Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer @Unknown

Reporting to: Programs Lead 

Location: Africa, remote, with continental and global travel as required Contract Type: Full time 

Compensation: USD 49,200 per annum / USD 4,100 per month (inclusive of applicable  taxes, and subject to statutory deductions) 

Benefits: Remote working set-up support 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we encourage early submissions 

About Masakhane 

Masakhane is a pan-African initiative aimed at tackling the under-representation of African  languages in natural language processing (NLP) and AI. Our mission is to bring together  researchers, technologists, linguists, and community members from across the continent to  collaborate on AI that is inclusive and representative of Africa’s linguistic diversity. By working  collectively, we are democratizing access to cutting-edge AI research and contributing to the  global growth of African NLP. 

About Masakhane African Languages Hub 

The Masakhane African Languages Hub (“the Hub”) is a new initiative to address the critical  underrepresentation and misrepresentation of African languages in artificial intelligence (AI).  Anchored by the Masakhane Research Foundation (MRF), the Hub will develop community centered open-source datasets, models, and use cases to catalyze innovation in sectors such as  healthcare, education, and agriculture. With a vision to unlock AI’s benefits for over 1 billion  Africans, the Hub fosters community-driven approaches and long-term, sustainable partnerships  across the African NLP ecosystem. 

Our goal is to empower one billion Africans by 2029 with locally relevant AI tools and resources,  unlocking opportunities for economic development, local innovation, and the preservation of  Africa’s linguistic heritage. 

Position Overview 

The Senior MEL Officer leads the Hub’s monitoring, evaluation, and learning function, ensuring  programmes generate high-quality evidence, meaningful learning, and actionable insights that  strengthen portfolio performance, accountability, and adaptive management across the Hub.

Key Responsibilities 

1. Monitoring Systems and Performance 

● Design, implement, and continuously strengthen the Hub’s portfolio-wide  monitoring system, ensuring reliable indicators, dashboards, reporting processes,  and evidence collection across programmes. 

● Maintain high standards of data quality, consistency, and integrity to support  timely and informed decision-making. 

2. Evaluation and Evidence Generation 

● Coordinate evaluations, learning reviews, and assessment activities across the  Hub’s portfolio, working collaboratively with Program Managers, awardees, and  external consultants where appropriate. 

● Develop robust methodologies for measuring programme performance,  outcomes, and broader portfolio impact. 

3. Learning and Adaptive Management 

● Lead the Hub’s learning agenda by identifying strategic learning questions,  synthesising evidence across programmes, and facilitating structured reflection  that informs programme adaptation and future investment decisions. 

● Promote a culture of continuous learning where evidence is actively used to  strengthen programme quality and strategic direction. 

4. Knowledge Management and Learning Products 

● Produce high-quality knowledge products, including learning briefs, case studies,  evidence syntheses, impact stories, and portfolio insights for internal and external  audiences. 

● Ensure learning, evaluation findings, and good practices are systematically  documented, accessible, and shared across the Hub. 

5. Technical Support and Capacity Strengthening 

● Support Program Managers and sub-awardees in developing appropriate  monitoring frameworks, indicators, evaluation approaches, and reporting systems.
● Build MEL capacity across the Hub by developing practical tools, guidance, and  resources that strengthen evidence generation and learning.

6. Strategic Insights and Portfolio Learning 

● Analyse portfolio-wide trends, identify emerging patterns and lessons, and  provide evidence-based recommendations that strengthen programme quality,  portfolio performance, and strategic planning. 

● Work closely with the Programs Lead to ensure evidence and learning inform  portfolio design, funder reporting, organisational learning, and future  

programming 

Requirements 

Fluency in English is required; proficiency in one or more African languages would be considered  a strong asset. 

Academic Qualifications  

● Bachelor’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Biostatistics, Econometrics,  Demography, Economics, International Development, Development Studies, Sociology,  Public Policy, Anthropology, or another relevant quantitative or social science discipline. 

● A Master’s degree in Statistics, Economics, or Social Sciences + proven training in  quantitative data analysis software is an added advantage 

Key Competencies 

● Proven track record of designing evaluations through rigorous inclusion and exclusion  lenses, ensuring marginalized and underserved groups are equitably represented.
● Deep understanding of monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL), and evidence-generation  frameworks tailored specifically for research, innovation, and grantmaking portfolios.
● Ability to provide highly practical, hands-on guidance to Programme Managers and  external partners on designing indicators, establishing MEL frameworks, and  implementing robust data collection methodologies. 

● Skilled at identifying cross-cutting patterns across diverse projects, synthesizing complex  evidence, and generating high-level insights that shape strategic decision-making.
● Strong analytical capacity to interpret both quantitative and qualitative evidence,  translating complex data into clear, actionable, and strategic recommendations.
● Expert at translating complex technical evidence into accessible, polished knowledge  products including learning briefs, case studies, interactive dashboards, and executive  reports.

● Proven ability to facilitate reflective learning loops, support adaptive management  practices, and cultivate a deeply rooted culture of continuous learning across teams.
● A demonstrated commitment to intellectual curiosity, innovation, evidence-informed  decision-making, and the continuous elevation of program quality. 

● Adept at working seamlessly across internal functions while building high-trust,  collaborative relationships with awardees, consultants, funders, and academic colleagues.
● Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to translate  complex scientific and technical evidence for both specialist and non-technical audiences. 

Values & Mindset 

● Deeply aligned with Masakhane’s mission to advance African languages and inclusion in  AI. 

● A strategic and systems-minded thinker who translates vision into effective operations.
● Highly organized, proactive, and self-directed, thriving in remote and distributed  environments. 

● Transparent, accountable, and process-oriented, with a commitment to excellence and  integrity. 

● Collaborative and culturally attuned, able to work effectively across diverse African  contexts. 

Why Join Us 

● Play a central leadership role in operationalizing one of Africa’s most visible AI research  initiatives. 

● Shape the evidence and learning foundations of a growing pan-African research entity.
● Work alongside leading researchers and technologists across the continent.
● Contribute to high-impact work that advances linguistic equity and inclusive AI.
● Grow with an organization entering its next phase of institutional maturity. 

Reporting Line 

This position reports to the Programs Lead at the Masakhane African Languages Hub. 

Application Process 

Please submit your CV and a brief cover letter outlining your experience in monitoring,  evaluation and learning, and how you would contribute to strengthening Masakhane’s evidence  and learning systems.

Applications should be submitted via this link