Senior Monitoring Advisor (MRCS) – Burkina Faso Full Time

Background

SoCha’s Monitoring, Reporting, and Capacity Strengthening Activity (MRCS) supports the U.S. Department of State in strengthening oversight, accountability, and contextual understanding of humanitarian and stabilization activities in the Sahel. Operating in both Niger and Burkina Faso, MRCS conducts independent Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) to verify activity implementation, assess beneficiary experiences, identify operational challenges, and reveal emerging risks or hot button issues that require donor attention. Through routine site visits, qualitative inquiries, and structured reporting, MRCS provides the Department of State with timely, neutral, and evidence-based insights to inform decision-making and strengthen program effectiveness in complex and insecure environments.

Purpose of the Role

MRCS is seeking an experienced Senior Monitoring Advisor to provide cross-cutting technical leadership across its TPM portfolio in Burkina Faso and Niger. This is a senior, hands-on technical role focused on qualitative monitoring, analysis, and lead authorship of TPM reports. The position does not manage large teams but provides high-level technical oversight, mentoring, and quality assurance across all TPM outputs.

Key Responsibilities

The Monitoring Specialist plays a central role in ensuring that MRCS’ TPM work is technically strong, analytically rich, and clearly communicated. Responsibilities include:

• Provide senior technical leadership across all TPM task streams, ensuring methodological rigour and alignment with SoCha’s TPM standards;
• Lead the drafting and overall writing of TPM reports, including site visit reports, hot-button issue reports, and quarterly synthesis reports, while providing full oversight and quality assurance to ensure all outputs are clear, accurate, and actionable;
• Lead on advanced qualitative methods, including thematic analysis, triangulation, and sense-making approaches;
• Support context monitoring, synthesizing political, security, and operational developments to inform the interpretation of findings;
• Mentor national staff and M&E Advisors through hands-on coaching, structured guidance, and iterative review cycles;
• Work closely with field teams, in-country TPM Specialists, and MRCS’ senior leadership to ensure coherence, consistency, and timely delivery across all TPM products.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s (or higher) is preferred in a relevant field including international relations, political science, economics, public health, law, public administration, or data sciences. Direct professional experience more than five years may be substituted for advanced degree requirements;
• Minimum of 5 years (10 years preferred) of demonstrated experience assessing multi-disciplinary issues, including politics, governance, economics, and delivery of social services as they relate to development activities in conflict environments;
• Proven field experience in implementing and leading TPM in diverse sectors;
• Demonstrated expertise in qualitative data collection, analysis, and synthesis;
• Demonstrated experience briefing reports to senior level officials and leading the writing of donor-facing analytical reports;
• Experience mentoring local staff to improve their analytical and report writing capabilities;
• Strong contextual familiarity with international development programming in West Africa;
• Excellent English writing and editing skills (writing samples may be requested);
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work under tight timelines;
• Ability to work independently in complex, insecure operating environments;
• Experience working with the USG preferred;
• Strongly prefers a Senior Advisor based in the region to facilitate communications and required consultations.

Languages

• French and English language capabilities are required, local language skills desired, but not required.

Location

This position will be based in our project office in Ouagadougou.

Tagged as: Burkina Faso, SoCha LLC