Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Specialist

Major Function 

The Bezos Earth Fund seeks a Monitoring, Evaluation, and
Learning Specialist to support evidence-based adaptive management
and decision-making to continuously improve our impact. 
Working closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Lead,
and collaborating with staff across the organization, the MEL
Specialist will support development and use of the Fund’s systems
for gathering, analyzing, and reporting on Earth Fund progress and
results—and support learning within and beyond the Earth Fund to
help us focus on how to best support meaningful change. The MEL
Specialist will balance big-picture, strategic and systems thinking
with a keen ability to focus on details and move work forward,
being able to re-prioritize as opportunities emerge. The role
involves a combination of collaboration on tasks, day-to-day
management and logistics, and some administrative tasks. It also
includes primary responsibility for some workstreams. They will be
energized by managing a high volume of opportunities to make a
difference and will possess sound judgment, a collaborative spirit,
and a facilitative approach.  

Key Responsibilities  

Contribute to MEL knowledge management system design, tools,
and use:

• Support design, building, and use of a framework for MEL for
  the Earth Fund’s grantmaking portfolios and broader work, including
  creating and using tools for assessing and aggregating grant and
  other progress, results, and learning as part of a process that
  aligns with the Earth Fund’s mission, goals, and values and with
  the latest science.    
• Support identifying, adapting, and defining sound core and
  custom indicators focused on climate, nature, and equity. Support
  collaborative design and use of quantitative and qualitative
  outcomes and indicators to track progress and demonstrate results
  across ideas, initiatives, grants and other workstreams and help
  ensure robust and sound monitoring and learning approaches for
  proposals and contracts, working with staff and, where appropriate,
  grantees.  
• Support deepening incorporation of equity and climate justice
  approaches and metrics into the Earth Fund’s work. 

Support the Earth Fund to collect and utilize information to
demonstrate substantive progress and results in our priority goals
and work, including support for proposal design, grant reporting,
and learning:

• Support collaborative design and use of theories of change for
  the Earth Fund overall and for initiatives and grants. 
• Support processes for grantee reporting and for review and
  learning with grantees, including supporting grantees in reporting
  in alignment with Earth Fund guidance, reducing undue
  burden.  
• Conduct analysis of grantee reporting (including written and
  other types of reporting) and other data, and support staff to
  analyze and use data and learning. 
• Build staff capacity to implement monitoring, evaluation, and
  learning for their grant portfolios. 
• Produce, draft, and/or review reports, memos, slide decks,
  figures, and other materials to communicate with a variety of
  internal and external audiences and review and provide clear
  feedback on materials produced by others.  

Contribute to processes to facilitate and enable strategic
learning and adaptation –across the Earth Fund, among grantees, and
across the broader ecosystem:

• Lead or support design and use of resources, processes, and
  procedures necessary to enable the timely use of evidence,
  evaluation findings, and other learning to support idea and
  initiative design.   
• Facilitate and support staff to deepen their learning through
  their work, using emergent learning and other tools and approaches
  to capture, apply and share learning.    
• Manage or support management of evaluations and learning
  projects, providing design and administrative and other day-to-day
  support, including designing scopes of work; identifying and
  contracting consultants; project management for planning,
  timelines, budgets, and logistics; arranging interviews and
  meetings; keeping inputs from a variety of stakeholders on track;
  etc. 
• Design, facilitate, and/or support in-person and virtual
  meetings, convenings, and workshops, using adult learning
  methods. 

General 

• Contribute to and carry out day-to-day MEL support
  functions. 
• Represent the Earth Fund as appropriate at meetings,
  conferences, and other events. 
• Seek learning about emerging MEL issues through literature,
  communities of practice, networking and other opportunities to
  learn and build knowledge about the sector. 
• Perform other duties as assigned.  

Education and Experience 

A master’s degree or equivalent experience in evaluation, social
sciences, research methods, environmental sciences, and/or public
policy and 3-5 years of relevant, professional experience focused
on monitoring, evaluation, and learning is required. Prior
experience working in climate and nature and in philanthropic or
non-profit organizations is a plus. 

Skills and Abilities 

• Experienced in design and use of theories of change, results
  frameworks, outcomes, and indicators and in supporting others to
  design and use them.  
• Experience designing and managing systems for collating,
  analyzing and aggregating quantitative and qualitative monitoring
  and other progress and results data—balancing level of effort for
  grantees and staff and diverse data sources. 
• Strong quantitative and qualitative data gathering and analysis
  skills, demonstrated capacity in data visualization, and a nuanced
  approach to reporting. 
• Experience working in climate change, conservation/nature,
  public policy, international development, and/or climate justice in
  philanthropic, non-profit, legislative or advocacy
  communities.  
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Ability to
  conceptualize and draft a variety of written products for multiple
  audiences. 
• Demonstrated experience supporting equity and justice work and
  working with local communities, along with work experience in the
  Global South.  
• Superb project management skills, including attention to
  detail, excellent organization, proven ability manage multiple
  priorities and meet deadlines, and proactive communication
  skills.  
• Experience managing the work of external
  consultants. 
• Proven diplomatic approach, with sound professional judgment,
  discretion in handling sensitive matters, flexibility, and strong
  problem-solving skills in a multi-stakeholder environment, along
  with the highest level of personal and professional
  integrity.  
• Collaborative working style, responsive, considerate, flexible,
  and personable—enthusiastic and natural team player with the
  ability to build trust and work with cross-functional, virtual, and
  diverse teams. 
• Demonstrated passion for the Earth Fund’s
  mission.  
• Strong facilitation and team building skills, with experience
  designing and facilitating meetings and
  convenings.  
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and in both data analysis
  and visualization approaches and tools.  
• Self-starter with the ability to manage multiple assignments at
  a time and to work effectively and efficiently (both virtually and
  in-person) in a dynamic environment with minimal
  supervision. 

Physical Requirements and Working
Conditions  

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a
  computer.  
• May require extended and/or weekend hours for urgent issues or
  to meet established deadlines. 

• This position is based in Washington D.C. 
• May undertake domestic and/or international travel (10%-15%
  time).  

To Apply  

This position offers a competitive salary and includes a
comprehensive benefits package designed to help employees balance
work and life needs. The Bezos Earth Fund is an equal opportunity
employer and complies with all federal, state, and local laws
concerning employment discrimination. The Earth Fund recognizes
diversity as an asset essential to accomplishing its work. We
actively welcome all qualified applicants from a wide range of
backgrounds and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
age, sex, gender identity or expression, genetic information,
sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin,
ethnicity, disability, military/veteran status, compensation
history or any other basis prohibited by law. Qualified applicants
are encouraged to submit a resume and cover letter as soon as
possible.