Senior Director, Strategic Information/Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (SI/MEL), Health Programs

About the role

The Senior Director, Strategic Information/Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (SI/MEL), Health Programs provides technical leadership and strategic direction for SI/MEL across the Health Programs portfolio within the Programs and Research Group. This role oversees multiple project SI/MEL teams, fosters innovation, and ensures delivery of high-quality, actionable data aligned with organizational objectives and donor requirements. The Senior Director establishes and refines SI/MEL frameworks, tools, and activities; identifies partnership needs; and engages qualified partners to ensure technical performance.

Responsibilities

• Navigates complex and technically demanding SI/MEL challenges, offering strategic direction and innovative solutions for portfolio-specific challenges
• Analyzes project performance against indicator targets, data quality assessments, and portfolio-level trends, identifying areas for improvement and recommending actionable solutions
• Resolves methodological and measurement problems across awards, including conflicting indicator definitions, non-comparable denominators, data quality gaps, and evaluation design trade-offs
• Sets and enforces portfolio-wide SI/MEL technical standards
• Strengthens institutional data governance, interoperability, and integration of information systems, including DHIS2, EMRs, LMIS, and custom databases
• Ensures project data systems meet donor reporting standards (e.g., DATIM, DIS, DHIS2, MER indicators) and support programmatic decision-making
• Exercises discretion over SI/MEL technical and methodological matters with direct impact on project outcomes and organizational success
• Makes decisions on resource allocation, risk management, and stakeholder engagement
• Provides strategic insights that directly inform organizational strategy and programmatic priorities
• Engages with internal and external stakeholders to gather and share evidence, lessons learned, and best practices
• Fosters partnerships with project teams, donors, and implementing partners
• Facilitates communication and knowledge exchange to enhance project outcomes
• Serves as senior technical advisor to project leadership, SI/MEL Directors and Advisors, and headquarters management
• Provides high-level technical guidance on surveillance and data use for epidemic control, global health security, and cross-cutting health programs (HIV, TB, RMNCH, malaria, AMR, etc.)
• Supports proposal development by providing SI/MEL technical input, writing relevant sections, and contributing to results frameworks
• Promotes knowledge management and learning by synthesizing lessons learned, disseminating best practices, and contributing to publications and conferences
• Builds capacity of FHI 360 technical teams and local partners in data management, visualization, and use of evidence for decision-making
• Oversees SI/MEL implementation across projects within the division, providing leadership and guidance to project teams
• Sets strategic direction, manages budgets, and ensures programmatic quality
• Leads a team of seasoned technical experts, handling supervision, performance management, and professional development
• Provides matrixed, dotted-line technical oversight of SI/MEL Directors of global health projects, setting technical performance expectations and contributing to performance reviews
• Delineates portfolio- and project-level roles, ensuring project SI/MEL Directors remain accountable for award-specific deliverables while this position ensures cross-portfolio technical standards and harmonization
• Ensures Health Programs projects are appropriately staffed and technically supported for SI/MEL, advising on staffing structures, participating in recruitment, orienting and onboarding new staff, and mobilizing surge or specialist technical support
• Assumes direct responsibility for SI/MEL activities on bilateral awards or global projects where costed or requested, including contributing to work plans, performance monitoring plans, and reports

Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of project management principles
• Expertise in program implementation methodologies and organizational leadership practices
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic planning, risk management, and stakeholder engagement
• Proven track record of driving innovation and achieving impactful outcomes
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic information, MEL, surveillance, and data analytics in large, complex public health or development programs
• Strong technical command of quantitative and qualitative methods, data visualization, and digital tools (DHIS2, Power BI, Tableau)
• Knowledge of global health and development programming, particularly in global health security, infectious diseases, maternal and child health, and health systems strengthening
• Excellent oral and written communication and analytical skills in English
• Bachelor's Degree or international equivalent in Business Administration, International Development, Civil Society, Communication, Social Marketing, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Gender, Health, Nutrition, Research, Technology, Youth, or related field
• Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in project management overseeing complex projects and initiatives; or 12 years and a master's degree; or 9 years and a PhD; or equivalent combination
• Minimum 8 years of experience in leadership and line management
• Proven experience leading and managing complex, strategic portfolios of programs/projects on a national or international scale
• Experience leading teams in complex settings, managing financial and human resources
• Significant experience working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

Preferred qualifications

• Master's Degree in a related field
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification or other recognized project management certification
• Certifications relevant to research management or organizational leadership

Travel

Approximately 25% travel may be required, primarily to engage with stakeholders, oversee project implementation, and attend meetings and events related to portfolio activities.