MEL & Data Specialist

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) & Data Specialist - Job Description

One Good Turn Global Health is seeking an experienced MEL and data professional to lead the development of monitoring, evaluation, and data systems for a school health training program scaling across Kenya and beyond. The MEL & Data Specialist will build and manage impact monitoring, evaluation, and data systems for our global health training programs, requiring a strong background in M&E in a global context, as well as expertise in data organization, analysis, and writing. The Specialist will also identify and generate outputs for new dissemination opportunities through peer-reviewed journals and professional conferences, and will contribute to the growth and development of One Good Turn.

ABOUT ONE GOOD TURN GLOBAL HEALTH

One Good Turn Global Health (OGT) is a global health nonprofit organization based in Austin, TX. Our mission is to provide practical health education and care to underserved communities worldwide. We partner with communities and organizations to empower local health providers with useful, replicable, and sustainable medical information. Working side-by-side with our partners in clinical and school settings, we teach health literacy and preventative health measures. Through education, we build sustainable pathways to better health for communities worldwide. Learn more at www.onegoodturn.org.

PROJECT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Since 2023, OGT’s School Health Agency, Resources, and Education (SHARE) Program has equipped teachers in Kenya with practical health skills and knowledge, preparing them to serve as School Health Officers (SHOs). The program’s curriculum, OGT’s proprietary School Health Officer Handbook, includes clinical assessments (height, weight, mid-upper arm circumference [MUAC], growth curves), health care (rehydration, menstrual pain, wound and burn care), and health education (nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, oral health). Schools are respected community centers where information is regularly shared with families, community leaders, and local clinics. The SHARE Program trains SHOs in basic health screening and supports them as they teach health education and safety to students.

To date, the program has trained 675 SHOs at 172 schools across Kenya, serving 66,000 students, 3,235 school staff, and reaching an estimated 251,000 community members. This fall, OGT is entering a new partnership with an academic and research institution in Kenya to support wide-scale implementation, and plans to launch small pilots of SHARE beyond Kenya.

The current evaluation framework for SHARE includes a baseline survey with three follow-up progress reports (one per academic term) in Kenya over a 1-year period, in addition to pre and post-training knowledge assessments completed by SHOs. You can read more about our pilot program evaluation here.

We have proven that SHARE works at an initial scale in Kenya. We're now ready to build the standardized evidence, data, and learning infrastructure needed to take it to the next level - in Kenya and beyond.

SCOPE OF WORK

The MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning) & Data Specialist will lead the design, implementation, and management of the SHARE Program’s MEL and research systems in collaboration with local academic partners and data teams, focusing on data-driven impact measurement and evidence for programs globally. Key responsibilities include developing MEL frameworks, overseeing data collection and analysis, ensuring data quality, building local team data capacity, strengthening academic partnerships, and generating reports and publications on quantitative and qualitative findings.

To date, OGT’s data and evaluation work has been supported by a talented team of student and volunteer analysts. As the SHARE Program enters a new phase of scale, we are creating this new position to establish a professional MEL function and build the systems needed to support continued growth. As such, the MEL & Data Specialist will have both the responsibility and flexibility to sculpt this new role and build new systems.

This is a unique opportunity to build OGT's MEL function at a pivotal stage of organizational growth. Rather than inheriting an established system, the successful candidate will help determine how OGT measures impact, manages data, learns from implementation, and translates evidence into program improvements and research. The role offers substantial autonomy and the opportunity to work directly with OGT leadership, Kenyan academic partners, program teams, and emerging researchers.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

MEL & Data Systems

• Establish and strengthen a standardized MEL framework and indicator set for SHARE implementation in Kenya and new pilots internationally.
• Design and strengthen data collection, management, quality assurance, and reporting systems.
• Develop data and evaluation systems capable of supporting SHARE's expansion to additional countries.
• Refine One Good Turn’s organizational data procedures and privacy standards.

Research & Evaluation

• Establish evaluation and research protocols in collaboration with Kenyan academic partners.
• Oversee analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative program data for new global pilots.
• Produce high-quality evaluation reports for funders, partners, and internal review.

Dissemination

• Co-author manuscripts, abstracts, and conference presentations to disseminate program evidence and strengthen OGT’s contribution to global health practice.
• Build the capacity of OGT staff and local partners to use data for program improvement.

Capacity Building and Team Management

• Collaborate with the Executive Team to integrate evidence into program design and improve effectiveness.
• Manage a MEL support team of 2-4 MEL interns and volunteer analysts.
• Facilitate regular team calls and track team progress against work plans.
• Train program and field teams on MEL tools, best practices, and reporting.
• Support and mentor in-country MEL staff, with potential for direct supervision of Kenya-based Master’s and/or PhD candidates.

Reports to: The Executive Team (Executive Director and Associate Director)

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Within the first year, the MEL & Data Specialist will have established standardized MEL and data systems for SHARE, strengthened data quality and reporting across program sites, developed evaluation protocols with academic partners, and created processes that enable OGT leadership and program teams to routinely use evidence for decision-making. The Specialist will also help establish a pipeline for dissemination of OGT's program evidence through reports, conferences, and peer-reviewed publications.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Commitment to improving health literacy and advancing evidence-based approaches to community health promotion globally
• Master’s degree or higher in global health, epidemiology, monitoring and evaluation, statistics, or a relevant discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience monitoring and evaluating global health initiatives.
• Demonstrate expertise in quantitative and qualitative methodologies, survey development, reporting, data quality assessments, data analysis and presentation, and establishing and managing MEL systems that track performance.
• Knowledge of best practices and ethics protections for conducting research and evaluation with marginalized groups and minors.
• Strong data management skills, including linking databases, data collection platforms, and data visualization tools.
• Demonstrated writing ability, including publications and conference presentations.

HOURS & COMPENSATION

The MEL & Data Specialist is a brand new role with One Good Turn that we’ve recognized is critical for the growth of our evidence-based programs and impact reporting. We hope to bring on a qualified candidate that is an excellent match for our organization’s growth stage and collaboratively define the terms of this position.

Because this is a newly created position, we are open to shaping the weekly time commitment and scope of responsibilities around the experience and availability of the selected candidate. Compensation will be commensurate with experience and mutually agreed upon time commitment, with an anticipated annualized range of $30-$70,000. This is a fully remote position.

We are open to shaping the weekly time commitment and scope of responsibilities around the experience and availability of the selected candidate. Compensation will be commensurate with experience and mutually agreed upon time commitment.