Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION: MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING (MEL) MANAGER

School for Life – Mission

Educating poverty out of existence

 ABOUT SCHOOL FORLIFE                                                                                                                                                                              

School for Life Foundation Uganda (SFLU) is transforming lives in rural Uganda by providing high-quality education, vocational training and essential services such as clean water, healthcare, agricultural training and economic uplift for families. Founded in 2008 by Annabelle Chauncy OAM and David Everett OAM together with local leaders in Mpigi District, SFLU today runs three schools across the Katuuso and Mbazzi Riverside campuses, serving more than 1,700 students.

We don’t just educate. We nourish, support, equip and empower the whole child through our Holistic QualityEducation Model, so that every learner can become a Prosperity Maker: a young leader with the education, skillsand character to find meaningful work and lift their family and community out of poverty, for good.

We are entering an exciting phase of growth. Across the School for Life network we reach around 4,500 studentsa year today, and by 2030 we aim to reach 25,000 vulnerable children in last-mile communities, through our own schools and alongside partners. Our five-year strategy focuses on:

●   Quality Education & Learning Outcomes

●   Community Empowerment & Livelihoods

●   Sustainable Organisational Growth & Partnerships

●   Institutional Excellence & Systems Strengthening

●   Advocacy, Influence & Research for Impact

GOOD TO NOTE                                                                                                                         

To Our Awesome Applicants! 🚀💫

We know that incredible candidates sometimes hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every requirement. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply!

We’re looking for passionate individuals who believe in our mission and can bring unique perspectives to our team, not just those who check every box. We value diversity and strongly encourage women and individuals from all backgrounds to apply.

 JOB SUMMARY                                                                                                                          

Across 2026, SFLU built the foundations of an organisation-wide monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) system: an updated Theory of Change and Impact Measurement Framework, department frameworks, a Student Management Information System (SMIS) and a Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS).

Your role is to take that system from build to everyday use. You will keep it running, keep the data credible, and make sure leadership, departments, schools and our Australian team have verified, up-to-date data at theirfingertips through dashboards and timely reports. You will help us follow every learner from enrollment to alumnioutcomes, use evidence in our decisions, and build our team’s own capacity to sustain it.

How this role fits into the team

Schools and departments own their data entry, with Bursars and Head Teachers managing day-to-day records in the SMIS. The M&E Officer supports them and runs routine data quality checks. As MEL Manager, you own the system as a whole: setting the frameworks, checking quality, turning data into dashboards and reports, and helping teams use data to make decisions. The Global Head of Impact provides technical direction.

 JOB RESPONSIBILITIES                                                                                                           

Department MEL support & outcome tracking (25%)

●   Support each department and school to run a termly collect, analyse and report cycle on its priority KPIs.

●   Agree each year which outcome areas each department tracks, widening coverage in phases.

●   Facilitate monthly and end-of-term data reviews and termly reflection sessions.

●   Track whether data-informed recommendations are acted on, and report back to leadership.

●   Maintain practical data collection tools aligned to the term calendar, and retire tools that are not used.

Analysis, reporting & dashboards (20%)

●   Use statistical analysis, and predictive models where useful, to identify learners at risk and the drivers of outcomes.

●   Build and maintain school, department and executive dashboards, including a monthly executive dashboard and termly department reports.

●   Work with the Global Head of Impact to produce six-monthly impact reports.

●   Provide verified data for donor reports, proposals and board meetings, and map donor indicators to SFLU’s framework.

●   Analyse retention, progression, attendance, dropout and post-school outcomes by sex, disability, vulnerability and school.

Student data systems (15%)

●   Act as business owner of the SMIS (Gibbon): data model, change requests, user permissions and testing, working with IT support and the system developer.

●   Maintain one record for each student from enrolment through to alumni outcomes, protecting data quality and system continuity.

●   Integrate data sources and automate routine reporting to reduce manual work.

●   Run the Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS) with the Community & Welfare Department, making sure every alert gets documented follow-up.

●   Align SMIS data with government reporting requirements, such as Ministry of Education and Sports EMIS returns.

●   Keep the Australian team informed of student enrolments and exits, and maintain an annual list of leavers and new enrolments.

MEL strategy, frameworks & learning agenda (10%)

●   Define and own a 2–3 year MEL strategy and roadmap aligned to SFLU’s strategic plan.

