EAII Advisors Principal Manager MLE

About EAII

EAII Advisors, Evidence Action’s technical partner in India, supports state governments in delivering evidence-based public health programs, including safe drinking water initiatives and school and Anganwadi-based National Deworming Day and iron and folic acid supplementation. Operating across 10 states, EAII Advisors provides technical assistance to ministries of health, education, water, and women and child development, reducing health burdens in impoverished communities and improving the long-term wellbeing of children and families.

For more information, read about our work here: About Evidence Action and EAII

About Evidence Action

At Evidence Action, we deliver data-driven interventions that transform lives at an unprecedented scale. We identify neglected global health issues and deploy proven solutions, forging healthier futures for generations.

Our model operationalizes leading academic research (including from Nobel-winning economists). We measure progress and outcomes at every stage to ensure we’re making a real impact for people living in poverty and suffering from preventable or treatable health issues. Operating across 9 countries, our team of 800+ has reached over 500 million people, working closely with governments to scale these interventions.

Our Deworm the World program has delivered over 2 billion treatments, significantly reducing worm prevalence and generating more than $23 billion in lifetime productivity gains.

Through Safe Water Now, we’ve saved the lives of over 15,000 children.

Our Accelerator explores untapped opportunities in global health, testing low-cost interventions with the greatest potential to save and improve lives.

At Evidence Action, your colleagues are your greatest asset. You'll partner with high-caliber colleagues in an environment blending innovation, autonomy, and teamwork. Our team excels in disruptive thinking and believes in rolling up our sleeves to get things done. If you're looking to work flexibly and with purpose, join a team that delivers measurable change for millions.

The Role

This position is the Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation (MLE) Team by driving coordination across internal stakeholders, providing management support for various MLE workstreams, and advancing strategic initiatives. As the primary coordinator and facilitator, you will ensure that various research components across the program meet its objectives efficiently and effectively.

While this position will be immediately responsible for effectively managing MLE initiatives related to Safe Water in India, the role will also include coordination and support for the Director of the function. You will be expected to oversee medium to

large workstreams, ensuring that outcomes across interconnected MLEs are met by leveraging tactical planning tools and managing external partners that support data collection services. You will enhance predictability, forecast necessary inputs and

outputs, and proactively address potential challenges. You will be responsible for budget planning and tracking related to MLE requirements and outcomes.

Your influence will shape the direction of your work both within the organisation and with external stakeholders. You will collaborate closely with other departments to ensure high-quality MLE outcomes through teamwork, mutual understanding, and an eagerness to support one another.

Responsibilities

Technical Delivery

• Implement the monitoring, learning and evaluation initiatives of the organisation and work towards the delivery of high-quality, timely data/information for decision making.
• Lead the development of a result-based MLE strategy, framework, key program performance indicators, and recommend data-driven corrective action.
• Manage third-party partners and ensure timely execution of contracts, set high standards of data quality, and process integrations. 
• Suggest and design new areas for research and operations research in line with Evidence Action's global priorities and India program needs.
• Coordinate with the global Evidence Action team to ensure MLE strategies are consistent and aligned with the organisation and country priorities.
• Develop concept notes for state government interactions to facilitate alignment with system reporting and strengthen the data management processes. 
• Lead scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and reports for information dissemination.
• Stay current on technical knowledge, including Jal Jeevan Mission guidelines for rural drinking water supply and latest research and publications, and share the latest developments with other team/s.

Program MLE-related Delivery

• Ensure the leadership team and other relevant stakeholders have access to timely, useful and accurate program MLE data for actionable decisions. 
• Ensure that donors, partners and management queries are addressed in an accurate and timely manner.
• Ensure that the country program data and evidence/information requirements for strategic engagement with policymakers across governments and donors, including collaboration with the global team, are planned and executed on time. 
• Provide critical “surge support” to fill strategic gaps on MLE support to program teams to manage risks or seize opportunities
• Lead annual MLE planning and budgeting process for programs and collaborate with other teams as necessary.
• Identify appropriate partnerships for technological options best suited for our programs and execute necessary transitions, including the use of appropriate AI use cases.
• Actively promote the synthesis and sharing of data/information across programs and generate readily available information for quick reporting to donors, governments and other stakeholders as required.
• Represent the organisation by participating in meetings with donors, national-level partners, including the Government of India and other technical agencies and participating in conferences and other events.

Cross-Functional Project & Organisational Strategy

• Facilitate strategic decision-making processes and subsequent change management efforts.
• Support Evidence Action’s AI strategy and pilots of AI integration into our programs and functions.
• Support organisation-wide annual planning and prioritisation for MLE activities.
• Coordinate activities across internal teams, ensuring consistent communication and collaboration to enhance overall program effectiveness.
• Anticipate and address operational challenges by leveraging resources, providing strategic guidance to leaders throughout all project phases—from milestone planning to execution.

Team Management & Culture Building

• Identify human resource needs of the team and work closely with the P&C team in recruitment of staff and consultants, as necessary.
• Identify MLE-related learning and training opportunities for the team.
• Mentor the MLE team members through timely and quality feedback, supervision and support for enhanced team performance.
• Model and reinforce Evidence Action values.
• Contribute to creating and strengthening the open and transparent culture, through inclusive practices and openness to different perspectives, and ideas.

• Advanced degree in statistics /economics /public health /social and/or gender studies /climate studies /or related field
• A master’s degree in business administration is a plus
• Must have 15+ years of work experience in monitoring and evaluation with a reputed organisation across sectors and cross-cutting themes, with a minimum of three years in managerial capacity
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of quantitative and qualitative research designs, approaches, and analytical skills in the context of program monitoring and evaluation of large-scale programs
• Experience in handling large-scale datasets with a strong command of quantitative software like PowerBI (preferred), Stata or SPSS. Prior experience in qualitative data analysis and skills in the use of qualitative software like MAXQDA (preferred), AtlasTi, NVivo or others 
• Prior experience with CAPI-based surveys using SurveyCTO
• Experience in working with mid-senior-level government partners at the national and state departments across sectors, especially the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
• Strong project management skills and prior experience in completing projects (with openness to iterations and design adaptations) on tight deadlines
• Ability to work in teams, in a result-oriented and culturally diverse environment, ensuring collaboration with colleagues at all levels across departments and external stakeholders
• Ability to successfully manage and mentor/develop teams
• Should be willing to travel at least 20% of the time