How to apply for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager

About Notify Health

Notify Health is a nonprofit using reminder messages to boost childhood vaccination rates, with a focus on Nigeria. It stands out by combining public health impact with data-driven, low-cost interventions that directly save lives. Working here means joining a mission-first team where your MEL work translates into more children getting immunized.

About the role

As the MEL Manager, you will own the monitoring and evaluation systems that track and improve vaccination reminder enrollment and coverage. You'll lead data workflows, build dashboards, and manage a team of MEL Officers to ensure high-quality data drives program decisions. This role is impactful because your systems directly influence how many caregivers receive life-saving reminders.

A typical day

A typical day might involve reviewing data from multiple sources to ensure accurate caregiver enrollment, then meeting with MEL Officers to troubleshoot data quality issues. You could also spend time building a dashboard for program managers or analyzing vaccination coverage trends to inform strategy. Expect a mix of hands-on data work, team coaching, and cross-functional collaboration.

Who Notify Health is looking for

• 4+ years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, preferably in global health or nonprofit settings, with hands-on data management and analysis.
• Proven ability to design and improve MEL systems, including data collection tools, documentation, and automation of workflows.
• Experience managing or coaching a team, with a focus on data quality and capacity building.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in tools like Excel, SQL, and dashboard software (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, or Google Data Studio).
• Familiarity with immunization programs or maternal and child health in low-resource settings, especially Nigeria, is a plus.

Tips for this application

• Highlight any experience with vaccination or immunization data systems, as Notify Health's core mission is improving child immunization rates.
• Quantify your MEL achievements—e.g., 'improved data accuracy by 30%' or 'automated reporting saving 10 hours/week'—to show direct impact.
• Mention specific tools you've used for data processing, analysis, and dashboards, and how you've used them to answer programmatic questions.
• Demonstrate experience managing a team remotely, as this role is remote and involves coaching MEL Officers.
• Show familiarity with Nigeria's health landscape or similar contexts, even if through coursework or volunteer work, to prove cultural and contextual fit.

What to cover in your cover letter

In your cover letter, emphasize: 1) your hands-on experience building or refining MEL systems, especially in health or nonprofit contexts; 2) your ability to lead a team and ensure data quality; 3) a specific example of how your analysis or dashboard led to a programmatic decision; and 4) your passion for using data to improve child health outcomes, particularly in Nigeria.

Research before applying

• Read Notify Health's website and any published reports to understand their model, target regions, and current programs.
• Research Nigeria's immunization challenges and existing vaccination reminder interventions to speak knowledgeably about the context.
• Look up the backgrounds of Notify Health's leadership and MEL team on LinkedIn to understand their priorities and approach.
• Explore common MEL frameworks and tools used in global health (e.g., logical frameworks, DHIS2) to align your answers with industry standards.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you design a MEL system for tracking caregiver enrollment in a vaccination reminder program?
• Describe a time you improved data quality or automated a data workflow. What was the impact?
• How do you prioritize data requests from program teams while maintaining rigorous standards?
• Tell us about your experience managing a team. How do you coach MEL Officers to improve their skills?
• What indicators would you track to measure the success of a vaccination reminder program, and why?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Avoid generic MEL experience without linking it to health or immunization—show you understand the unique challenges of public health data.
• Don't overlook the remote team management aspect; failing to address how you'll lead and coach remotely could raise concerns.
• Avoid focusing only on analysis without mentioning data quality, documentation, and automation, which are key to this role.