Project Manager, MEL – Sentinel Program

Location: Boston, MA
Reports to: Associate Director, Sentinel
Type: Full-time

About Sentinel

Sentinel is building a real-time, locally led infectious disease surveillance system across Africa, integrating diagnostics, genomics, data systems, and workforce development to detect and stop outbreaks before they spread. Sentinel operates through partnerships with national public health agencies, research institutions, and frontline clinical sites across Africa.

The Project Manager, MEL will support coordination of Sentinel’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework across the Sentinel network. This role will focus on operationalizing learning systems, supporting qualitative and quantitative data collection, synthesizing implementation insights, and helping leadership use evidence to guide strategic and operational decision-making, learning and adaptation.

Key Responsibilities

Overall MEL Management

• Update and manage the Measurement, Evaluation and Learning Framework in collaboration with the PMO and country teams
• Ensure the program’s measurement systems produce rigorous, timely, and relevant data to understand Sentinel’s impact
• Develop and oversee strong systems for quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, and reporting of program results
• Report indicator results to Sentinel leadership to track progress against targets as per the MEL framework
• Support preparing donor reports and other communication materials, ensuring accurate reporting on program data and progress
• Ensure timely reporting of program data into Sentinel’s performance management system
• Execute day-to-day MEL activities

• Develop and manage systems for collecting, cleaning, validating, and integrating quantitative and qualitative data across Sentinel sites and partners
• Design and facilitate stakeholder interviews, focus groups, after-action reviews, and learning sessions
• Establish structured feedback mechanisms to capture insights from frontline workers, ministries of health, laboratories, and partner institutions
• Lead quantitative and qualitative analysis of program performance data, including trend analysis, outcome measurement, target setting, and assessment of progress toward Sentinel's strategic objectives
• Establish and maintain data quality assurance processes, including routine data validation, completeness checks, and performance monitoring
• Contribute to development of lessons learned, implementation case studies, and best practice documentation

• Analyze monitoring, quantitative, and qualitative learning data to identify trends, implementation gaps, operational risks, and opportunities for adaptation
• Facilitate routine learning reviews and cross-country reflection sessions
• Provide strategic recommendations to Sentinel leadership regarding program adaptation and operational prioritization
• Foster a culture of learning, responsiveness, and evidence-informed adaptation across Sentinel teams and partners

• Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, implementation science, health systems, or related field
• 3+ years of experience supporting MEL, implementation learning, adaptive management, or program evaluation in global health or public health programs
• Experience operationalizing MEL frameworks within complex, multi-country programs
• Strong mixed-methods data collection and analysis skills
• Experience facilitating learning sessions, stakeholder engagement, and implementation reviews
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to translate operational insights into actionable recommendations to different audiences
• Excellent organizational, communication, and collaboration skills in fast-paced, multi-partner environments
• Familiarity with infectious disease surveillance, outbreak response, or health systems strengthening preferred