Job Description- MEAL Specialist
Mobile Creches (MC), a pioneer organization in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), has been operational since 1969, providing childcare, health, nutrition, and protection services to more than 15,000 children annually across worksites, urban slums, rural, and tribal communities in India. MC has played a pioneering role in advancing ECCD for children under six years, particularly those from marginalized and migrant communities, through its integrated approach of delivering quality childcare services, strengthening caregiver and community engagement, enhancing linkages with government systems, training the ECCD workforce, influencing policy, and promoting research in the field of early childhood development. Officially recognized as the National Creche Agency by the Government of India, Mobile Creches continues to expand sustainable childcare solutions in partnership with governments and civil society organizations.
Building on its extensive experience in community-based childcare and child protection, Mobile Creches is implementing an integrated drowning-prevention programme in the high-risk districts of South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, and Paschim Medinipur in West Bengal. The programme will establish 50 community-based, supervised childcare centres operating for long hours for children aged 1–4 years, with the objective of reducing children’s unsupervised exposure to nearby water bodies while ensuring safety, nutrition, early stimulation, caregiver engagement, and community integration. In addition, the programme will promote child-centred water-safety and survival awareness, community mobilisation, and first-responder preparedness to strengthen local prevention systems.
The programme will work closely with Panchayati Raj Institutions, ICDS, public health systems, NRLM/Anandadhara platforms, and community institutions to create sustainable and scalable drowning prevention systems rooted in local governance and community participation.
As an organization, Mobile Creches adheres to a strict safeguarding policy, and all staff, volunteers, consultants, interns, and partners are required to comply with safeguarding norms and child protection protocols.
To know more about MC, please log on to www.mobilecreches.org.
Department: Child Care Services
Designation: MEAL Specialist
Level: 4
Reporting to: State Lead-West Bengal
Location: Mobile Creches State Project Office, West Bengal
Position Overview
The MEAL Specialist will lead programme Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) systems for the drowning prevention crèche programme in West Bengal. The position will be responsible for strengthening programme MIS systems, ensuring quality data management, supporting evidence generation, and promoting data-driven programme planning and decision-making.
The role will support development and operationalisation of monitoring frameworks, reporting systems, programme dashboards, data validation processes, and analytical reporting mechanisms across all programme districts. The position will also coordinate baseline and endline assessments, programme evaluations, and learning documentation in collaboration with programme teams and technical partners.
The role requires strong analytical, reporting, documentation, and coordination skills along with regular field engagement across programme districts.
Educational Qualifications:
Master’s degree in Statistics, Social Sciences, Public Health, Development Studies, Data Management, Economics, or a related field from a recognised institute.
Total Work Experience:
Minimum 5 years of experience in Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), MIS management, data analysis, programme analytics, and reporting in development programmes.
Experience working on community-based programmes, public health, child development, or donor-funded projects will be preferred.
Essential Requirements:
• Willingness to travel extensively across programme districts and field locations in West Bengal.
• Strong understanding of monitoring systems, programme indicators, data quality standards, and reporting processes.
• Experience in handling digital MIS systems, databases, dashboards, and data analysis tools will be preferred.
• Experience in coordinating programme assessments, surveys, and evaluations will be an advantage.
Age Criteria: 28–45 years.
Key Responsibilities:
Monitoring, Evaluation, and MIS Systems:
• Develop, operationalise, and strengthen programme Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) systems and frameworks for effective programme tracking and reporting.
• Design and manage data collection tools, monitoring formats, reporting templates, dashboards, trackers, and MIS systems for programme implementation.
• Develop indicator tracking mechanisms and support standardisation of programme monitoring processes across districts.
• Ensure integration of programme indicators related to crèche operations, child safety, drowning prevention, community engagement, and first responder systems into programme MIS.
Data Collection, Validation, and Analysis:
• Ensure timely collection, compilation, validation, analysis, and management of programme data from all programme districts and crèche centres.
• Conduct regular data quality assessments, verification exercises, and monitoring visits to strengthen data accuracy, reliability, and consistency.
• Review programme data, field reports, attendance systems, monitoring formats, and operational records to identify gaps and trends.
• Analyse programme performance data and generate actionable insights to support programme planning, review, and decision-making.
Reporting and Documentation:
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual programme reports, dashboards, analytical summaries, and donor reporting inputs.
• Generate programme insights, learning notes, case studies, data visualisations, and evidence-based reports for programme review and dissemination.
• Support development of presentations, review documents, and programme performance updates for internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure timely submission of quality reports and documentation in line with organisational and donor requirements.
Assessments, Evaluations, and Learning:
• Support planning and coordination of baseline, midline, endline, and other programme assessments in collaboration with programme teams, the national MEAL team, technical partners, and external agencies.
• Coordinate with external evaluators, research institutions, and technical agencies for programme evaluations, research studies, and evidence-generation processes.
• Support documentation of programme learnings, innovations, operational challenges, best practices, and evidence-based insights.
• Facilitate periodic programme review meetings, data review discussions, and learning processes to strengthen adaptive programme management and course correction.
Capacity Building and Technical Support:
• Build capacities of district teams, Field Supervisors, and programme staff on digital MIS systems, reporting tools, data management processes, and monitoring frameworks.
• Provide technical support to programme teams on data collection methodologies, reporting standards, documentation systems, and data quality protocols.
• Coordinate with the national MEAL team and IT team for deployment, operationalisation, troubleshooting, and effective utilisation of digital MIS systems and child-tracking applications used under the programme.
• Support orientation and training of programme staff and field teams on digital data collection tools, child-tracking applications, reporting systems, and data management protocols.
• Support field teams in strengthening record-keeping, reporting accuracy, timely data reporting, and data synchronisation across programme locations.
Coordination and Compliance:
• Coordinate closely with programme, finance, training, safeguarding, and operations teams for integrated programme monitoring and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with organisational MEAL standards, donor reporting requirements, data protection protocols, and internal reporting systems.
• Participate in programme review meetings, field visits, and coordination processes as required.
Other Responsibilities:
• Undertake any other responsibilities assigned by the State Lead or programme management team.
Key Skills Required:
• Strong analytical, data management, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in Excel, MIS systems, digital data platforms, and dashboard management.
• Strong understanding of programme monitoring frameworks, indicators, and reporting systems.
• Excellent documentation, analytical writing, and reporting abilities.
• Attention to detail and ability to manage large datasets and reporting timelines.
• Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams and field-based programme staff.
• Strong communication, coordination, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office and digital reporting tools is essential.
• Fluency in English required; working knowledge of Bengali and Hindi will be preferred.
Location requirement: The candidate will be required to travel extensively (at least 10-15 working days per month) to programme districts in West Bengal based on programme requirements.
Application Process:
Interested candidates may email their resume, cover letter, and last drawn CTC (mandatory) to
hradmin@mobilecreches.org.
https://forms.office.com/r/5265u3PJiY
Subject line: “MEAL Specialist – West Bengal”
We will review applications on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the position as soon as a suitable candidate is found. Hence, early applications are strongly encouraged.