About This Role
This is a senior advisory role with a regional development organization that is scaling its technical operations across East Africa. As MERL Lead for the EthiopiaAI program, you will be responsible for designing and overseeing the systems that track whether artificial intelligence adoption is actually delivering measurable impact. The role suits a professional with strong analytical and program design experience who can work across technical teams and government stakeholders, not just a data collector. FC Africa operates at the intersection of development, investment, and advisory, so this position demands someone who can translate complex program outcomes into actionable insights for both donors and implementing partners.
What the Requirements Say About This Role
The implied profile is a seasoned monitoring and evaluation specialist who has moved beyond basic data collection into strategic program learning and adaptive management. FC Africa likely seeks someone who can build MERL frameworks from scratch for a forward-looking, technology-focused program, not just maintain existing systems. The seniority level suggests they expect demonstrated experience in leading teams, designing indicators for multi-stakeholder programs, and producing high-quality reports for international funders. Familiarity with AI or digital development is a strong unspoken advantage.
How to Approach This Application
Your application should highlight specific examples of designing MERL systems for complex, multi-year programs, especially those involving technology or innovation. Emphasize your ability to work with government partners and adapt learning loops to inform program strategy, not just report on outputs. Since FC Africa blends development and investment approaches, show you understand how to measure both social impact and market-driven outcomes. Tailor your cover letter to demonstrate how your MERL experience can help validate the responsible adoption of AI in Ethiopia’s context.
Who This Role Suits
This role is best suited for an experienced MERL professional with at least five years in international development who is comfortable working on emerging technology programs in a fast-evolving sector. It is likely competitive given the unique focus on AI in Ethiopia and the organization’s regional expansion.
ABOUT FC AFRICA
FC Africa, formerly First Consult, is a regional development organization operating across East Africa. The transition to FC Africa reflects the organization’s substantial growth in regional reach, technical expertise, and service offerings since its establishment in 2006. Alongside FC Development and FC Investment, we operate through a unified model that blends development resources, investment capital, and advisory services. FC Development delivers grants, guarantees, and technical assistance, while FC Investment supports enterprise financing, investment readiness, and capital mobilization.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
EthiopiaAI is a 3-year program launched in May 2026 designed to support Ethiopia in accelerating the responsible adoption and institutionalization of Artificial Intelligence across priority sectors, including public service delivery, economic transformation, and climate resilience. The programme builds on national policy frameworks such as the National AI Policy and the Digital Ethiopia 2030 Strategy, which together establish a strong foundation for the integration of advanced technologies into governance and development systems.
The MERL Lead for this program is responsible to design, establish, and operationalize the foundational MERL architecture for the project. The MERL Lead will build the complete monitoring and evaluation ecosystem from scratch, ensuring the project has the frameworks, tools, and workplans required to effectively measure impact and pivot based on evidence.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Framework Architecture & Theory of Change:
- Review project proposal documents to refine and finalize the project’s Theory of Change and Logical Framework (LogFrame).
- Develop a comprehensive MERL Framework that defines clear indicators (KPIs), baseline requirements, data sources, and targets.
- Documentation & Standardization:
- Draft the master MERL Manual/Plan, outlining data flow, methodology, roles, and responsibilities across the team.
- Design standard operating procedures (SOPs) for data collection, quality assurance, data privacy, and storage.
- Workplan & Tool Development:
- Create a detailed MERL Annual Workplan synced with the overall project implementation timeline.
- Design and customize data collection tools (e.g., surveys, qualitative interview guides, dashboard wireframes).
- Learning & Adaptation Strategy:
- Establish a "Learning Agenda" to capture unexpected outcomes and institutional knowledge.
- Set up mechanisms for regular reflection sessions (e.g., Pause & Reflect moments) to feed data back into implementation.
Education
- Master’s degree in Statistics, Economics, International Development, Social Sciences, or a related field.
Experience
- Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive experience in MERL, with a distinct track record of designing MERL systems during project start-up/inception phases.
- Expertise in developing Logical Frameworks, Indicator Performance Tracking Tables, and Theories of Change.
- Proficiency with digital data collection platforms and data visualization tools.
- Soft Skills: Strong strategic thinking, excellent technical writing skills (proven ability to write clear manuals), and the ability to work independently under tight start-up deadlines.
- Excellent writing and analytical skill in capturing learnings and drafting reports;
- Perform any other duties as may be required by the immediate supervisor
- The ideal candidate must have proven experience building MERL systems from scratch, rather than just maintaining existing ones.
REPORTING
The MERL Lead reports to the Programme Lead.
How To Apply
FC Africa invites all well-qualified candidates to apply. Competent candidates should submit their one-page cover letter and updated CVs only to: jobs@fcafrica.com before July 8, 2026. Candidates MUST refer to the position title "Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Lead " in the subject line of their email and applications
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Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Lead
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