The Senior MERLA Specialist will ensure quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in Haiti under the USAID-funded Act to End NTDs | East program. She/he will oversee the monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of program performance and results for Haiti-led activities and assist in facilitating learning using those results. This role requires regular program data analysis and identifying areas for additional support. The Senior MERLA Specialist will work closely with the COP to identify how results will be used for program improvement through programmatic adaptation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Data collection, monitoring, and reporting
• Leads MERLA activities and ensures that all MERLA activities are implemented in accordance with approved work plan and budget.
• Review data reported from specific program activities (e.g., surveys, mass drug administration, training) to ensure data accuracy and completeness.
• During routine and ongoing data review, communicate any problems with data quality to the relevant program person to ensure accurate data collection and reporting.
• Complete routine project reporting tools and forms according to the program schedule (work planning, two semi-annual reporting periods, and additional as needed), collaborating with the NTD Technical Advisor and HQ-based MERLA staff.
• Provide accurate and timely responses to ad hoc data requests.
• Supervise various field activities to support high quality data collection and reporting, identifying any challenges and providing on-the-spot solutions.
Survey development, implementation, and analysis
• Support the development of protocols and reports for disease-specific assessments, data analysis to inform action-oriented conclusions, and the application of learning.
• Lead the submission of survey outputs which include, but are not limited to, survey reports, raw survey data, and clean datasets.
• Support the development of protocols and reports for data quality activities, including but not limited to data quality assessments, treatment coverage evaluation surveys, and supervisors’ coverage tools.
• Liaise with the RTI-HQ electronic data capture team prior, during, and after surveys to finalize survey tools, track data capture, and review final data.
• Support disease specific assessment outcome evaluations.
Program learning and adaptation through data use.
• Support country and HQ teams in ensuring coordination with MSPP, TCC, and CDC on protocols for data collection and reporting, as well as survey design and implementation.
• Ensure country-level work plans and semi-annual reports appropriately incorporate the relevant data, including accurate and high-quality reporting and using data to inform strategy and activities.
• Analyze/use project MERLA data to identify trends/patterns/outliers (e.g., low-performing districts).
• Support stakeholders to regularly input information into and use the national data storage platform, such as the Integrated NTD Database, including using it to submit high quality data to WHO (including Joint Application Package [JAP], and elimination dossiers), etc.
• Provide technical assistance to MSPP to facilitate high quality submission of JAP.
• Collaborate with country and HQ staff to identify opportunities for country learning and program adaptation, including operationalizing learning agenda action items.
• Support analysis of MERLA capacity strengthening needs within the program in Haiti, synthesize learnings, and collaborate with country and HQ teams on a capacity strengthening strategy to promote learning and adaptation.
• Contribute to cross-program learning by sharing experiences and lessons learned by country and HQ staff.
• Provide technical assistance to the MSPP to facilitate mainstreaming of MERLA activities, including but not limited to incorporating NTD indicators and reporting into the HMIS system, ensuring continued high-quality reporting of control diseases after elimination, post-validation surveillance, etc.
• Coordinate and facilitate periodic pause and reflect activities, including but not limited to after action reviews post mass drug administration and disease specific assessments, utilizing the Data for Action Guide, etc.
• Strengthen the capacity of the MSPP to conduct MERLA activities and institutionalize the approaches for said MERLA activities.
• Identify opportunities for operational and programmatic research, provide inputs as needed for development of protocol, data collection, data analysis, and report writing, with guidance from country and HQ teams.

Minimum Required Education & Experience
Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, or other analytics field, plus 6 years of experience; or bachelor’s degree plus 9 years of experience in global health/ governance/ nutrition/ environment programs (a must).

Skills & Abilities
• Travel up to 50% of the time.
• Must have experience in quantitatively analyzing MERLA data and synthesizing findings for programmatic use.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel (required) and at least one other statistical package such as: R, SAS, STATA, or SPSS (preferred)
• Experience in designing and implementing qualitative studies, analyzing qualitative data, and generating learning for programmatic use (preferred)
• Prior USAID experience preferred.
• Knowledge of MERLA methods and approaches, as learned through coursework, internship, or work experience.
• Experience managing electronic data capture and working with real-time monitoring of data (preferred)
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines under pressure.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a team-oriented setting while also taking initiative to complete assigned tasks with high quality and within tight timelines.
• Technical content experience in one or more of the following areas preferable: health systems strengthening, infectious diseases, NTDs, HIV, maternal and child health, nutrition, gender (preferred)
• High level of integrity
• Competency in English (required)

- Resume
- Cover letter
- Diploma

Disclaimer
The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.