Senior MEAL Technology Officer

The Senior MEAL Technology Officer leads MEAL technology delivery for the IRC Kenya country programme, including the TeachWell project. The role involves technical leadership for digital and technology systems, database management, electronic data collection, dashboard development, EMR administration, data quality assurance, user training, and AI integration to support humanitarian and development programmes.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the country programme's focal point for MEAL technology delivery across all projects and sectors, including the TeachWell project, working under the guidance and direction of the METAL Coordinator.
• Support the TeachWell MEAL Advisor in overseeing IRC and partner MEAL technology requirements and in designing and managing the technology components project MEAL framework and results tracking across components, leveraging qualitative and quantitative methods; co-design indicators, measurement tools and monitoring responsibilities.
• Conduct regular MEAL technology needs assessments across the IRC Kenya programme and propose a costed digital systems roadmap and standards, and apply and maintain the agreed standards across projects.
• Implement and maintain the database architecture set, ensuring system integrity, security, version control, documentation and business continuity across the portfolio.
• Design and implement transition plans for programmes migrating to new data collection tools, and manage migration/transformation of existing project and country-level data into standard data structures.
• Collaborate with programmes, IT and Supply Chain to plan procurement, configuration and lifecycle management of devices and licenses for data management.
• Design, build, test, deploy and adapt CommCare applications across the country programme (including TeachWell data collection tools), applying advanced case management, complex form logic, workspace administration, data services, and performance optimization for field users on low-bandwidth connections.
• Configure and deploy surveys and programme assessments in CommCare and mobile applications through elaborate testing, user training and roll-out.
• Build and maintain the TeachWell teacher professional development case management system with teacher profiles, electronic attendance registers and classroom observation modules per training module, ongoing teacher support, communities of practices, digital learning and harmonize it with partner school databases to link teacher and learner data.
• Recommend and document improvements to CommCare use across the programme: reusable templates, standardized case structures, workflow automation and adoption of new platform features.
• Develop, document and roll out a CommCare-based digital logframe / results-framework tracking platform, modelling indicators, targets, baselines, and disaggregation, linking routine data collection to the corresponding indicators.
• Develop and maintain Power BI dashboards across all sectors and projects for technical and non-technical audiences, including the PID, TeachWell dashboard and Strategy dashboard.
• Administer the Power BI service (workspaces, refresh, gateways, row-level security); document all dashboards so no product depends on a single individual or external consultant; and contribute analysis to routine reporting cycles.
• Create system architecture that mirrors TeachWell partner capture systems for ease of seamless data sharing.
• Develop spatial/GIS visualization of programme coverage and results across counties and camps.
• Manage EMR functional administration across IRC-supported health facilities: user accounts, roles, permissions and organization unit hierarchies; maintain functional documentation (configuration guides, data dictionaries, SOPs and audit logs).
• Lead the EMR's alignment to Taifa Care and the national digital health ecosystem: coordinate the vendor's Digital Health Agency certification so the EMR becomes Taifa Care-compatible by the September 2026 deadline, secure interoperability with eCHIS and KHIS/DHIS2, and support Social Health Authority readiness so that IRC-supported facilities can be empanelled and claim.
• Manage EMR data flows and integration with national reporting platforms (eCHIS, KHIS/DHIS2, iRHIS), ensuring reporting is accurate, timely and compliant with Ministry of Health requirements, and configuring aggregate exports that eliminate double-entry for facility staff.
• Serve as the EMR training focal point for IRC health staff and partner facility staff: design and deliver role-specific training and job aids (in English and Swahili where appropriate), and provide first-line functional user support, escalating system and infrastructure issues to the IT Manager.
• Lead user acceptance testing (UAT) for new EMR modules and enhancements; capture and prioritize enhancement and customization requests from clinical and MEAL staff, and channel them through the IT Manager and vendor for implementation and validation.
• Design, build and maintain EMR reports and dashboards for programme, donor and Ministry of Health reporting, including indicator-level reports aligned to project logframes and patient/cohort-level analytics for clinical decision-making and defaulter tracking; train supervisors on their use.
• Ensure EMR data practices comply with patient confidentiality requirements, IRC data protection policy and the Kenya Data Protection Act (2019), including consent capture, role-based access, data masking and retention schedules.
• Undertake data analysis, data quality assurance and data reviews, and ensure findings inform programming and adaptive management.
• Integrate data quality assurance mechanism in MEAL systems and provide feedback to MEAL team for management action.
• Lead routine and automated data quality checks across the portfolio, follow up remediation with data owners and partners, and verify that data is uploaded in line with SOPs and is complete, timely and accurate.
• Ensure all tools, databases and integrations comply with IRC data protection policy, the Kenya Data Protection Act (2019), government data governance requirements and donor data quality guidelines.
• Provide system training and ongoing end-user support to IRC and partner staff on databases, tools and dashboards, prioritizing partners with limited METAL capacity.
• Gather user feedback during and after deployment, lead requirements capture and UAT for new tools, and ensure user needs are reflected in system design.
• Provide technical enablement for the country programme's flagship AI pilots, including the survivor-support and community feedback channels and geospatial targeting, and prepare each pilot for scale-up across hub offices once it is proven.

