MEL Manager Media Development Program (part-time or full-time hybrid)

Introducing Zinc Network

Zinc Network is a business dedicated to meaningful, measurable change. Zinc conceptualises and creates programs, interventions, and strategic communications campaigns around some of the world’s most complex problems – from disinformation to extremism, media capture to authoritarianism
We are headquartered in London with offices in Washington, D.C. and Warsaw and have 100+ team members from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. Zinc works with a broad range of public, private sector and civil society clients, including the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); the U.S. Department of State (DOS); UN agencies and missions; and foundations.

Outline of the job
Zinc is looking for an MEL Manager to work on media development projects, in particular the USAID-funded Central Europe Media Program to support the financial sustainability of independent media.

The MEL Manager will be responsible for the implementation of MEL activities, including data collection, monitoring, analysis, and reporting to the project team and the client. The MEL Manager will be responsible for drafting, managing, gathering and inputting data and reporting using an Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning plan (AMEL). The MEL Manager will develop program indicators, capturing data and results, and will help the Chief of Party (COP) report on the status of the program and progress toward achieving key results, in particular quarterly and annual reporting to the client. Additionally, the MEL Manager will gather data for, and write up, impact stories, and capture and share data-driven learnings.

The MEL Manager should have demonstrated experience working with independent media, preferably on topics related to audience engagement and revenue generation. Experience of working with independent media in Central Europe would be an advantage.

In this role, we are looking for a core team member who has experience in gathering and analysing data, in particular audience data, and who knows how to measure impact and tell impact stories.

Responsibilities:

·       Set, review and update priority indicators for project MEL Plan to reflect evolving media landscape and audience behaviour;

·       Review and update the project Theory of Change;

·       Determine, review and update MEL indicators for project activities and support measures (grants, technical assistance, and training events/workshops/ conferences), in particular the Performance Indicators in grant agreements;

·       Design and implement MEL data collection methodologies that capture both traditional and emerging metrics across owned, earned, and paid media;

·       Gather data from grantees, e.g. audience metrics across platforms, user journey analytics, community engagement indicators, measures of financial sustainability, including annual financial data, and other data needed to assess achievement of goals set out in grant proposals;

·       Work closely with project management team on grant reporting to determine performance indicators, measure outcomes and impact, and provide guidance to grantees on reporting on implementation;

·       Work closely with grantees to ensure evidence-based and accurate reporting on progress in meeting performance indicators;

·       Conduct interviews with grantees to assess impact and gather results of grant implementation and technical assistance provided;

·       Collect research and cross-platform data on key thematics and turn it into insights;

·       Analyse indicator results and provide advice on strategies to improve project performance;

·       Identify patterns and trends in audience behavior across different platforms and touchpoints;

·       Design and analyse surveys of grantees/event participants to gather level of knowledge and understanding before and after training events/workshops, and to measure immediate impact and long-term engagement;

·       Identify results and success stories and, working with project management team, write up results of project activities and support to grantees for project reporting, communications with client and publication on CEMP website, and or case studies for client and Zinc;

·       Provide MEL input, both data and narrative, to quarterly and annual client reports;

·       Alert project management team in the case of concerns regarding the integrity of project data or practices;

·       Travel to, and participate in, media development conferences where, in agreement with project manager, important potential learning opportunities are identified in terms of trends and practice in MEL in media development with a view to strengthening CEMP and wider Zinc MEL practice in media development projects;

·       Participate in departmental learning exercises and in MEL team learning and exchange sessions to strengthen learning and understanding of evolving MEL trends and practice in the media development sector;

·       Ensure the project meets high standards for performance and integrity that comply with Zinc Network's processes, policies, and procedures.

What we need from you:

·       Bachelor's degree or higher and at least five years' experience in monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning activities on international programs;

·       Experience of USAID's MEL requirements, frameworks, and approaches;

·       Demonstrated ability to work effectively with media, clients, and other stakeholders;

·       Professional level of oral and written fluency in the English language (knowledge of Central European languages an advantage, but not necessary).

Conditions of Employment
Candidates who receive a job offer will be required to:

·       Disclose any previous disciplinary action against them resulting from a substantiated safeguarding (including any breaches involving trafficking-related activities) or workplace investigation

·       Undergo background checks including employment verification, sexual offender registry (as available), identity confirmation, and anti-terrorism vetting

How To Apply
Please include a CV and cover letter showcasing how your background meets the position requirements.

If you require an accommodation to be made at any point throughout the recruitment process, please advise us when contacted.