Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Consultant

Company: Seedstars
Location: Chicago
Posted on: November 1, 2024

Job Description:

About SeedstarsSeedstars is a group headquartered in Switzerland / Geneva on a mission to impact people's lives in emerging and frontier markets through technology and entrepreneurship. We operate 2 main activities to achieve our mission: (A) We work in partnership with development agencies, governments, corporate partners, and private donors to develop entrepreneurship ecosystems, create jobs, and fuel income growth. (B) We invest in high-growth technology companies in impactful sectors (fintech, ed-tech, agritech, health tech, etc) in emerging markets.About ProgramsSeedstars Programs consults multilateral and bilateral organisations, governments, and private sector foundations on customized interventions and financing solutions for small and growing businesses (SGBs) in emerging markets. Our goal is to create thriving entrepreneurship ecosystems and generate positive social and economic impact in the global south and developing economies.We support our clients in:

• Developing entrepreneurship ecosystems (insights and advice on policy, finance, culture, support infrastructure, human capital, and markets) based on our proprietary Seedstars Index.
• Designing and co-creating customized interventions and implementing programs based on the segmentation of businesses and their specific needs.
• Setting up innovative development finance facilities and managing capital flows (VC & Equity program funds, Convertibles, Catalytic finance instruments, Impact linked finance, blended finance, result or revenue-based finance, loans, mezzanine, grants, etc.).
• Measuring and managing the impact of programmatic interventions.The majority of our projects are sustainable development goal (SDG) driven and tackle some of the world's most pressing problems.About the RoleAs a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) Consultant, you will be leading design, development and execution of MERL activities for internal and external stakeholders, while reporting to our Managing Director of programs.You will develop overall program monitoring and evaluation strategy and frameworks and build, maintain, and manage Seedstars' impact data sets; ensuring key dashboards are kept up to date with progress tracked towards impact goals.You will assist Global Program Leads and Partnership Managers to support both the development of and reporting on grants and funds, and will execute ad-hoc and quarterly reporting for business teams throughout Programs. Your responsibilities will also include data collection, analysis, formulating and experimenting hypotheses, and developing and communicating recommendations.This is a fully remote opportunity that would be part-time to begin.Key ResponsibilitiesData Collection and Management
• Track, monitor, and evaluate all program metrics and milestones and maintain a source of truth in our data management system.
• Develop new systems or processes to collect data from partners, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders to meet impact goals.
• Oversee the process to collect and input accurate impact data from our partners.
• Improve our Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning system in order to improve the quality of programs.
• Constantly improve our impact measurement system by benchmarking against competition and implementing the language of our target customers.Impact Data & Insights
• Compile, analyze, and present Seedstars' impact data through visualizations to provide timely insights to leadership, and internal and external stakeholders on program progress.
• Plan and conduct baseline and end-line surveys and key assessments.
• Carry out research and forecast Seedstars' Impact for our full suite of programs and verticals and disseminate findings.
• Update key impact dashboards through routine monitoring to ensure knowledge management and sharing of impact data and insights.
• Support the partnerships team in drafting Theory of Change's (ToCs) per program and draft impact frameworks and reports.Planning & Strategy
• Develop and implement monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning plans for multiple programs.
• Design, program, and conduct monitoring and evaluation surveys and robust evaluations methods.
• Train and support program staff in monitoring and evaluation methods.Your Profile
• Your Mindset
• Excellent team player with high levels of empathy.
• Passion for problem solving and striving for excellence.
• Extremely polished and straightforward communication -written and spoken- with different levels of stakeholders.
• Your Experience
• 5+ years work experience in impact data management and analytics, monitoring and evaluation, and/or international development with a quantitative focus.
• Exceptional analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills.
• Strong business judgment with a knack and track record of giving clear, succinct answers to complex problems.
• Experience in prioritization of deliverables and tasks.
• You are comfortable with Google Workspace and have experience working with tools like (Slack, Zoom, Notion, Airtable,...)
• Nice to Have
• Knowledge of R, Python, Stata or other statistical languages.
• Experience in data visualization or data dashboard tools such as Tableau, Looker, Power BI, Google Data Studio, etc.
• You are either a local entrepreneur or innovation enthusiast and are knowledgeable about the startup ecosystem in your country or region.Why Our Employees Love Working With Us
• We are on a mission which is bigger than all of us: to impact people's lives in emerging markets.
• You get many growth opportunities and responsibilities early on.
• You work in an entrepreneurial culture where you're surrounded by a vibrant and diverse team.
• We offer autonomy and flexibility with a flat hierarchy and a strong belief that responsible people should have the freedom to do their work when and how they want.
• We were awarded as one of the most democratic workplaces in the world due to our freedom centered practices.We are an equal opportunity employer with a diverse mix of nationalities and backgrounds represented in our company. We truly value diversity and believe that the cultural landscape of our organization should reflect the types of work that we engage in and the places that we do it. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status and strongly encourage female applicants and those from historically underrepresented groups to apply to all of our roles at Seedstars.
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Keywords: Seedstars, Hoffman Estates , Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Consultant, Professions , Chicago, Illinois