Application Guide

How to Apply for MERL Specialist

at Last Mile Health

🏢 About Last Mile Health

Last Mile Health is a pioneering global health organization focused on bringing quality healthcare to remote, underserved communities through community health workers. They're unique for their deep commitment to health equity and their innovative approach to strengthening health systems in challenging environments. Working here means contributing to meaningful impact in some of the world's hardest-to-reach areas.

About This Role

As a MERL Specialist at Last Mile Health, you'll lead monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning activities across projects involving digital health tools, clinical supervision, and malaria vaccine implementation. This role is impactful because you'll directly inform program decisions and improvements through data analysis and visualization, ultimately helping optimize healthcare delivery in remote communities.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve analyzing data from digital supervision tools used by community health workers, cleaning datasets from DHIS2 to prepare for monthly reporting, and collaborating with program teams to refine indicators for malaria vaccine monitoring. You'd likely spend time creating visualizations that help field teams understand performance trends and planning MERL activities for upcoming health worker training initiatives.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Last Mile Health Is Looking For

  • Has 5+ years of progressive experience designing and leading MERL activities in public health/international development, with specific expertise in digital health projects
  • Demonstrates strong proficiency with Kobo Toolbox for digital data collection and DHIS2/CHIS for data management and visualization
  • Possesses advanced quantitative and qualitative analysis skills applied to health worker training, clinical supervision, or malaria programs
  • Holds a Master's degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, or related field with practical experience in low-resource settings

📝 Tips for Applying to Last Mile Health

1

Quantify your MERL experience specifically: instead of 'designed evaluations,' state 'designed 3 MERL plans for digital health projects reaching 50+ health facilities'

2

Highlight any experience with malaria programs or vaccine implementation, as mentioned in the job description

3

Showcase specific DHIS2 and Kobo Toolbox projects in your resume with measurable outcomes

4

Demonstrate your ability to create accessible dashboards by including links to or descriptions of previous data visualization work

5

Reference Last Mile Health's specific focus areas (community health workers, remote healthcare) in your application materials

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience designing and implementing complete MERL plans (not just components) for health programs', 'Specific examples of using digital tools like Kobo for data collection in resource-limited settings', "How you've translated complex data into actionable insights for program decision-making", "Your understanding of Last Mile Health's mission and how your skills align with their community health worker focus"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Last Mile Health's specific programs in Liberia, Ethiopia, and Malawi where they implement digital health tools
  • → Their Community Health Academy and how it relates to health worker training mentioned in the job description
  • → Their partnerships with ministries of health and how MERL supports these collaborations
  • → Recent publications or reports from their MERL team to understand their current approaches and priorities

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through your process for designing a MERL plan for a digital clinical supervision tool
2 How would you ensure data quality when collecting information from remote community health workers?
3 Describe a time you created a dashboard that led to a programmatic change or improvement
4 What challenges have you faced when implementing malaria-related MERL activities, and how did you overcome them?
5 How do you balance rigorous evaluation methods with the practical constraints of working in last-mile settings?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Presenting only academic research experience without practical MERL implementation in program settings
  • Failing to demonstrate specific experience with the mentioned tools (Kobo, DHIS2, CHIS)
  • Using generic MERL examples instead of health-specific ones, particularly related to community health or malaria

📅 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:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Last Mile Health!

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