Posted on May 9, 2013

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Monitoring Fellow

Summary: Manage Field Monitoring Program, including in data collection and analysis, development of surveys and tools and cooperating with M&E partners throughout East Africa.
Employer: Village Enterprise
Industry: Nonprofit/International Development/Social Entrepreneurship
Function: Lead field-level Monitoring and Evaluation activities, overseeing all phases of Monitoring and Evaluation Program
Reports to: Senior Director of Programs and Operations and Associate Program Director
Job Location: Hoima, Uganda, with frequent trips to Hoima (UG) & Kakamega (KE)
Duration: Minimum of 1 year, opportunity to extend.
Website: www.villageenterprise.org
Start Date: As soon as possible

About the Job:
Village Enterprise is seeking a Fellow to lead its field-level Monitoring and Evaluation activities, design and manage innovative pilot projects as well as current Special Projects in a highly dynamic team. The Monitoring Fellow will also support East African staff to implement and improve the organization’s core program, supervise interns and regional managers, and monitor program implementation. A minimum time commitment of one year is required. After 10 months, the operations team will conduct a performance review and assuming very good performance, future job opportunities within the organization beyond the one-year Fellowship will be explored.

Job Description

• M&E Role:
• Manage and assess Village Enterprise Business Owner targeting (an ultra-poor targeting process);
• Design and lead special project evaluations, write reports for funders;
• Oversee and increase the quality and efficiency of core and special project monitoring;
• Supervise the training of staff and Enumerators on data collection / interviewing, data entry, analysis and other tasks as required;
• Provide oversight for Smarter Market Analysis and Risk Tool data collection and analysis.

Operations Role:

• Assist in the implementation, monitoring and expansion of the Village Enterprise core program;
• Provide management oversight and leadership, in cooperation with the Senior Director of Programs and Operations, Country Directors, and field staff, in Kakamega, Kenya; Soroti and Hoima, Uganda;
• Promote a strong work ethic among the Field Coordinators and Business Mentors;
• Train trainers, mentor other employees and build capacity in country offices;
• Act as a liaison between the Field Operations Team and Development Team in the US.

Qualifications

We are looking for someone who can execute, can work both independently and as a member of a team, and can think big all at the same time. Ideally we are looking for:

Education

• Masters degree is preferred with concentrations in Development or Agricultural Economics, International Development, Public Policy, Statistics or other applied social research strongly preferred.
• Previous experience in both quantitative and qualitative evaluation preferred.
• Ability to design and implement research based on randomized control trials, regression discontinuity, propensity score matching and other methods preferred.
• 2+ years of work experience
• Experience in a management/leadership role is preferred
• Experience living/working/traveling in a developing country or emerging economy
• Experience in project design, business planning, product innovation or other entrepreneurial activities

Critical Thinking & Analysis Skills

• Must be a very strong critical thinker able to identify potential solutions to challenges in new environments
• Must be able to use Excel to analyze data, budgets and financial reports

Work independently and as part of a team

• Experience working effectively in a highly independent capacity – self-managing, taking ownership of goals, developing work plans and self-deadlines
• Experience working as part of a diverse team and willingness to work via email, skype and other Internet based communications
• Strong writing and oral communication skills required, as this role will involve report writing and training at times

High-quality execution

• Dedication to producing and executing high quality projects, tasks and recommendations quickly, with a high level of accuracy and systematic attention to detail
• Passion for innovative approaches to poverty reduction around the world, including but not limited to social entrepreneurship and business development in Africa
• Strong evaluation design, survey design and data analysis

Willingness to commit to living in rural areas of East Africa

This involves living in areas where there are few other foreigners/expats, few stores and restaurants, limited access to electricity at times, unpaved roads that lead to bumpy/uncomfortable car rides during field work We are asking for a minimum commitment of 1 year and we expect all candidates to be willing to commit to this time period even if the going gets tough All candidates must have the ability to be patient and adaptable in difficult work situations. There are many challenges to working in rural East Africa and patience is required to be effective in this environment. Must be able to adapt when required (which is often)

Language: Fluency in English required; Swahili is not required

Other skills/experience desired, but not required

• Experience in curriculum development: this role will require curriculum development for VE's Training Program
• Strong IT skills preferred, including database management, network setup & troubleshooting

Compensation: In their first year, Fellows will receive a stipend of $8,000 paid over 12 months and the following benefits.

Benefits:

• International flights to East Africa - one roundtrip
• Kenya & Uganda visas
• International travel insurance, Emergency evacuation insurance, Flying Doctors insurance coverage, stipend for local health clinic
• Accommodations provided for the whole year
• All in-country travel, phone, internet & accommodations related to work
• Stipend paid on a monthly basis dependent on experience and education of candidate
• 21 days of time off to be taken during the fellowship year

Career development: Project management experience on the ground in East Africa and significant investment in career development. This is a career-track role in international development and social business, offering significant opportunities for advancement at VE and other organizations working in the fields of poverty reduction, international development, microenterprise and Small to Mid-Sized Enterprise (SME) development, microfinance and social entrepreneurship.

Application Instructions

To Apply Email cover letter and resume to Konstantinz@villageef.org, cc: Philip Arscott philipa@villageef.org, Philip Arscott philipa@villageef.org (Subject line: Monitoring Fellow Application). In your cover letter, make sure to answer the following questions, and keep the cover page under 2 pages:

1) Why do you want to work in rural East Africa?
2) How will your:

• Leadership or management experiences contribute to Village Enterprise, (please give examples)
• Experience with Capacity building contribute to Village Enterprise, (please give examples)
• Experience with Project management contribute to Village Enterprise, (please give examples)
• Elaborate on how your innovations will contribute to Village Enterprise (please give examples)
• Where did you find this job posting?