Senior Manager, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

ABOUT NIA TERO

Nia Tero is a nonprofit organization established in 2017 to work in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples who sustain thriving territories and cultures to strengthen guardianship of Earth and all beings. We believe that if people anchored to places are thriving, those places key for all will thrive as well. For this reason, we work with Indigenous Peoples and local communities living in and safeguarding collective territory. We seek partners with a vision for the future in which peoples of those territories maintain strong connections to place and culture and sustain intergenerational connection with remarkable ecosystems. We partner in the long term to support those efforts toward accomplishing that vision. Nia Tero is seeking candidates and partners who thrive in a dynamic environment and are flexible as the organization grows and scales.

Nia Tero’s Guiding Principles require that we center Indigenous Ways and Means (IWM) in our working practices:

“Our structures and working practices explicitly reflect an intention to listen to both descendants and ancestors, and to work patiently to build relationships and trust. We refer to this intention as Indigenous Ways and Means.”

IWM refers to wisdom, knowledge, practices, and relationships with the more-than human reality, developed by societies with long uninterrupted interaction and co-evolution with their natural environments. IWM addresses the need to renew the relationship to the Earth held by those who live in traditional Indigenous ways.

POSITION SUMMARY

Nia Tero seeks an experienced, highly skilled individual to serve as Senior Manager of Nia Tero’s MEL systems. This important position will report to the Managing Director (MD), Impact and Learning, and play a central role in managing and supporting the implementation of Nia Tero’s emerging MEL systems.

Working with an open heart in close, fast-paced collaboration across Nia Tero teams, this person will manage the implementation of Nia Tero’s MEL system with support and oversight from the MD, Impact and Learning. This individual will ensure effective implementation and adaptation of MEL systems. Duties will include populating monitoring metrics, gathering, tracking, analyzing, and distributing information to enable Nia Tero to understand its impact and help Nia Tero use that information to improve continuously.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

MEL system design and training

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Nia Tero’s MEL system and assist cross organizational project teams and partners to collect and analyze project data.
• Manage the implementation and improvement of the Nia Tero MEL system in support of organizational impact and growth while mentoring team members on MEL approaches.
• Collaborate with Salesforce Database Manager to bridge system design between MEL tools and Salesforce Database.
• Manage Nia Tero’s MEL system and related tools (learning questions, key indicators, data collection tools, etc.).
• Help create and implement an MEL expansion roadmap and related learning tools.
• Serve as the MEL lead with all external programmatic partners and outside contractors interfacing with the MEL system.
• Design an MEL feedback process for Nia Tero teams to ensure data collected and findings are communicated across the organization.
• Collaborate with Nia Tero teams on the alignment and integration of the MEL system to all facets of the organization’s strategy.

Data collection, analysis, and reports

• Support the development of culturally appropriate MEL tools such as questionnaires, interviews, and registration forms, grounded in and consistent with Nia Tero’s commitment to Indigenous Ways and Means.
• Support related data entry by Nia Tero teams.

• Help identify and then lead analysis and interpretation of trends, patterns, and areas for improvement.
• Develop and keep current data visualizations and dashboards in Power BI.
• Provide Nia Tero teams with accurate, practical, and useful MEL-related information in a consistent, timely manner to support evidence-based learning and decision making.
• Prepare reports and presentations drawing from MEL frameworks and data.
• Promote use of the MEL system across Nia Tero teams to support organization-wide learning and improvement.
• Collaborate with Nia Tero teams for regular MEL reporting to Board, Leadership, and key stakeholders.

PEOPLE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
This position will not directly supervise anyone or have direct financial oversight. This position requires discretion, cultural sensitivity, and facile experience working with and alongside Indigenous Peoples.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience Requirements*

• 5+ years of relevant work experience in monitoring and evaluation, research, or data analysis.
• Experience working with Indigenous Peoples and international relations.
• Experience working with conservation issues preferred.
• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as statistics, international relations, economics, social sciences, public policy is preferred.

*A combination of education, training, and experience which has provided theoretical and practical knowledge will be evaluated for equivalency.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proven ability to navigate within Indigenous communities and manage the delicate nuances and complexities involved with moving between and among Indigenous and non-Indigenous spaces.
• Experience successfully working alongside Indigenous Peoples.
• Solution and action-focused with proven ability to think and implement proactively and pragmatically.
• Ability to function successfully with myriad unknowns and in creative spaces.
• Ability to articulate complex ideas and activities with elegance and simplicity.
• Ability to describe key concepts such as “reciprocity” and interrelatedness of all beings.
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make evidence-based recommendations with knowledge of statistical and qualitative analysis techniques and data visualization tools.
• Ability to produce compelling data visualizations in Power BI.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with rigorous attention to detail (e.g., preparing reports, presenting findings to stakeholders).
• Ability to identify problems, develop solutions, and implement change, meeting deadlines working both independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse project staff, partners, and stakeholders across multiple countries, cultures, and time zones.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodologies, data analysis techniques, and project management principles.
• Familiarity with issues relating to climate and biodiversity.

Ideal

• Working knowledge of Spanish, French or Portuguese.
• Working knowledge of SharePoint, Teams, Asana, and/or other project management tools.
• Experience with start-up cultures.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND TRAVEL
This full-time position is ideally based in Seattle, with flexibility to work some evenings and weekend hours as needed. The team is open to considering a remote work arrangement. Specific details regarding the schedule and expectations will be agreed on during the hiring process.

This position includes approximately 10% travel to visit regions and Indigenous Peoples in territory to deepen understanding of Nia Tero’s work and to support events, regional and global convenings.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

• Visually or otherwise identify, observe, and assess distance, color and depth; required to regularly communicate with others and exchange accurate information.
• Able to operate a computer and other office productivity equipment; able to remain stationary at a computer for extended periods of time and move around their assigned workspace.

HOW TO APPLY

If interested in this role, click on the APPLY NOW button below to email your cover letter and resume. Please include “Senior Manager, MEL” in the subject line.

Nia Tero is a polycultural, global organization that strives to have an inclusive, equitable, and diverse work culture. We strongly encourage people from historically excluded groups to apply.

The salary for this position is USD $105,000-$115,000 annually based on experience. Our compensation program is U.S. based and pay ranges are representative of compensation in the U.S. market. For positions outside of the U.S., pay rates are determined based on the applicable local regional market.

This is a full-time permanent position and qualifies for healthcare benefits (medical, dental and vision), 401K and paid time off (including vacation leave, sick leave and personal days).