Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Advisor

POSITION TITLE: Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Advisor

POSITION LOCATION: Hybrid - Based in a country in which WUSC has an office (including but not limited to Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guyana, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Sri Lanka, Kenya)

REPORTS TO: Manager, MERL 

CONTRACT TERM: 12 month term, with the possibility of extension depending on the availability of funds

LANGUAGES: Fluency in English; French is an asset

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Feb 28, 2026

BACKGROUND

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development organization focusing in three programmatic areas: Economic Opportunities, Education, and Empowerment. Our vision is a better world for youth - a world where all young people, especially women, are empowered to secure a good quality of life for stronger families and communities.  WUSC currently works in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $45 million. We have a staff of over 90 people in our Ottawa office, and over 200 people overseas implementing 16 development projects in collaboration with donors, such as Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the African Development Bank. Globally, we collaborate with a network of higher education institutions, civil society organizations, private sector partners, professionals, students, volunteers, faculty and community leaders to achieve our mission. 

NATURE AND SCOPE

WUSC is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Advisor to play a key role in implementing WUSC’s MERL Policy and Strategy; developing innovative Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems that contribute to WUSC’s ability to measure impact and results, track performance, and integrate lessons from programming to improve the quality, scope, sustainability and impact of our work. The MERL Advisor will ensure high quality monitoring and evaluation across WUSC’s programs and projects, supporting the incorporation of continuous learning into programmatic thinking and practice.  The advisor will also be responsible for strengthening MERL capacity within projects and programs.  

Supervised by the Manager, MERL, the MERL Advisor collaborates closely with peer MERL Advisors, Technical Advisors and MERL project staff. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Quality Assurance and Capacity Development

• Provide support to project teams to ensure the effective design, revision/update and implementation of project MERL systems across a portfolio of programs;
• Advise program staff in the development or revision of high quality Logic Models, Performance Measurement Frameworks, theories of change, learning agendas and MERL plans for new and existing program and projects;  
• Advise program staff in determining project information needs and propose strategies to increase data use and demand, focusing not only on reporting needs but also on organizational learning objectives;
• Advise program staff on ways to properly document, organize and capture program progress in a gender and youth responsive manner;
• Advise program managers in reviewing donor reports to ensure the submission of high quality reports that clearly articulate results and lessons learned;
• Lead the development and implementation of tools and processes for regular tracking and analysis of program data;
• Support the rollout of the new MERL Strategy, in particular MERL capacity building efforts, including training of WUSC staff and partners and developing guidelines, tip sheets, and templates for the MERL toolkit.

Research, Knowledge Sharing and Learning

• Promote innovative thinking within our program teams and facilitate ways to capture and scale up innovations;
• Advise program staff in designing and implementing studies, research, and evaluations;
• Support the development of systems and processes to generate program data and research that will facilitate evidence-based learning, adaptive management, reflection and informed decision making at the project and organisational level; 
• Support the setup and maintenance of knowledge management systems to allow for easy access and sharing of MERL resources, while strengthening the security of sensitive data; 
• Co-facilitate WUSC’s MERL Community of Practice to promote cross-pollination, peer-support, knowledge-sharing and learning.

Other duties

• Support programs in recruiting MERL staff and consultants; 
• Supervise consultants as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in social sciences, international development or related field; 
• A minimum of 7 years of experience working for international development organizations or social impact organizations preferably with significant experience in regions in which WUSC works;
• Excellent working knowledge of Results Based Management (RBM) approaches, including Logic Model and Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) development;
• Familiarity with systems thinking and systems-informed approaches to monitoring and evaluation;
• Proven experience in the design and implementation qualitative and quantitative research methods; 
• Experience in the development of data collection tools and data collection protocols, including knowledge of digital data collection platforms and data analysis packages;
• Proven ability to work productively with a variety of stakeholders to run participatory processes and meet tight deadlines with an emphasis on producing quality products;
• Experience with a range of institutional donors, such as Global Affairs Canada, UKAID, among others, as well as major foundations, such as Mastercard Foundation;
• Effective interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills;
• Detail oriented and strong commitment to ethical standards in monitoring and evaluation;
• Flexibility, with a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate high levels of responsibility and multiple priorities;
• Flexibility to work both in a team and independently, and ability to work well with others;
• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality and youth empowerment;
• Ability to travel in and out of Canada (up to 25%) and occasionally work irregular hours and weekends.

Languages: 

Fluency in English is required; fluency in French is preferred.

WHY WORK WITH WUSC?

Join Us. Our work is important, cutting-edge, and rewarding. We encourage curiosity, innovation, and flexibility.

WUSC offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference in the lives of youth around the world. Employees at WUSC work hard to create lasting change in education, economic opportunities and empowerment.

APPLICATIONS

WUSC’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an enhanced criminal record check.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e-mail a request to [email protected].

WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and abilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Candidates must be legally allowed to work in Canada. Please note that only the candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. 

We may utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to facilitate the initial screening of applications based on criteria outlined in the job description. The ultimate decision to interview and hire is determined by our dedicated hiring team.