MEAL Specialist

Job Description

Title: MEAL Specialist

Company Name: Friends in Village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB)

Vacancy: 01

Age: 30 to 50 years

Job Location: Cox`s Bazar (Teknaf)

Salary: Tk. 110000 - 120000 (Monthly)

Experience:

• At least 3 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Master of Social Science (MSS)
• Master of Development Studies (MDS)
• Master of Science (MSc) in Economics
• Master of Science (MSc) in Statistics

• At least 3 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Age 30 to 50 years

Educational Requirements:

Master’s degree preferably in Social Science, Development studies, Economics, Statistics, Business Administration, or another relevant subject from any reputed university.

Experience Requirements:

Minimum 6 years of experience in MEAL, including designing and implementing MEAL systems for donor-funded programs, and a minimum of 3 years in managing MEAL teams. Experience in livelihoods, DRR, food security, or ultra-poor graduation programs is required, along with skills in supporting learning and reporting. Prior work in Cox’s Bazar or Chittagong will be an added advantage, along with the Chittagongian language.

Technical Expertise, Skills, and Knowledge (Essential):

• Strong understanding of MEAL programming in multi-sectoral development and humanitarian contexts.

• Knowledge of donor MEAL policies, standards, and best practices.

• Excellent skills in MS Excel; knowledge of MS Access, SPSS, Power BI, GIS or Stata is advantageous.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to meet deadlines under pressure.

• Excellent report writing and presentation skills in Bangla and English.

• Ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner using innovative communication methods.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Willingness to travel frequently to program areas, including Rohingya camps.

Desirable

• Capacity to work independently as well as collaboratively in high-pressure environments.

• Previous experience in community-based organization (CBO) capacity building, peacebuilding, or social cohesion initiatives.

• Strong commitment to gender equality, child safeguarding, PSEA, and humanitarian principles.

• Experience in humanitarian settings, particularly with refugees or IDPs.

• Knowledge of policies and procedures, Sphere and NGO Code of Conduct.

Additional Requirements

• Age between 30 and 50 years.

• Applications are welcome from both male and female candidates.

• Strong proficiency in English and Bangla, both written and spoken.

• In-depth knowledge of local culture with readiness to travel frequently.

• Ability to perform well under pressure and adjust to demanding field conditions.

• Open, approachable, and attentive in communication.

• Encourages creativity and promotes innovative solutions.

• Capable of taking well-considered risks while maintaining discipline.

• Upholds honesty, transparency, and the highest ethical standards

Project Context:

Friends in Village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB) is going to implement the Strengthening Inclusive Governance and Adaptive Social Cohesion (SI GA) Project in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, supported by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development). The project period is from 01 November 2025 to 31 October 2030, and it deliberately follows the HDP (Humanitarian, Development, Peace) Nexus approach to address the complex needs of both Rohingya and host communities. The project is centred on civil society organisation (CSO) strengthening, social cohesion, resilience, gender-responsive development, and the promotion of human rights. By empowering CSOs, the project aims to improve peaceful coexistence, enhance cooperation with government institutions, resolve conflicts, and build resilience to climate, security, and protection risks.

The MEAL Specialist will be recruited by FIVDB and will be based in FIVDB’s Field Office in Teknaf, with frequent travel to Rohingya camps and host communities. S/he will play a central role in designing, facilitating, and coordinating all kinds of MEAL-related planning, designing, assessments, and staff capacity development. The position is contractual for the project duration, with an initial three (3) months’ probation period. The MEAL Specialist will work closely with the Project Coordinator, WHH MEAL Coordinator, FIVDB MEAL unit, and other technical staff to ensure effective delivery, quality assurance, and alignment with the developed MEAL plan. S/he will serve as the project MEAL focal point for providing strategic guidance and technical support to ensure sustainable impact at the community and institutional levels.

Key responsibilities include:

Key Area 1: MEAL System Development and Management

• Make activity plans and set up a strong MEAL system with tools, supervision plans, and data quality checks that follow donor requirements.

• Establish and strengthen participatory MEAL systems with CSOs, ensuring community-based monitoring and feedback loops.

• Give support and training to team members as per the needs.

• Regularly review MEAL activities in host and Rohingya communities and make improvements to keep them effective.

• Introduce and train CSOs in the use of digital MEAL tools (e.g., Kobo, ODK) for evidence-based reporting and advocacy.

Key Area 2: Program Monitoring and Feedback

• Support in planning, carrying out, and reviewing monitoring activities, and share results with program teams.

• Make sure participants have ways to give feedback and that their voices are heard.

• Keep data consistent with donor requirements and ensure the quality of all indicators.

• Help organize and run events and meetings as planned.

Key Area 3: Reporting and Data Quality

• Ensure all reports (monthly, quarterly, annual) are submitted on time and of good quality.

• Visit the field to check that data collection meets quality standards.

• Lead progress reporting at the field level and compare targets with actual results.

• Work with program teams to make sure collecting accurate data according to the MEAL framework and ensure accountability to both participants and donors.

• Coordinate with gender, protection, and environment staff to make sure cross-cutting issues are reported properly.

Key Area 4: Research, Evaluation, and Learning

• Lead data collection and monitoring for all activities according to the MEAL plan.

• Lead baseline, midline, action research, and endline surveys, applying conflict- and gender-sensitive methodologies, coordinating with WHH MEAL Coordinator.

• Prepare short field reports and share findings with program teams so that lessons learned can improve future activities.

• Supervise regular and annual data collection in the field.

Key Area 5: Supervision and Team Support

• Visit the field often to supervise MEAL work, check MIS data, and solve problems on the spot.

• Train field staff on data collection, cleaning, and reporting tools.

• Encourage participatory monitoring and help the team learn by doing.

• Support facilitating learning and reflection workshops with project staff and CSOs to ensure adaptive management.

Key Area 6: Accountability and CFRM

• Lead and manage the Complaints and Feedback Response Mechanism (CFRM).

• Ensure all feedback and complaints are properly received, documented, and acted upon.

• Promote transparency and accountability to participants and communities.

Key relationships:

Reportable to: Project Coordinator

Internal Contact:

• Program Coordinator

• Project Coordinator

• Technical Specialist- Training and Capacity Development

• Advocacy and Communication Expert

• Procurement Specialist

• MEAL Officer

• Livelihood and DRR Officer

• Protection Officer

• Accountant

• Support Staff

External Contact:

• HDP Nexus Coordinator

• WHH MEAL Coordinator

• UNO, Upazila, and District Office

• CiC, ACiC & Site Management personnel

• Rohingya refugees and host communities

• Other sector colleagues (ex: Protection, LSDS, etc.)

• Other potential camp and host-level stakeholders

• Mobile bill,Weekly 2 holidays
• Festival Bonus: 2

Equal to 2 (two) basic or on a pro-rata basis.