MERL Coordinator

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

The Opportunity 

The role of the MERL Coordinator is to provide overall MERL related support and implement BRAVE MERL Framework to advance the planning, implementation and monitoring of project activities to achieve the set objectives and targets of the project that is funded by Finish Government and supported by Plan International Finland and integrated as part of its Programme Framework (with the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs - MFA), BRAVE program, which is expected to run from 2026-2029. The Coordinator will contribute to ensuring efficient and effective MEARL of the project interventions, delivery and support the project team, partners and program area team. The project is a continuation to the ongoing MFA funded SRHR programme and the impact to be delivered is that children, adolescents and youth (CAY) are safe and protected from SRH problems. The MESL Coordinator will lead the MERL aspect of the initiative aimed to ensure CAY (in all their diversity) are supported to access gender-transformative and disability inclusive SRH interventions implemented in 4 districts (i.e., Chiro Zuria, Bordede, Meiso, Guba koricha) of West Hararghe zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

The Individual

• University Degree/Master’s degree/ in health fields, Statistics, Sociology/Social SciencesHumanities/development studies, or related fields and at least 3 years of work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in the above fields and a at least 5 years of work experience within the development/humanitarian sector advising or managing MERL processes.
• Experience in working with similar program and MFA funded MERL framework is preferred
• Experience in Results-Based Monitoring and PMERL is an asset.
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Experience in the use of Digital Data Collection tools or/and of data visualization software solutions is an asset.
• Experience in participatory facilitation and capacity development.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken
• Proficiency in the local language.
• Experience in working for an international organization and with local partners in similar program is an asset.

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Safeguarding Children and Program Participants (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)

• Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed per the appropriate procedures.
• Ensures that all staff in the unit/function/department are properly inducted on and understand their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in day-to-day work.
• Ensures that Plan Ethiopia contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.

Location:Oromia PA, Chiro

Type of Role: Full Time, Fixed Term Contract  

Reports to: Project Manager 

Closing Date: 13 January 2026

This position is only open to Ethiopian Nationals, who must be eligible to live and work in Ethiopia. 

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.