruited staff, and enumerators or data collectors.

Coordination and Representation
Represent CORE in assessment, information management, and MEAL coordination (for example clusters, OCHA, donors); provide regular updates to the Team Leader and CORE team, verbally and in writing.

Scope and Travel
Reports to the Director of Global Humanitarian Response (line) and the Designated Emergency Response Team Leader during a deployment. Key internal contacts include CORE leadership and Programs, Partnership Development and Fundraising, Data, and Communications. Key external contacts include other responding agencies, donors, assessment and information management working groups, and relevant government bodies. Global role, deploys to response locations at short notice. Must hold a current passport ready for international travel, and be able to drive with a valid license and a clean driving record.

Qualifications
Minimum three to five years of humanitarian or MEAL experience, with at least two years in monitoring and evaluation. A relevant degree, for example statistics, data science, social sciences, development studies, or public health, is strongly preferred. Equivalent experience can substitute for qualifications, but not vice versa. Commitment to CORE's mission, values, and humanitarian principles.

Experience
Designing and running MEAL or M&E across multiple hazard types, including hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, and varied contexts. Mobile data collection and information systems (such as Survey123, KoboToolbox, ODK, Relief Compass) and analysis or visualization tools (such as Excel, Power BI). Post distribution monitoring, data quality assurance and verification, and turning data into clear analysis and reporting. Beneficiary accountability, including feedback and complaints response mechanisms (CRM/AAP). Rapid needs assessments, results frameworks or logframes, indicator design, and donor reporting. Cash or CVA and market monitoring familiarity is a plus. Gender and protection sensitive data collection and analysis.

Skills and Competencies

Core Competencies (all roster positions)
People skills: works independently and as a team player; leads, supports, and trains local and international staff; engages disaster affected communities sensitively and participatively. Communication: strong written and oral skills; presents data clearly and represents CORE with internal and external stakeholders. Integrity, resilience, and adaptability: operates effectively under stress, insecurity, and harsh conditions; culturally aware and self aware. Abides by CORE's Code of Conduct and zero tolerance PSEA policy; reports safeguarding concerns via established mechanisms.

Technical Competencies
Ability to read a novel context and figure out right sized, usable MEAL that a response and its partners can maintain; comfortable adapting or building new tools. Strong quantitative and qualitative analysis; data visualization and clear reporting to CORE and donor standards. Proficiency with mobile data collection (Survey123, Kobo, ODK), spreadsheets, and at least one BI or visualization tool; responsible data management and data protection. Knowledge of Sphere, the Core Humanitarian Standard, and Accountability to Affected Populations. Strong English; Spanish, French, Creole, and/or Portuguese desirable.