This role was posted on February 05, 2026. Please note that we will review applications on a rolling basis. 

The Role

At Last Mile Health (LMH), we dig data. Do you have experience implementing innovative monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning initiatives (MERL) for global community health programs? If so, you may be our next MERL Specialist for our Sierra Leone Program.

LMH partners with governments to design and refine community health policies and systems, upskill the community health workforce, and demonstrate effective community-based primary care to sustain responsive and resilient community health systems and improve health equity and outcomes in rural and remote communities.

In Sierra Leone, LMH partners with the Ministry of Health to implement a robust system of measurement, evaluation, and learning for the Community Health Worker Program. The MERL Specialist will develop and execute MERL plans that track progress, outcomes, and impact of health systems strengthening, workforce upskilling, and community-based service delivery. This role  will work closely with LMH staff and the Ministry to understand program goals and bring responsive methods to assess and learn from progress. This role will also analyze and share findings with country teams, executive leadership, and external stakeholders, and coordinate with LMH’s Global MERL team on standards, technical guidance, and organizational best practices.

This position is only open to candidates who are currently located and authorized to work in Sierra Leone. 

What you'll do

MERL Implementation, Data Systems, and Learning

  • Lead the design and implementation of project MERL plans, including evaluation questions, indicators, methods, targets (as applicable), analysis, reporting, and dissemination.
  • Conduct descriptive quantitative and qualitative analyses across projects, including digital tools for clinical supervision, health worker training, and malaria vaccine implementation.
  • Support strong data systems through data management, quality assurance, and data cleaning processes.
  • Partner with internal and external program teams to ensure MERL approaches are fit-for-purpose and responsive to program priorities and learning needs; share findings and support teams to use data to strengthen implementation and strategy.
  • Design and manage data collection tools and processes (e.g., surveys, KIIs, FGDs), including digitization, testing, and rollout.
  • Provide technical support for field-based MERL activities, including enumerator training and deployment oversight.
  • Develop timely, accessible dashboards and data visualizations for internal and external use, drawing from sources such as DHIS2 and CHIS to inform decision-making.
  • Coordinate completion of program close-out reports and routine donor and partner reporting.
  • Support Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions and ongoing compliance for research activities.
  • Participate in LMH’s MERL Community of Practice to share learning and best practices, and build MERL capacity within the Sierra Leone team.
  • Produce learning products and synthesis materials for internal and external audiences; contribute to data reviews, after-action reviews, and learning initiatives such as deep dives.
  • Support updates to country-level indicators, partner reporting requirements, country targets, and annual strategy reviews.
  • Support the implementation and dissemination of research and learning studies, ensuring alignment with LMH, Ministry of Health, and country best practices.
  • Lead the quarterly extraction, consolidation, and presentation of program-level data for LMH teams and stakeholders.

Program Design, Management and Performance Review

  • Support program design best practices across the Sierra Leone portfolio, including needs assessments, evidence reviews, logic models, process reviews, and adaptive management.
  • Collaborate with global and country-based teams to develop and refine logic models and theories of change aligned with short- and long-term country strategy.
  • Strengthen documentation and tracking of the Sierra Leone country strategy by linking program activities to strategic objectives, facilitating strategy reviews, and ensuring completion of Project Hubs.
  • Provide project management and coordination support, including deliverable tracking, reporting, and knowledge management across collaborative workstreams.

What you'll bring

  • Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Policy, Health Economics, Demography, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred
  • Progressive years of experience in public health and/or international development, including relevant years of experience designing and leading MERL activities.
  • Strong experience with quantitative and qualitative MERL methods and tools.
  • Experience designing digital data collection tools using KoboCollect or ODK.
  • Experience working with routine health information systems, including DHIS2 and Community Health Information Systems (CHIS).
  • Experience developing logic models, conducting needs assessments, and completing evidence or literature reviews.
  • Demonstrated experience supporting routine data collection in rural and remote areas of Sierra Leone, with willingness to spend extended time in districts.
  • Proficiency in statistical analysis using software such as Stata (preferred), including designing and conducting statistical tests.
  • Strong self-management skills, with the ability to work independently, proactively, and toward deadlines.
  • Experience producing MERL reports, toolkits, factsheets, and data visualizations for diverse audiences.
  • Experience developing presentations and slide decks (PowerPoint or Google Slides) to communicate findings.
  • Demonstrated ability to engage stakeholders and provide technical support to internal teams, government counterparts, and external partners.
  • Flexibility and eagerness to take on new responsibilities as LMH’s Sierra Leone portfolio evolves.
  • Experience working with the Ministry of Health at national and district levels, and living or working outside of Freetown.

You’ll impress us if you have

  • Experience coaching or collaborating with program teams to strengthen data use and learning in practice.
  • A demonstrated commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • A strong understanding of community health systems and approaches to evaluating them.
  • Experience designing evaluations for digital health, education, or health systems strengthening programs.
  • Experience living and working in remote or hard-to-reach communities, particularly in Sierra Leone.

Compensation information

At Last Mile Health, we strive to reward our employees equitably and transparently. This means that we pay our employees based on a clear and consistent methodology and without regard to identity or personal relationships. We have made this model fully transparent, so that everyone has access to all information related to compensation. We hope this helps you better understand Last Mile Health’s values and commitments to our employees. We look forward to answering any questions you may have during the hiring process.

Before applying to this role, please take a moment to learn more about our approach to compensation and how compensation works in each of the countries where we operate. Please find the link to our compensation model and benefits overview below:

OVERVIEW OF LAST MILE HEALTH’S COMPENSATION MODEL

Compensation for this position:

The Band for this position: SLE- 3

For Sierra Leone, the range is an annual gross of $13,078 - $22,589 USD, dependent upon experience doing an equivalent role. Please note that compensation is subject to statutory taxes. 

About Last Mile Health

Last Mile Health partners with governments to design, scale, strengthen, and sustain high-quality community health systems, which empower teams of community and frontline health workers to bring life-saving primary healthcare to the world’s most remote communities. LMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, visitwww.lastmilehealth.org.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at LMH. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

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