The Lake Tanganyika Basin MEL Lead

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Lake Tanganyika Basin (LTB) Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Lead (LTB MEL Lead) serves as the technical lead responsible for designing, coordinating, and continuously improving the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning function for the Lake Tanganyika Basin Irreplaceable Landscape strategy. This role provides technical leadership to design, implement and adapt a basin-wide MEL system that tracks progress across freshwater, terrestrial, livelihood, governance, gender, climate resilience, sustainable finance, and transboundary collaboration outcomes.

Based in Kigoma, United Republic of Tanzania, and reporting to the Lake Tanganyika Basin Director, with technical alignment to TNC Africa MEL standards and guidance, the LTB MEL Lead ensures that the program strategy is supported by a decision-oriented performance management system that generates credible evidence for course correction, accountability, donor reporting, and strategic learning across multiple countries and partners. The role translates complex conservation objectives into measurable outputs and outcomes and provides analysis, insights, and recommendations to help the LTB team align program investments with the strategy’s intended impact at scale.

Drawing from the Lake Tanganyika basin theory of change, the MEL Lead will work closely with the Lake Tanganyika Basin Deputy Director, LTB Workstream Leads and relevant Africa Science and MEL team to co-develop indicators and learning questions, strengthen data systems, and lead strategic reflection processes that improve conservation and adaptation outcomes over time.

We’re Looking for You:

The LTB MEL Lead works closely with the program implementation team and partners across Tanzania, Zambia, DRC, and Burundi, as well as with key stakeholders and beneficiaries, including local communities, government agencies, research institutions, non-governmental organizations, regional bodies, and implementing partners.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

