Technical Advisor, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL)

About Palladium:

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.   

This Opportunity:

The Technical Advisor, MERL will contribute to a variety of MERL activities with emphasis on providing support to the Inclusive Growth (IG) and Health practices. The Technical Advisor (TA) will primarily serve four functions: 1) work with proposal capture teams to develop best in class, results driven proposals; 2) provide MERL backstopping to select projects; 3) contribute to development and delivery of tools, resources, and learning opportunities across the MERL team; and 4) contribute to MERL specific BD opportunities.

Location and Compensation: 

The position is based in Palladium’s Washington D.C. office.

For our prospective employees in the United States, please note that the full-time equivalent annual base salary for this position is expected to range from $76,000 to $115,000, and successful candidates may also be eligible for additional, variable incentive compensation dependent on the role. For part-time employees, the salary will be prorated based on the actual number of hours worked. 

Please be advised that a final salary offer will be based on various factors, including but not limited to your qualifications, education, experience, skills, seniority, performance, and Palladium’s business or organizational needs. 
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the compensation for this position, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We value your interest in our company and appreciate the opportunity to discuss this opportunity with you. 

Reporting Lines: 

The role reports to the Director, MERL in the Center of Technical Excellence (CoTE

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Support Capture Teams to Develop Best in Class, Results Driven Proposals

Support capture and writing teams through implementation of all MERL related activities on proposals. This includes establishing excellent relationships with capture teams, facilitating efficient processes for developing theory of change, advising capture teams on RFP/NOFO requirements of AMELP, CLA plans, etc. and collaborating with the writing team on developing those sections and ensuring they are well integrated into the proposal, including appropriate budgeting
Support teams in the pre-proposal writing phase of opportunity development with problem identification, research, and data gathering
Ensure all proposals have donor compliant MERL sections and use Palladium best practice tools and templates
Work with capture teams to identify and leverage other technical expertise to write a winning proposal (e.g., digital, data science, inclusive development, climate) within the CoTE and Palladium

Provide MERL Backstopping to Select Projects

Support MEL during project start-up, including facilitating TOC sessions, AMELP development, and other requirements at start up within required timelines. This could include participating in work planning sessions and coordinate with developers and MEL/project staff to develop/adapt MEL data capture systems
Support the project team on identifying suitable MERL candidates, orienting MERL project staff on Palladium processes/best practices and support from the CoTE, and supporting them/facilitating access to CoTE resources based on demand driven needs
As needed, support project teams on regularly reviewing performance monitoring data to inform adaptive management and project learning, including presenting MEL data to project teams; critically analyzing MEL data to identify opportunities for improvements; facilitating pause and reflect sessions; and contributing to development of study protocols and oversight of vendors/data collection firms
As needed, review quarterly reports and communication pieces to ensure results are adequately communicated to clients
Facilitate select COP sessions and participate in others, ensuring projects are accessing MERL support and learning is fed back up to Director MERL for improvement in Palladium tools and processes

Contribute to Development and Delivery of Tools, Resources, and Learning

Contribute to publishing portfolio project/practice successes through success stories, blogs, conference presentations, publications, or other ways of sharing learning internally and externally. Assist MEL project staff in the same
Participate in MERL and CoTE sessions, COP activities, etc and support developing needs based, user friendly tools and resources for staff

Contribute to MERL Specific BD Opportunities

Review the USAID and other client forecasts and partake in other intelligence gathering activities to identify potential procurement opportunities for Palladium in the MERL space
Support capture strategy through conducting background research, organizing events/publications, engaging with partners and potential clients, etc.
Take on various roles for opportunities including writing proposal sections, capturing, and supporting strategy

Essential Criteria: 

Relevant work experience - living or working in international settings providing technical assistance in the MERL sector
Understanding of the USAID project cycle, policies, regulations, monitoring and evaluation methodologies, and reporting requirements
Candidate must have demonstrated successful experience developing AMELPs , contributing to evaluation implementation, and summarizing successes and learning from project data
Experience in proposal development including facilitating TOC development, conducting background research, contributing to strategy sessions, etc.
Excellent feedback from internal clients related to their MEL work and proven success in implementing client-centered approaches
Is a considerate and empathetic listener who is responsive to the needs of others. Builds strong connection with individuals and across teams
High intellectual curiosity and ability to stay up-to-date on latest MEL approaches
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to write technical documents in English
Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation design and analysis methodologies
Is an effective communicator, demonstrating their ability to influence others using their experience and skilled techniques when negotiating or having difficult conversations
Has a focus on continuous improvement, supports, encourages and embraces system and process change
Ability to work effectively and thrive in a fast-paced environment
Strong time management and organizational skills; demonstrated ability to work well independently and in teams
Proven expertise in at least one of five sectors (health, humanitarian response, finance and investment, environment, economic growth)
Working proficiency in at least one other language a plus (e.g., French, Spanish, Kiswahili)
Cross regional experience preferred (e.g., Africa, LAC, Asia Pacific)
Ability and willingness to travel internationally about 25% of the time

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.