Requirements

• University degree in Information Technology, Database Development, Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Statistics, Health Informatics or a related field.
• Relevant professional certification (e.g., CommCare, Microsoft Power BI, DHIS2 fundamentals/implementation, data engineering and other related quantitative field) is an added advantage.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in project database development, systems integration and data management, with a substantial portion in MEAL functions of humanitarian or development programmes.
• Demonstrable CommCare competence is essential: advanced case management, complex form logic, CommCare HQ administration and data export/API configuration, including the ability to design indicator/results-tracking structures linked to routine data collection.
• Advanced Power BI skills: data modelling, Power Query, DAX and service administration, evidenced by a portfolio of dashboards in active use, including managing an inherited indicator dashboard.
• Working experience in tool development related to research, MEAL and other development utilities from origination, data collection analysis and use.
• Working in multisectoral / consortium projects is an added advantage.
• Demonstrated understanding of health information systems (eCHIS, KHIS/DHIS2, HMIS, EMR), their reporting workflows, and the confidentiality requirements of patient-level data.
• Strong proficiency with mobile data collection (CommCare, ODK, Kobo) and data analysis software such as advanced Microsoft Excel, SPSS, STATA, R or Python, and GIS tools.
• Working knowledge of data protection and responsible data practices in humanitarian settings.
• Willingness to travel to field-level offices (up to 50%).
• Knowledge of MEAL functionality across different thematic areas is an added advantage.
• Experience administering an EMR or comparable facility-based health information system, including user management, backups and vendor coordination.
• Experience standardizing tools across a multi-sector portfolio.
• Experience taking over, documenting and improving systems built by third-party consultants or departing staff.
• Experience digitizing client feedback / accountability mechanisms.
• Excellent interpersonal, time-management and communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to work independently, and under own initiative with a proactive approach to problem solving.
• Proven skills in making empirical data accessible for different audiences through different channels and media.
• Self-motivated and result-driven, with the ability to build and manage networks and relationships and issue resolution.
• Active listening and effective communication
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Professionalism and work ethic
• Receptive and resilient
• Positive interpersonal interactions

Skills

• Database Development
• System Integration
• Data Management
• MEAL Functions
• CommCare Advanced Case Management
• CommCare HQ Administration
• Data Export API Configuration
• Indicator Tracking Design
• Power BI Data Modelling
• Power Query
• DAX
• Power BI Service Administration
• Tool Development for MEAL
• Health Information Systems
• eCHIS
• KHIS DHIS2
• HMIS
• EMR Administration
• Mobile Data Collection
• ODK
• Kobo
• Advanced Microsoft Excel
• SPSS
• STATA
• R Programming
• Python Programming
• GIS Tools
• Data Protection Practices
• Responsible Data Use
• Client Feedback Digitization
• Dashboard Development
• User Management
• Backup Management
• Implementation Coordination
• Standardizing Tools
• System Documentation
• Data Quality Assurance
• User training
• AI Integration

Languages

English, Swahili