Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified Meal Specialist- Market System Development- W4R
About the job
The purpose of this assignment is to lead, design and apply monitoring, learning, and adaptive management approaches aligned with MSD principles. The focus is on building practical skills to track adoption, understand partner performance, assess commercial viability, and generate actionable learning to inform MSD intervention implementation, adaptive management and decision-making.
The Meal Specialist will take an iterative and adaptive approach, flexibly responding to emerging programmatic priorities and team needs and will also transfer skills as part of broader MSD technical capacity strengthening efforts. The primary objective of this role is to lead and support the team’s capacity to plan and implement MSD interventions, monitor and measure outcomes and impact, demonstrate Value for Money (VfM), and learn from and adapt MSD programming. This will be achieved through practical coaching, application of MSD MEL tools and methodologies
Your main duties and responsibilities will be:
Management and supervision
- Conduct MSD MEL Capacity Assessment and Develop Capacity Strengthening Plan for all MEAL and Program staff
- Review of current MEL systems and practices (including institutional MEL and tech platforms)
- Provide ongoing technical advisory and operational support to apply systems in real time, troubleshoot implementation challenges and strengthen consistency and quality of MEL practice.
- Provide hands-on support to design, adapt, and operationalize MEL systems and tools, ensuring:
- Design and facilitate applied learning session(s) that establishes a foundational understanding MEL for MSD. Introduce and explore core MSD MEL concepts aligned with the DCED Standard, including:
- Systemic change and results chains
- Market actor performance and incentives
- Adoption, behavior change, and sustainability pathways
- Adaptive management and evidence-based decision-making
- Provide coaching and mentoring (individual and small group) tailored to identified gaps
- Integration with DRC existing institutional MEL systems and technology and applicable across the full program portfolio
- Support development and refinement of practical deliverables, including:
- Results frameworks, results chains and key performance indicators
- Measurement and management systems for partnerships and systemic change
- Lead and manage the Monitoring & Evaluation team (including people planning, performance, well-being and development)
- Provide technical support to field-based Monitoring & Evaluation staff with a view to ensure coherence in data collection and analysis to support program development and quality
- Coordination and oversight of all aspects of the Monitoring & Evaluation processes
- Lead all market systems assessment and evaluations
- Conduct periodic activity monitoring and site visits to the field to monitor data collection/implementation
- Capacity building through training, feedback, coaching of the Monitoring & Evaluation and programme staff in data collection, monitoring and analysis
- Enhance Monitoring & Evaluation capacity among staff to ensure accountability, facilitate planning and strengthen service delivery
- Lead the development of an internal MSD MEL Toolkit that captures tested approaches, tools, and lessons for ongoing and future programming, contextualizing and integrating key aspects
- Lead the development of Monitoring & Evaluation strategies, tools and ensure coordination of the Monitoring & Evaluation teams input to the country strategy, proposals and reports.
Monitoring and evaluation and adaptive Programming
- Analyze the data gathered and write baseline and impact assessment reports
- Continuously improve and update data collection tools, so they can be used in the Guide creation of an internal MSD MEL Toolkit, including:
- Adapted templates, that enable teams to apply MSD MEL approaches in practice
- Practical guidance notes that clarify how to measure and interpret system-level and attributable change
- Conduct Frequent meetings to revisit and refine the theory of change .
Adaptive learning coaching for innovation projects
- Support partners to implement agile and adaptive learning approaches into their work
- Guide partners and change agents on how to conduct evaluation and learning experiments and collect and analyse data using the right-level-rigour for the stage of the project. Oversee implementation of learning experiments (such as lean testing, rapid experimentation). Support teams to integrate evidence and learning into project decision making.
Collect data and deliver quality analysis
- Design and implement research and adaptive learning projects. Identifying appropriate levels of rigour, and appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods.
- Collect, clean and analyse data and prepare findings for reports, presentations and other outputs. Deliver findings and recommendations which support data driven decision making.
Translating findings into results
- Deliver high quality presentations internally and externally to implement teams, partners, and funders
- Write research briefs, presentations, and papers that effectively communicate results and program/policy recommendations for a variety of stakeholders (such as funders, implementing partners, external audiences)
- Support outreach activities, including drafting blog posts and coordinating social media campaigns
About you
To be successful in this role we expect you to have:
Required
- Minimum BA + 5 years or MA + 3 year of relevant professional experience.
- Demonstrated institutional experience in conducting market systems/value chain/GESI assessments, especially in fragile or rural economies.
- Strong academic record in international development, public administration, public policy, public health, or related discipline
- Experience coaching, managing or being involved in directly implementing technology projects.
- Strong understanding of how data, evidence and learning can be used to support design decisions in the implementation of technology projects.
- Understanding and experience of working on projects which have adopted agile project management methodologies.
- Clear understanding of scope and objectives and appropriateness of proposed methodology (qualitative/quantitative balance, market systems frameworks, gender and inclusion lens).
In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:
Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
We offer
Contract length: 12 months
Band: G
Work location: Mogadishu, Somalia
Start date: August 2026
Reporting to: Program Manager- MSD
Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for
employees on national contract.
Application process
All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered. Qualified Females are always encouraged to Apply
Closing date for applications: 30th July 2026
For more information about the Danish Refugee Council, please visit our website drc.ngo.
Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants are considered for employment regardless of personal characteristics or attributes.