●   Keep the Theory of Change, indicator definitions and annual MEL plan current and consistent across departments.

●   Act as a thought partner to leadership: show what the data says, which decisions it should inform, and prioritise MEL requests against capacity.

●   Align MEL with SFLU’s quarterly OKRs, giving owners verified data ahead of each review.

●   Set a short annual learning agenda with leadership, and manage the MEL budget and risk register.

Data governance, quality & safeguarding (10%)

●   Enforce data governance protocols and run termly data quality scorecards by school and department.

●   Make sure learner and family data meets Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act (2019) and SFLU’s safeguarding policies.

●   Maintain clear data roles (RACI), manage data access requests and keep data-sharing agreements in place.

●   Apply ethical standards, including consent, to research and evaluation involving learners, families and communities.

Learning & evaluation (10%)

●   Design simple data collection and reporting for new programmes, pilots and expansion sites, including needs assessments.

●   Produce two to three learning briefs a year and keep a log of decisions informed by data.

●   Run internal studies, and commission and manage external evaluations.

●   Build in feedback from learners, parents, communities and staff, and make sure it is acted on.

●   Represent SFLU in education sector learning networks and with research partners.

Capacity strengthening & team leadership (10%)

●   Line manage, coach and develop the M&E Officer.

●   Maintain MEL SOPs, a data dictionary and tool documentation, and onboard new staff to MEL systems.

●   Train staff and Head Teachers to enter, understand and use data, with a data focal point in each department and school.

●   Track adoption of MEL systems and follow up where use is low.

 EDUCATION, LICENSES, & CERTIFICATIONS                                                                       

●   A degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Statistics, Education, Economics, Social Sciences or a related field.

●   A postgraduate qualification in M&E is an advantage.

 EXPERIENCE                                                                                                                              

Essential

●   At least five years of MEL experience, including building or running a MEL system.

●   Proven experience in data analytics, with a track record of managing data projects and teams.

●   Experience in complex, fast-changing environments, in startups and social enterprises, with a track record of managing medium to large teams and balancing multiple priorities.

●   Experience working with school or learner data in Uganda or East Africa.

●   Proven ability to coach and develop staff.

●   Strong written and spoken English.

Desirable

●   Experience running a school information system.

●   Basic SQL or statistical software (e.g. Stata, SPSS, R).

●   Experience commissioning or managing external evaluations.

●   Experience with post-school pathways, community welfare or vulnerability screening.

●   Local language skills used in SFLU’s communities.

 KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES                                                                                        

You can make data systems work and coach the people who use them. You’re practical, patient with imperfect data, and motivated by seeing teams use evidence in their everyday work. You’ll thrive in this role if you can:

●   Run a MEL system, including indicators, data collection tools and data quality checks.

●   Manage learner data in a student database or school information system, working with IT support.

●   Clean and analyse data in Excel or Google Sheets, and use digital data collection tools such as KoboToolbox or ODK.

●   Build dashboards that non-specialists understand (Looker Studio, Power BI or similar).

●   Apply management frameworks such as OKRs and RACI.

●   Coach staff and train non-specialists to collect, enter and use data.

●   Write clear, short reports that turn data into an accurate story.

●   Apply safeguarding and data protection standards to children’s data.

●   Influence people you don’t manage, and plan your workload around the school term.

 WORKING CONDITIONS                                                                                                            

This position is based at the Head Office, with regular travel to our schools and communities in rural areas, where living conditions can be basic.

 WHAT WE OFFER                                                                                                                      

●   A vibrant, mission-driven environment with a supportive and fun team.

●   Competitive salary based on experience.

●   Competitive benefits.

●   Learning & growth opportunities.

●   This is a fixed-term contract with a possibility of extension based on performance.

 HOW TO APPLY                                                                                                                         

Please send your CV and a one-page cover letter telling us why this role excites you to jobsug@schoolforlife.org.au by 10th November 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

 SAFEGUARDING                                                                                                                        

We’re committed to ensuring all candidates are screened for child and youth safety. As part of the process, candidates must successfully complete our standard background verification and safeguarding review inaccordance with local legal standards. School For Life Foundation reserves the right to withdraw an offer of employment if any screening results indicate potential risks to youth.