MEL Manager

MEL Manager

Sri Lanka

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager

About Palladium: Operating in over 50 countries, Palladium is a global consulting and implementation company working in partnership with governments, businesses, investors, and communities to design and deliver solutions that create lasting positive impact. We address some of the world’s most complex challenges across infrastructure, economic growth and natural capital, health, energy, climate and environment, and digital transformation—strengthening systems, institutions, and markets to support inclusive and sustainable development. Our more than 2,100 staff worldwide work as trusted advisors across diverse contexts, combining deep technical expertise, implementation techniques, and innovative technology to deliver locally informed, client-focused solutions that help organisations achieve measurable, sustainable impact.

Palladium is part of GISI’s global family of companies, which aims to create solutions for the world’s most complex challenges. With annual revenues of $14 billion, GISI’s approximately 15,000 employees are engaged in projects across 100 countries worldwide providing construction, program/project management, and engineering consulting services.

About the Project: The Sri Lanka Dairy Commercialization Program (DCP) is a market-driven initiative that aims to increase dairy productivity, improve quality, and strengthen value chain competitiveness in Sri Lanka. By promoting innovative business models, expanding access to modern technologies and inputs, and mobilizing private sector investment, the program will support sustainable growth in domestic dairy production, reduce reliance on imports, and create new commercial opportunities for both Sri Lankan and U.S. businesses.

Position Summary: The MEL Manager will lead DCP's monitoring, evaluation, and learning function, including performance monitoring, data collection and quality assurance, evaluation support, indicator tracking, reporting, learning, and use of evidence for adaptive management.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of the project's MEL activities and performance monitoring system.
• Develop routine monitoring tools and associated SOPs in coordination with technical leads.
• Coordinate collection of quantitative and qualitative data from project records, surveys, assessments, partners, financial institutions, interviews, training records, and other sources.
• Track progress against USDA and project performance indicators.
• Coordinate with the grants function to ensure appropriate grantee data contribute to performance monitoring.
• Lead data-quality assurance and conduct annual internal quality-assurance exercises for selected critical indicators.
• Maintain project monitoring information in the MIS and support appropriate analytics and visualization.
• Support baseline, midterm, and final evaluation processes and independent evaluators.
• Facilitate evidence use, learning, adaptive management, and documentation of lessons and good practices.
• Ensure appropriate management and protection of PII and sensitive project data.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in monitoring and evaluation, statistics, economics, agricultural economics, development studies, or a related field.

• At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning for donor-funded development programs.

• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing performance-monitoring systems, indicators, data-collection tools, and standard operating procedures.

• Strong quantitative and qualitative data-management and analysis skills, including data cleaning, quality assurance, visualization, and reporting.

• Experience supporting baseline, midterm, and final evaluations and coordinating with independent evaluators.

• Experience managing data from implementing partners or grantees and using management information systems.

• Demonstrated ability to facilitate learning, translate evidence into actionable recommendations, and support adaptive management.

• Knowledge of data protection principles, including the responsible handling of personally identifiable and sensitive information.

• Knowledge of Sri Lanka’s agricultural market systems—preferably the dairy sector—and relevant public- and private-sector stakeholders.

• Strong written and verbal communication, facilitation, and collaboration skills.

• Sri Lankan nationality required.

• Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early as the position may close once a suitable candidate is found. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

• All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.

• Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual, or for any other circumstance, please contact the team and we will be in touch to discuss.

• Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.