•   Lead the design, operationalization, and continuous refinement of a basin-wide Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan for the Lake Tanganyika Basin Irreplaceable Landscape strategy, aligned with TNC Africa MEL standards, the Africa Unified and Standardized MEL Frameworks, and the program theory of change, including development of clear results pathways, indicators, assumptions, risks, targets, and strategic learning questions.
• Coordinate MEL Plan development and implementation across Lake Tanganyika Basin team, implementing partners, and relevant stakeholders in Tanzania, Zambia, DRC, and Burundi, ensuring shared ownership, harmonized expectations, and consistent tracking of biodiversity, governance, climate resilience, gender and inclusion, sustainable finance, livelihoods, and transboundary collaboration outcomes.
• Establish, manage, and continuously improve high-quality MEL data systems, standards, tools, protocols, and data governance practices for systematic data collection, storage, validation, aggregation, analysis, and reporting across freshwater and terrestrial systems, ensuring that information is accurate, comparable, timely, and decision ready.
• Lead data quality assurance across program zones of operations and implementing teams by reviewing datasets, identifying data gaps or weaknesses, tracking revisions and methodological issues, and providing timely technical feedback and follow-up support to strengthen reliability and usability of MEL evidence.
• Generate consolidated program-wide performance analyses, indicator progress summaries, dashboards, and reports, disaggregated by agreed variables such as gender, youth, geography, and stakeholder group, to inform program leadership, donor reporting, investment decisions, and adaptive management.
• Coordinate the Lake Tanganyika Basin Program quarterly reviews, annual pause and reflect review and learning workshops, and other structured reflection processes to assess progress against objectives and the theory of change, test assumptions, identify lessons and trends, and translate evidence into practical recommendations for adaptive management and course correction.
• Lead the development of donor-ready reporting products, evidence summaries, results narratives, annual review reports, and strategic learning products that clearly communicate program progress, outcomes, challenges, and contributions to conservation, adaptation, and community resilience goals.
• Build the MEL capacity of LTB core teams, implementing partners, community-based institutions, and relevant stakeholders to collect, interpret, analyze, and use data effectively, fostering a culture in which evidence and reflection routinely inform implementation, partnership management, and strategic decision-making.
• Oversee baseline, midline, endline, real-time monitoring, learning studies, and other assessment processes, ensuring that findings are integrated into program planning, concept notes, proposals, donor reports, learning agendas, and resource mobilization materials.
• Embrace the One Conservancy spirit of collaboration by participating effectively in regional and global MEL communities of practice to promote shared learning and uptake of lessons across TNC teams, implementing partners, and regional institutions.
• Partner closely with Regional Science and MEL team to co-develop systems and processes that strengthen our evidence readiness in the region and be a thought-partner in advancing MEL at organizational level.
• Partner closely with the Africa Portfolio Director to keep hub records fully updated and support the Country and Landscape review processes for the Africa Business Unit and the annual Pause and Reflect (as above).
• Provide technical guidance, coordination, quality assurance, and supervision where assigned for MEL staff, consultants, interns, partner focal points, and science-related contributors, while serving as a key convener for basin-wide MEL collaboration with regional institutions, transboundary partners, and TNC regional and global MEL teams.
• Partner with the Development and Africa Public Funding Collaboration teams to support fundraising for the LTB.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• BA/BS degree and 5 years’ experience monitoring and evaluation, conservation science, environmental science, natural resource management, social science, statistics, data science, or a related field and at least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in MEL, program performance management, evaluation, applied learning systems, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong skills in MEL data analytics, program performance reporting, and aggregating data from multiple sources with quality assurance processes.
• Strong experience supporting complex, multi-partner programs, including coordination of workplans, timelines, budgets, partner inputs, performance evidence, and strategic initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical guidance, coordinate contributors, manage workloads and timelines, and support staff, consultants, interns, or partner focal points as assigned.
• Strong technical knowledge of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, including results frameworks, theories of change, indicator design, performance monitoring plans, learning agendas, data quality assurance, evaluation methods, and adaptive management approaches.
• Experience developing and implementing MEL plans with robust indicators, measurement systems, stakeholder feedback mechanisms, and regular reporting of findings.
• Experience curating, analyzing, and interpreting statistical, environmental, or programmatic data.
• Experience working with partner organizations on MEL systems and processes.
• Demonstrated ability to work across cultures and effectively communicate with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong communication and report writing skills, including a record of producing high-quality technical or scientific outputs; peer-reviewed publications are an added advantage.
• Experience translating MEL evidence, results frameworks, indicators, learning questions, and results narratives into concept notes, proposals, donor reports, and resource mobilization materials.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in monitoring and evaluation, conservation science, environmental science, natural resource management, social science, or another relevant field.
• Demonstrated experience leading MEL systems for complex, multi-country, multi-partner conservation, climate adaptation or natural resource management programs.
• Experience designing and managing mixed-methods MEL approaches, including quantitative and qualitative data collection, baseline, midline and endline assessments, real-time monitoring, participatory monitoring, and learning studies.
• Proficiency using data management, analysis, visualization, and reporting tools such as Excel, KoboToolbox, Survey123, ArcGIS/QGIS, statistical software (e.g., MAXQDA, Atlas.ti, JMP), the spatial monitoring and reporting tool (SMART), and other relevant software and platforms.
• Experience synthesizing, interpreting, and communicating scientific, ecological, social, and programmatic information for diverse audiences, including senior leadership, donors, government partners, technical teams, and community stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, writing, and presentation skills, with a record of producing high-quality, data-rich technical reports, donor reports, learning products, research briefs, dashboards, or scientific publications; peer-reviewed publications are an added advantage.
• Experience working effectively across cultures and institutions, including with government agencies, regional bodies, NGOs, research institutions, community-based organizations, and implementing partners.
• Interdisciplinary knowledge of freshwater, fisheries, terrestrial conservation, biodiversity, climate resilience, gender and social inclusion, livelihood, or transboundary natural resource governance issues in East, Central, or Southern Africa; familiarity with the Lake Tanganyika Basin is strongly preferred.
• High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, sound judgment, and demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain data integrity in a complex partnership environment.
• Highly collaborative, inclusive, and open-minded.

Who We Are:

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube   to hear stories from staff or visit  Glassdoor.

One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”

What We Bring:

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world! 

TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

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The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.

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