MRELA Advisor

MRELA Advisor| Addis Ababa Job Category:Programming Requisition Number:MRELA007123 Apply now ## Posting Details - Posted: September 25, 2026 - Full-Time - On-site - ### Locations Showing 1 location Addis Ababa House #377 Yeka sub city, 22 Mazoria (in front of Gollagul tower / next to Addis Ababa traffic police HQ) Addis Ababa, Region 14, Ethiopia Addis Ababa, ET-AA 14319, ETH Addis Ababa House #377 Yeka sub city, 22 Mazoria (in front of Gollagul tower / next to Addis Ababa traffic police HQ) Addis Ababa, Region 14, Ethiopia Addis Ababa, ET-AA 14319, ETH +0 more locationsless locations ## Job Details ### Description About Mercy Corps Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. About Mercy Corps Ethiopia Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. Our vision is to enhance the resilience of climate and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. Our strategy focuses on the four outcome areas of: 1) Economically marginalized populations have improved and diversified livelihoods, income, and assets; 2) Pastoralists, farmers, and households have access to sustainably produced, safe, nutritious food; 3) Social cohesion and inclusive governance processes are built in crisis-affected communities; and 4) People have equitable, sustained access to clean water and sanitation for domestic and productive use. Currently we operate in the regional states of Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, Tigray and Addis Ababa city administration working with a diverse base of donors that includes the U.S. Department of State, the European Union (EU), the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the United Nations (UN), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA), and a range of other institutional and private foundations. Position Title: MRELA Advisor Duty Station:Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with regular travel Open Position: 1 Risk Level:Level 3 The Program / Department / Team Border Security Programme - Ethiopia The Border Security Programme (BSP) is an FCDO-funded regional programme designed to disrupt organised immigration crime (OIC) and contribute to safer borders and safer communities. The programme works through four mutually reinforcing outcome areas: evidence and analysis; stronger law-enforcement capability; community engagement, reporting and early warning; and witness support and protection. In Ethiopia, BSP is implemented as a dedicated country component aligned with the regional programme, Ethiopian law and institutions, Government of Ethiopia priorities, and the realities of selected border and migration corridors. Mercy Corps works with relevant government institutions at federal, regional and local levels, consortium partners, Ethiopian civil-society and specialist partners, communities and other stakeholders to strengthen existing systems and locally grounded responses rather than establish parallel structures. Programme implementation is evidence-led, conflict-sensitive, rights-respecting and adaptive to changing border, migration and operational dynamics. The Position The MRELA Advisor serves as the country-level technical focal point for Monitoring, Reporting, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation for BSP-Ethiopia, providing specialist leadership and day-to-day oversight of the programme's monitoring, reporting, evaluation, learning, accountability and adaptation systems. The Advisor reports directly to the Ethiopia Country Lead – BSP and has a technical reporting line to the Mercy Corps Ethiopia Country MEL Manager, while coordinating closely with the Regional BSP MRELA Manager to maintain regional coherence and shared learning. The Advisor ensures that credible quantitative and qualitative evidence is generated, interpreted and used to manage programme performance, test the Theory of Change, assess progress against the Progress Marker Framework, strengthen donor accountability and support timely adaptation. The role leads data-quality and responsible-data processes, coordinates assessments and evaluations, strengthens partner MRELA capacity, supports evidence-based reporting and facilitates structured learning and reflection across BSP programme locations in Ethiopia. Essential Responsibilities MRELA TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP AND PROGRAMME QUALITY - Lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of the BSP-Ethiopia MRELA system, ensuring alignment with the regional BSP framework, Mercy Corps Ethiopia MEL standards and FCDO requirements. - Lead application and refinement of the Theory of Change, results framework, Progress Marker Framework, indicators, evidence requirements and learning questions. - Ensure MRELA is integrated into programme planning, implementation, management review and decision-making, providing concise analysis on performance, evidence gaps, risks and opportunities for adaptation. - Ensure MRELA approaches integrate safeguarding, protection, gender equality and social inclusion, conflict sensitivity, accountability, responsible data and Do No Harm, coordinating with the Country MEL Manager and Regional BSP MRELA Manager as required. PERFORMANCE MONITORING, PROGRESS MARKERS AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS - Lead routine monitoring of programme outputs and outcomes, maintaining accurate performance-tracking systems and credible evidence of delivery, quality, reach and behavioural or institutional change. - Coordinate assessment of the BSP Progress Marker Framework, including Expect to See, Like to See and Love to See markers, and support teams to interpret the pace, depth and sustainability of change. - Bring together quantitative and qualitative evidence from appropriate programme, partner and stakeholder sources to build a credible picture of progress. - Integrate context analysis into performance monitoring and apply BSP's contribution rather than attribution approach when interpreting change. - Conduct or coordinate monitoring visits to verify progress and implementation quality, identify evidence gaps, unintended outcomes and emerging risks, and bring priority issues into management and reflection processes. DATA QUALITY, MANAGEMENT AND RESPONSIBLE DATA - Establish and maintain data-quality assurance processes, including verification, consistency checks, corrective actions and quality assurance of programme and partner data. - Maintain secure, organised and traceable MRELA records that meet donor, audit and management requirements. - Ensure data collection, storage, access, analysis and sharing comply with Mercy Corps responsible-data, data-protection, safeguarding and information-security requirements, with heightened safeguards for sensitive information. - Provide technical oversight of approved data-collection, performance-management and visualisation systems and agree appropriate information-sharing arrangements with partners. EVALUATIONS, ASSESSMENTS AND RESEARCH - Lead or coordinate assessments, evaluations, learning reviews and operational research required for BSP-Ethiopia. - Develop or quality-assure methodologies, sampling approaches, tools, ethical protocols, analysis plans and reporting frameworks, ensuring appropriate foundational evidence for ph