Background/Context:
The IRC has operated in Syria since 2012, providing protection, health, economic recovery, and early childhood development programs in Idleb, Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa, Hassakeh, and Deir ez-Zor, with new programs expanding into Hama, rural Damascus, and Homs. With a team of 350 members, the IRC has established trust and strong community relationships, ensuring access and effective service delivery. It plays a significant role in Syriaโs NGO, donor, and coordination forums, holding key positions and adapting to the evolving context.
Our longstanding experience in the country to date provides a strong foundation for the IRC to further adapt and expand its programming across Syria, in order to respond to the new realities, with a greater focus on resilience and recovery initiatives. Alongside this, the IRC also plays a significant role in Syriaโs NGO, donor, and coordination forums, holding key positions and actively engaging in advocacy efforts, adapting to the evolving context.
Job Overview:
The MEAL Officer supports the implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) systems to ensure high-quality program delivery and learning across IRCโs operations in Syria. This role involves implementing MEAL plans, tracking indicators, supporting data collection and analysis, and contributing to donor reporting. The officer collaborates closely with program teams, partners, and the Information Management (IM) unit to ensure data quality, visualization, and use in decision-making. Additionally, the MEAL Officer helps implement accountability mechanisms, including complaints and feedback systems, and provides capacity building to partners and staff to strengthen MEAL practices and ensure compliance with IRC and donor standards.
Responsibilities:
Monitoring and Evaluation:
Support or lead the design and implementation of MEAL plans, Indicator Performance Tracking Tables (IPTTs), with support from the MEAL Manager, including Sector Leads and the team. Support the establishment and maintenance of strong M&E systems and practices in Syria that follow the country program strategy, global guidelines and standards, encompassing both programs implemented by IRC as well as programs implemented in partnership with partners. Provide M&E technical assistance to program and partner teams and inputs into the set-up, implementation, and close-out stages of program management, including measurement methodologies, plans and tools, and data collection, quality assurance, management, and analysis. Support the reporting of project-specific MEAL plans, including indicator tracking, data collection tools, and reporting templates, and coordination with the MEAL manager. Contribute to donor reports by providing timely and accurate data analysis and narrative inputs. Support the implementation of internal or external program evaluations, e.g., TPMs. (Baseline, Final Evaluation, Need Assessment) Provide technical oversight and quality assurance for data visualization and reporting products developed by IM staff. Contribute to sharing and use of data, research, and learning within IRCโs program sectors, ensuring interventions are responsive to needs and informed by a sound understanding of the humanitarian context in Syria. Support partners` MEAL in overseeing MEAL plans, Indicator Performance Tracking Tables (IPTTs), in addition to providing capacity building for the partners regarding MEAL theory and various tools and applications. Support the MEAL Manager to work with program sector teams and the Grants Unit in ensuring that MEAL elements, including IM products, support strong proposals for new funding and high-quality reporting on current programs.Accountability
Support/ lead with Senior CR Officer on the design and implementation of effective Complaints Feedback and Response Mechanisms for programming. Ensure that the complaints & feedback mechanism is functional and accessible to all beneficiaries in the field. Develop a monthly trend analysis of complaints & feedback at the organizational level, giving the status of response by program teams, and share with the Senior CR Officer, MEAL Managers, and Coordinator Assist Senior CR Officer, MEAL Managers, and Coordinator in carrying out inquiries into the serious nature of complaints Support partner MEAL team on establishing a functional MEAL system in line with the above.Partnership and Capacity Building:
Build the capacity of program and partnersโ staff in MEAL and IM technical and management competencies. Provide feedback to program staff on all program technical data quality, systems strengths, and issues to improve both M&E and IM performance. Ensure appropriate proactive and reactive communications and engagement with IRC partners to implement sub-grant agreements and complete program deliverables, including alignment and support for IM systems and tools through regularly scheduled partnership management meetings.Information Management Engagement:
Collaborate closely with the Information Management (IM) Focal Point and relevant sectoral teams to support the development, maintenance, and alignment of data systems, dashboards, and digital tools that meet monitoring and evaluation needs across sectors. Actively support the creation and routine updating of Indicator Tracking Tables (ITTs), ensuring that indicator data is accurately collected, verified, and compiled in a timely manner for all ongoing projects. Contribute to the maintenance of beneficiary databases and program activity tracking tools by regularly validating field-level data and ensuring alignment with MEAL data protocols. Engage in the design and refinement of information products (e.g., dashboards, maps, visualizations), providing analytical inputs and supporting quality checks using tools such as Excel, Power BI, or equivalent platforms. Work with the IM team to contribute to regular data summaries and analytical outputs that inform programmatic decision-making, donor reporting, and learning agendas. Support efforts to strengthen data quality assurance mechanisms by coordinating closely with the MEAL Manager and IM Focal Point, ensuring coherent data flow across departments and field sites. Ensure that all monitoring data and datasets are reviewed for appropriate disaggregation (e.g., by age, gender, disability, location) and meet project and donor requirements.Job Requirements:
Education & Experience:
A University degree in a relevant field (such as statistics & data management, social science, public health, development economics, or a related subject area): a technical degree together with additional relevant work experience may substitute for education. 2 years of progressively responsible professional experience in humanitarian programming Previous experience in an emergency or conflict-afflicted setting is required.Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
A commitment to IRCโs mission, vision, values, and IRC Way โ Professional Code of Conduct. Credible written, presentation, and verbal communication skills; ability to convey information effectively, and solid experience providing training and staff development Validated sense of professional discretion, integrity, and ability to handle complex situations diplomatically and to achieve effective resolution. Excellent management and interpersonal skills and a solid ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork in a cross-cultural context. Validated ability to plan long-term, organize priorities, and work under administrative and programmatic pressures with detail orientation and professional patience. Highly collaborative and resourceful; ability to establish positive working relationships with senior-level management and all other partners to maximize cooperation and productivity. Curiosity, a desire to continually learn and develop, is a must. Analytical ability in creating effective solutions to complex matters while adhering to labor laws and internal policies.Language/Travel:
English and Arabic are required and Kurdish is desired. Travel: Frequent travel for project implementation provinces (Damascus, Aleppo, Homs)Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to: MEAL Manager
Position directly supervises: MEAL Assistant
Indirect Reporting (If applicable): N\\A
Key Internal Contacts: All staff and departments within the Syria Country Office (primarily the MEAL, Programs, Partnerships and Grant teams
Key External Contacts: Partner organizations, other humanitarian actors, Contracted Monitors
Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way โ Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.
Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the country where this position is based and are currently residing outside of your home country, you may be eligible for an attractive relocation package. Eligibility is determined based on IRC's operational needs and specific role requirements. IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs.
Accountability to Clients: IRC staff must adhere to the commitment of contributing to the sustainability and development of its (CR) Client Responsiveness Mechanisms, preserving the culture of prioritizing the needs of our clients and affected communities by systematically listening to their perspectives and using their feedback to make programmatic decisions and give them greater influence over program design and delivery.