Head of Monitoring, Reporting, Evaluation, and Learning (MREL)

Location: UK (Remote) or the Levant

Role Type: Full-time FTC

CLOSING DATE: 5 November 2025

About ARK

ARK is a social enterprise, empowering local communities through the provision of agile and sustainable interventions to create greater stability, opportunity and hope for the future.

We believe that strong, resilient communities are the foundation of local, national, regional and international development and stability - and ultimately a safer, peaceful and more prosperous world. At ARK, we have delivered research and programmatic interventions validating this approach in over twenty countries since 2008. As a social enterprise, we work in partnership with communities, our donors, and other implementers to build local capacities, generate opportunity and bring about sustainable change.

Learn more about our impact here:

About the Role

The Head of MREL oversees monitoring, reporting, evaluation, and learning activities across ARK's global portfolio. This role is responsible for developing minimum MREL standards for each project and working with Project Directors, Project Managers, and MREL Managers to ensure these standards are applied consistently, while adapting to local contexts and donor requirements.

The position manages ARK's MREL Managers and plays a key role in developing ARK's overall MREL capacity. This includes designing, delivering training on, and implementing new MREL systems, frameworks, approaches, and tools that align with current sector standards and donor expectations. By doing so, the role ensures that both implementation and MREL teams remain at the forefront of MREL practice, supporting high-quality, adaptive, and impactful programming.

This role also involves engaging, when required, with senior donor MREL focal points and sector-relevant MREL forums to contribute to strategic discussions on the role and value of MREL in international development.

Additionally, the position supports ARK's Learning and Development objectives by promoting a culture of active inter- and intra-project learning and ensuring that teams have access to professional development opportunities in the field of MREL. The role also leads strategic engagement with ARK's research function, ensuring strong alignment and coherence between MREL and research activities.

What you'll be doing

Design, Development and Implementation of an ARK MREL System

• Work with Head of Programmes to design, develop and implement an appropriate ARK MREL System, including minimum MREL standards for ARK projects.
• Support delivery teams (including Project Directors, Managers, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), etc.) and MREL teams (including MREL Managers, Coordinators, Officers, Advisors, etc.) to appropriately adapt and implement ARK's MREL System to the country, project, or donor/funder context.
• Develop appropriate reference and technical resources (e.g., templates, databases) to enable effective implementation of the MREL System and minimum standards
• Develop and implement review processes to check the application of MREL Systems across ARK's portfolio.
• Quality-assure high-priority MREL deliverables, e.g., project-level MREL Systems, key tools, monitoring reports, change stories, learning briefs, endline evaluations, etc.

Line Management of MREL Resources

• Line manage ARK's MREL Manager/Coordinator employees (the precise configuration depends on each project structure and scale).
• Act as a Focal Point for ARK's MREL Advisor and Evaluator contractors.

Sector Shaping

• Engage where relevant with donors/funders at the strategic/senior levels, reinforcing the value of investing in MREL and demonstrating the impact of projects through creative reporting approaches, as well as tracking MREL sector developments and reflecting these in ARK's MREL System and minimum standards.
• Engage where relevant with sector-specific and MREL forums, helping to shape the debates around MREL.

Learning and Development

• Work closely with ARK's Head of Learning and Development to create a culture of active and evidence-based learning and adaptation within project environments, and ensure ARK learns and adapts across its wider portfolio.
• Develop relevant, up-to-date, and accessible MREL training resources and create and manage individual development plans for MREL Managers and Project Managers to ensure continual professional development in the field of MREL.
• Develop and roll out MREL training packages tailored to project needs.

MREL Management at Project Level

• Assume the role of MREL Manager and/or MREL Advisor on priority or complex projects, where required.
• Develop and implement project-specific MREL Systems, including Theories of Change (ToCs), Results Frameworks (RFs), and data collection tools and methodologies, in accordance with the overarching ARK MREL System and minimum standards and project-specific requirements.

Support Business Development

• Develop tentative ToCs, RFs, and project-level MREL systems to support concepts and proposals that ARK's Business Development team are working on.
• Support upstream business development by showcasing ARK's MREL Systems and typical MREL Products to prospective donors/funders.
• Identify opportunities for ARK to develop its offering and business in MREL-focused projects, e.g., Third Party Monitoring (TPM) opportunities.
• Ensure that MREL resources are adequately budgeted for during proposal development.

Support MREL Recruitment

• Work closely with ARK's Human Resources (HR) team to manage ARK's MREL resource pool, including identifying and addressing capability gaps through recruitment processes, and maintaining a roster of MREL Experts, Advisors, and Evaluators who could be deployed to meet project-specific needs.
• Support the development of role profiles/job descriptions, and lead interviews and selection processes for MREL applicants.

Essential:

• Extensive MREL experience in international development or stabilisation sectors.
• In-depth knowledge of MREL methodologies, including complexity-aware monitoring and adaptive management.
• Demonstrated experience with UK FCDO MREL systems and at least one other major donor.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing MREL systems in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
• Experience managing MREL teams and mentoring junior staff.
• Expertise in mixed-methods research, including both qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Commitment to ethical research practices, gender mainstreaming, and Do-No-Harm principles.
• Full professional fluency in English.

Desirable:

• Master's degree in a relevant field (e.g., International Development, Political Science, Sociology).
• Familiarity with data visualisation software and advanced data collection and analysis tools, e.g., ActivityInfo.
• Full professional fluency in Arabic or French.
• Experience working on projects in fragile or conflict-affected contexts, in particular those contexts where ARK operates, e.g., Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Haiti, Ukraine, etc.

Why join ARK?

• Impactful Work: Your expertise will directly impact the lives of those in need.
• Global Reach: Collaborate with international experts and local stakeholders.
• Innovation: Engage in pioneering solutions for sustainable change.
• Career Growth: Expand your horizons with varied projects and challenges.

Our People

Our team covers a diverse range of professional backgrounds, from diplomacy, humanitarian, development and the military, to the UN, civil society groups, multilateral organizations, journalism and the private sector.

Smart: We think deeply about things. We're proud of our institutional knowledge and our grounding in rigorous research, which we use to make informed decisions.

Humble: Our work leaves little room for pride or arrogance. Our operating environment is constantly evolving, and we recognize out limitations. We believe in and rely on the education and experiences of others while remaining quick to read, invite feedback, and ask sensible questions.

Accountable: Each of us want ARK, its partners, and beneficiaries to succeed. This means taking initiative, assuming ownership when necessary and never giving up on our beneficiaries. We are committed and accountable, to both our donors and the communities we serve.

Collegiate: We know we are stronger together and that every contribution counts. We trust each other and always support each other.

Outspoken: We tackle diverse challenges, and we always want to find the best solution to a problem. We aren't afraid to share our opinions, and we want to hear those of others too.

ARK Group is an equal opportunity employer. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. ARK Group does not discriminate on the basis of ability, age, gender identity or expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. We welcome all kinds of diversity. ARK Group places human dignity at the center of its development and stabilization work and is this committed to the protection from sexual exploitation and abuse of children and adults. All ARK Group employees and related personnel are expected to share this commitment and only those who also uphold these values will be recruited as part of our team. This vacancy is therefore subject to a range of due diligence checks.