Grassroot Soccer Zambia Seeks Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning Coordinators

Grassroot Soccer Zambia, an adolescent health organisation leveraging soccer to educate and inspire at-risk youth, is seeking two Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) Coordinators. The successful candidates will work closely with the Zambia MERL Manager, the Global MEL team, and other stakeholders to ensure timely, accurate, and high-quality data collection, management, and use. The MERL Coordinators will share responsibility for routine data collection, data quality, and Salesforce management, as well as research protocols and partnerships with external research collaborators.

The MERL Coordinators will track data submission by coaches, programme staff, and implementing partners, ensuring timely and complete reporting. They will support day-to-day use of the SKILLZ App and Salesforce, clean and validate routine programme data, and conduct Routine Data Quality Assessments (RDQAs). Additionally, they will support or conduct supportive supervision and monitoring visits to programme sites to observe service delivery quality and data collection practices firsthand.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, organised, and comfortable working with both quantitative and qualitative data. They should be a clear communicator who can train and support field-based staff and partners, troubleshoot data quality issues, and work collaboratively across teams and time zones. The MERL Coordinators will also support coordination of research studies and partnerships, contribute to drafting research protocols, and conduct qualitative data collection activities.

The MERL Coordinators will deliver training and refresher sessions for coaches, programme staff, and partners on M&E and research tools, data collection procedures, and reporting requirements. They will support the development and adaptation of data collection tools and keep related user guides and SOPs up to date. Furthermore, they will help coordinate internal learning and information-sharing calls and support onboarding of new staff and partners on GRS MERL processes and expectations.

The MERL Coordinators will support the Zambia MERL Manager and Programme Team with routine and donor reporting, compiling data, checking figures against source data, and flagging discrepancies. They will represent the MERL function in relevant country and programme meetings and maintain regular communication with the Global MEL team and the Research team. Additionally, they will attend meetings with implementing partners and government stakeholders, representing GRS Zambia's MERL function and sharing relevant data and findings.

The successful candidates will have a Bachelor's degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Public Health, Epidemiology, Statistics, Social Sciences, or a related field, with 3-5 years of experience in M&E and/or research coordination for international health or development programmes, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Master's degree will be an added advantage. The MERL Coordinators will provide input into work plans and track implementation of programme activities relevant to MERL against targets, national policy, and donor requirements.

Grassroot Soccer Zambia is looking to significantly scale its impact via partnerships over the next five years. The MERL Coordinators will play a critical role in ensuring that GRS Zambia collects, manages, and uses high-quality data to inform its programmes and partnerships. Interested candidates can apply for the position, which offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to work with a dynamic team to make a positive impact on the lives of young people in Zambia.

Key points

• Grassroot Soccer Zambia is seeking two MERL Coordinators to support its MERL function and scale its impact via partnerships.
• The successful candidates will have 3-5 years of experience in M&E and/or research coordination for international health or development programmes.
• The MERL Coordinators will play a critical role in ensuring that GRS Zambia collects, manages, and uses high-quality data to inform its programmes and partnerships.