TERMS OF REFERENCE
Learning Manager
Organization NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response)
(Hosted by Adeso – African Development Solutions)
Position Learning Manager
Reporting To Learning Director
Working With NEAR Secretariat; NEAR members; partners and donors
Duty Station Remote with approximately 30% travel
Duration
12 months
Starting Date ASAP, Ideally 15 November 2025
ABOUT NEAR
NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response) is a movement of local organizations with a bold ambition – to reshape the top-down humanitarian and development system to one that is locally driven and owned, and is built around equitable, dignified and accountable partnerships. NEAR is a membership-based organization with members coming from four regions: Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
ABOUT ADESO
NEAR is currently hosted by Adeso, an expanding and vibrant African based international development and humanitarian organization. Adeso and NEAR both aspire to prevent and overcome situations that adversely affect community well-being by: Influencing policy change and enacting systemic change through innovative solutions led by local and national actors.
POSITION PURPOSE
NEAR’s Strategic Plan for 2024-26 defines four strategic goals for the organization to work toward in the three-year period: (1) to build and amplify a collective voice of diverse, local, and national organizations as the key lead actors in the global aid system; (2) to position local actors as primary decision-makers in the global aid system to influence the operationalization of localization commitments; (3) to co-create, uplift, and amplify local solutions that radically increase local and national actors’ leadership and ownership of systems change initiatives; and (4) to generate and promote learning between and beyond NEAR members and partners to drive systems change.
The Learning Manager ensures day-to-day execution of the learning workplan, facilitating internal learning activities and tracking Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) implementation across teams. They support the Annual Member Survey, synthesize lessons from NEAR’s Localization Labs initiative and regional engagements, and help document how learning shapes strategy.
SPECIFIC ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Manage NEAR’s organizational learning agenda implementation
• Schedule, document, and track team and Secretariat reflection activities (Pause & Reflects, After Action Reviews)
• Maintain a dynamic library of learning templates, tools, and repositories for use across the Secretariat
• Support NEAR member level learning (Labs, summits, regional meetings, town halls, etc.) both in person and virtually
• Lead logistical and content support for member learning engagements and regional meetings including pre and post survey development
• Lead annual member survey design and implementation
• Synthesize learning findings for use in donor reporting, team learning and strategic planning
• Serve as the lead Learning Team user of Asana for activity management, tracking and documentation
• Contribute to MEL frameworks including those for funding proposals to donors
• Represent NEAR externally on learning, MEL, and member knowledge related activities and partnerships
Essential Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree required (Master’s preferred) in international development, social sciences, organizational learning, monitoring & evaluation, or a related field.
• 5+ years of professional experience in a learning, MEL, or program coordination role within the humanitarian, development, civil society, or philanthropic sectors—preferably in the Global South or working with Global South-led networks.
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing organizational learning processes (e.g., reflection cycles, After Action Reviews, Pause & Reflect sessions, knowledge repositories).
• Proven ability to synthesize complex learning into accessible products, such as internal summaries, donor reporting content, or knowledge briefs.
• Strong working knowledge of MEL principles and tools, including both qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
• Experience coordinating large-scale survey processes, such as member or stakeholder feedback loops.
• Fluency in using collaboration and workflow platforms such as Asana, Microsoft 365, and SurveyMonkey.
Skills and Competencies
• Strong project management and coordination skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities across time zones and teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including drafting internal reports, managing survey content, and presenting learning insights to diverse audiences.
• Confidence facilitating participatory learning processes both virtually and in person, with an understanding of adult learning principles.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working across cultures, including supporting distributed, member-led, or coalition-based teams.
• Ability to mentor and supervise junior MEL staff, including providing quality assurance and coaching.
• Comfort representing an organization in external learning or MEL communities of practice, networks, or donor-facing activities.
Values and Approach
• Demonstrated commitment to localization, equity, and systems change, in line with NEAR’s mission and values.
• Enthusiastic about working in a member-led, power-shifting network with distributed leadership structures.
• A collaborative and solutions-oriented mindset with a willingness to experiment and learn.
APPLICATION PROCESS
All applications should be sent to jobs@near.ngo by 8 October 2025 with “Learning Manager” on the subject line. The selection committee will review all applications as they arrive.
Each application package should include the following:
• Cover letter with the applicant’s current contact information (limited to one page)
• CV
• Two Professional References, with complete contact information
• Your expected annual gross pay in USD
All applicants must meet the minimum requirements described above. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Adeso is an equal opportunity employer.