Program Quality, Evidence & Learning Director

About the role

Mercy Corps is proposing a full-time Program Quality, Evidence & Learning Director position in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, in anticipation of additional humanitarian funding. The role strengthens systems for program quality, accountability, learning and strategic communication across the portfolio, builds a strong PaQ unit and institutionalizes Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) systems, including Community Accountability and Response Mechanisms (CARM).

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for clearly defined roles, accountability structures and alignment with life-saving priorities in Borno State.
• Integrate program data, context analysis and evidence into country and sector strategies, and establish systems for program quality, monitoring, learning, reporting and community accountability.
• Lead the design and oversight of MEL, research, reporting and CARM systems, and ensure quality assurance across sectors such as WASH, Nutrition, Food Security, Cash, Protection and Shelter.
• Promote adaptive management so real-time data informs operational decisions, and support proposal development with lessons learned and accountability frameworks.
• Produce learning products such as evaluation briefs, lessons learned reports, case studies and best-practice notes, and turn field results into evidence-driven narratives for donors and stakeholders.
• Institutionalize CARM, ensure compliance with Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) standards and protection mainstreaming, and integrate Do No Harm and safeguarding principles.
• Build and lead the PaQ team, providing supervision, coaching and performance management, and recruit and develop team members.
• Represent Mercy Corps in donor engagements, coordination forums and technical working groups on program quality, learning and accountability.