MEL OFFICER – Angola

Menongue, Cuando Cubango Province, Angola

The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our   to hear stories from staff or visit  .

One of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.”

Since establishing the Africa Program in 2007, The Nature Conservancy’s vision in Africa is to work towards fostering a sustainable future for people and nature, partnering with indigenous communities across 55 million acres on the continent. Our efforts are firmly rooted in people, leveraging scientific and technical expertise as we collaborate with governments and organizations to conserve and enhance Africa’s shared resources in the 9 countries we operate.
TNC’s work in Africa transcends three key pillars: securing ownership rights to lands and resources for indigenous people, strengthening leadership and resource management and helping communities value nature through a holistic appreciation of its benefits while increasing revenue streams for conservation efforts and socio-economic development. Together with our partners, we are witnessing critical milestones in integrated land and fisheries management, ocean and source water protection, energy development and sustainable food production, working together and strengthening our resolve in tackling global challenges such as climate change, habitat and biodiversity loss that stands to adversely impact the nearly 1.4 billion people that share Africa.

Since 2018, TNC has been developing and implementing a program in Angola focusing on protecting the freshwater and related natural resources of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin. TNC’s Okavango Basin Program aims to conserve the source waters of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin through targeted strategic interventions in collaboration with communities, government, and the private sector. TNC’s work in Angola is expanding beyond freshwater to include oceans and other terrestrial ecosystems to protect and sustainably manage critical habitats for species, ecosystems, and climate mitigation. TNC brings science and innovative tools and approaches to inform better decision-making, develops innovative financial mechanisms for long-term sustainability, cultivates strategic partnerships, and fosters the need for inclusive, equitable conservation that benefits nature and people.

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Officer for the Ecosystems, Communities, Climate in Cubango Okavango (ECCO) Project, will work closely with the Okavango MEL Specialist to provide technical and operational support to program implementation in Cuando-Cubango Province. We seek a highly motivated and skilled MEL Officer to join our conservation project team involving multiple implementing partners. This position will manage and maintain a project monitoring database, support communities and partners in monitoring data collection, and analysis, produce progress monitoring reports, and support periodic project evaluations.

The position organizes and supervises the data collection of project indicators, inputs the data into the monitoring database, organizes periodic community feedback forums in project villages, analyses the monitoring data, finds the explanation for variations in the data, produces monitoring reports, documents lessons learned and success stories, and reports back to the data collectors on the results. The MEL Officer will also generate evidence-based insights to inform decision-making.

Reporting to the Okavango MEL Specialist and direct supervision of the ECCO Chief of Party, the position will be based in Menongue, Cuando-Cubango Province in Angola. No employment visas or assistance is being offered with this position except for the local labour employment requirements.

Specific roles and responsibilities will include:

• Design and implement MEL tools, and systems to collect community-level data and track project progress, outcomes, and impact indicators.
• Ensure integrity of MEL data collection and data management relating to progress reporting.
• Coordinate activities with partners ensuring that data is collected accurately, analyzed effectively, and reported promptly.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor project activities, provide technical support to partners on data collection methodologies, and ensure data quality.
• Facilitate periodic evaluations and reviews of project interventions to assess their effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
• Support the dissemination of MEL findings and best practices to project partners, stakeholders, and donors through various channels.
• Collaborate with project teams and partners to promote a culture of learning, reflection, and adaptive management within the project.
• Contribute to the development of project reports, success stories, and other knowledge products to showcase project achievements and lessons learned.
• Provide capacity building and training to project staff and partners on MEL concepts, tools, and methodologies.
• Work under limited supervision, act independently, resolve complex issues within the project area, and act as a resource to others.

• BA/BS and 5 years’ experience in natural resource management, statistics, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning roles, preferably in conservation projects or related fields.
• Experience in designing and implementing MEL frameworks, tools (e.g., KoboToolBox, DHS2, and others), and systems.
• Experience collecting, cleaning, analyzing, and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data.
• Experience working in data-poor landscapes.
• Experience with data management tools.
• Analytical skills and experience translating data into actionable recommendations.
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis.
• Experience writing project progress reports.
• Experience working with multiple implementing partners and coordinating MEL activities across different organizations is desirable.
• Bilingual in Portuguese and Nganguela (written and spoken).

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Fluency in Nganguela or any local language (written and spoken).
• Multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience.
• Advanced Excel and Word skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Experience in the interpretation of data.
• Knowledge of current trends and practices in project monitoring.
• Experience collaborating with partners to obtain data.

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world! 

TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our on nature.org/careers. 

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

To apply for job ID 55408 submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at . Need help applying? Visit our page or contact .

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC’s value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.