Application Guide
How to Apply for Director of Learning, Monitoring & Evaluation
at HERA
🏢 About HERA
HERA is a pioneering global NGO founded in 2023 to protect the health, income, and dignity of women on the frontlines of extreme heat. Co-founded by four women leaders and already operating in eight countries with over $20 million raised, HERA offers a rare chance to join a high-growth, mission-driven organization at the ground floor of a critical climate justice movement.
About This Role
As HERA's first Director of Learning, Monitoring & Evaluation, you will build the LME function from scratch, reporting directly to the Chief Program Officer. This role is central to HERA's ability to define, demonstrate, and communicate its impact, ensuring that evidence drives programmatic growth and credibility. You will lead the design of learning agendas, monitoring systems, and evaluations across eight countries, directly shaping how HERA proves its impact on women facing extreme heat.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve leading a virtual workshop with country teams to refine indicators for a new heat-health program, analyzing baseline data from a recent survey in Ghana, and drafting a learning brief for donors on early findings. You'll also mentor your LME staff, coordinate with external evaluators, and advise the CPO on strategic decisions based on emerging evidence.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who HERA Is Looking For
- 10+ years of experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) for international development or humanitarian programs, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
- Proven expertise in designing and implementing mixed-methods evaluations, including quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Deep understanding of gender-responsive and climate-resilient evaluation approaches, with experience in heat, health, or livelihoods programming preferred.
- Strong track record of building MEL systems from the ground up, including developing theories of change, logical frameworks, and data management protocols.
- Excellent cross-cultural communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse teams across Africa, Asia, and the US, and fluency in English (additional languages a plus).
📝 Tips for Applying to HERA
Highlight your experience in building MEL systems from scratch, specifically for NGOs in early growth stages—HERA is only two years old and needs someone who thrives in ambiguity.
Quantify your impact: include metrics like 'designed MEL framework for 8-country program reaching 50,000 beneficiaries' or 'improved data quality by 40%' to demonstrate tangible results.
Show familiarity with extreme heat and gender issues by referencing HERA's focus areas in your cover letter and connecting your past work to their mission.
Emphasize your ability to work remotely and across time zones, as this role is remote (US) but collaborates with teams in Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Ghana, Liberia, Thailand, India, and Kenya.
Demonstrate experience with donor reporting and proposal support, as HERA's growth depends on securing funding and proving impact to donors like USAID, foundations, and multilateral agencies.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
In your cover letter, emphasize: (1) your hands-on experience designing and implementing MEL systems for multi-country NGOs, particularly in climate, health, or gender sectors; (2) your ability to lead learning agendas that inform adaptive programming and strategic decisions; (3) your commitment to centering marginalized women's voices in evaluation design and data collection; and (4) your readiness to build and mentor a small LME team while managing external evaluators and partners.
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore HERA's website and recent reports to understand their theory of change, program areas, and key achievements in their first two years.
- → Research the health and economic impacts of extreme heat on women, particularly in the countries where HERA operates (e.g., Sierra Leone, Pakistan, India), to speak credibly about the issue.
- → Find out who HERA's major donors are (e.g., through press releases or annual reports) and understand their MEL requirements and priorities.
- → Look up the backgrounds of HERA's co-founders and leadership team to understand their vision and how the LME function fits into the organizational structure.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Avoid generic MEL language—HERA wants to see how you've specifically addressed climate, gender, or health challenges in your past work.
- Don't focus solely on compliance and reporting; HERA values learning and adaptation, so emphasize how you've used data to drive program improvements.
- Avoid ignoring the remote and multi-country context—show that you can navigate time zones, cultural differences, and remote team management effectively.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!