Head of Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

Head of Monitoring, Evaluation &

Learning (MEL)
Starting Date: As soon as possible
Contract type: Full-time and open-ended
Salary: if hired in London – 72’100 GBP, if in Geneva – 109'500 CHF, if in New Delhi – 3'710'500
INR, if in Lahore - 6’968’500 PKR, commensurate with relevant experience and skills
Location: London, United Kingdom or Geneva, Switzerland preferred. Exceptional candidates in
New Delhi, India and Lahore, Pakistan will be considered
Application closing date: 14th March 202

About the Job
Are you purpose-led and ready to embark on a journey to shape the future of sustainable cotton?

Are you an experienced team leader with strong technical knowledge and good strategic thinking

skills? Join us at Better Cotton as Head of Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) and lead a

global team responsible for measuring impact, facilitating learning, and ensuring credible

reporting at the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative.

We support more sustainable farming practices and farm livelihoods for nearly 3 million farmers

in the Better Cotton network in 23 countries around the world. Almost a quarter of the world’s

cotton is now grown under the Better Cotton Standard System. Better Cotton’s MEL team works

across the organisation and with Programme Partners to monitor progress against its theory of

change using an evidence framework of indicators that range from outputs to impacts. Better

Cotton’s mission is focused on farm level change in cotton producing communities.

See complete job ad here

The Challenge
Looking ahead to 2030, we are targeting reducing GHG emissions from cotton production by half,
big cuts in synthetic pesticide use, improve soil health across our network, improve farm income
and support women’s empowerment among farmers and farm workers.

As Head of MEL, you will play a key role in helping Better Cotton to assess results and impact at
farm level, ensure credible and timely reporting to stakeholders, and to foster learning within the
organisation and among its partners and stakeholders. With the regulatory landscape affecting
the apparel and textile sector rapidly evolving, Better Cotton rolling out Traceability, plus putting
in place a third party certification scheme, this will be an enriching and challenging role with
opportunities to work on diverse topics and projects.

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Your role and responsibilities

We are seeking a motivated and talented Head of Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) to join
our team. In this role, you will lead a dynamic team of 11 and serve as a key liaison between the
MEL team and Better Cotton’s senior leadership. Reporting to the Director of Standards,
Certification, and MEL, your specific work areas are:

ensuring adherence to data quality principles, meeting stakeholder needs (e.g. feedback
of insights to farm level; align with new legislation related to green claims), and
continuously improving methods and approaches. A consultative revision to the strategy
and system is expected to follow in due course.

• Ensure the MEL strategy supports and aligns with the overall Better Cotton strategy; and

• Monitor and report to organisational leadership about team KPIs, ensuring deliverables

• Ensure strategic alignment with Better Cotton’s Impact Marketplace, now under

• Ensure the MEL system meets the requirements of the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for

Team Leadership

• Drive the MEL team to excellence providing mentoring, growth opportunities, regular

• Foster a culture of collaboration and innovation, where ideas from all levels are

• Communicate team concerns and ideas up to senior leadership. Ensure key information

• Build effective matrix relationships with MEL leads in country teams.

Monitoring Data Analytics
• Oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of Better Cotton Results Indicators from

farm level, in cooperation with Better Cotton country teams and Programme Partners.

• Ensure development and continuous improvement of farm results dashboards to enhance

• Strategise with the data analytics lead on improved ways to communicate internally and

• Ensure data of increasing quality can be used by key stakeholders for credible claims and

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Research and Evaluation

• Oversee the research and evaluation workstreams, which commission and coordinate

• Ensure professional coordination with researchers and in-country staff. Review draft

• Ensure internal and/or external distribution of reports and learning products.

• Build interest among the academic community and donors in researching Better Cotton’s

Field Data Digitalisation

• Oversee manager who leads cross-functional workstream to digitalise data coming from

• Strategically support rollout of digital data collection and reporting methods.

• Support manager to research potential further developments for farm data services.

Communication and Reporting
• Collaborate with the Communications team to present and disseminate results and

learning clearly and succinctly to staff, partners, members, and funders, in order to
facilitate increased membership and partnerships for Better Cotton.

• Participate in cross-functional working group to design approaches that bring increased

• Advise on use of impact data in B2B and consumer-facing claims amidst the evolving

Financial Accountability
• Actively contribute to financial management and reporting, in cooperation with the

effective use of financial resources.

Profile
The selected candidate will have the following skills, knowledge, and experience:
Essential

• University degree, or equivalent higher education qualification, in a relevant field.

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• Extensive experience in monitoring and research in international development contexts,

• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a diverse team, including setting goals,

• Proficiency in project management techniques to coordinate and oversee processes

• High ethical standards and integrity in managing monitoring and evaluation processes,

• Experience collaborating effectively across different teams and cultures, strong

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly

• Proven ability to work autonomously with a high level of personal effectiveness.

• Commitment to ongoing learning and improvement in monitoring, evaluation, and

• Excellent computer and IT skills, including: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook; experience

• Excellent English written and oral skills, including communication to diverse audiences.
  

Desirable

• Knowledge of the agriculture or cotton farming sector.
• Knowledge of the apparel/textile/fashion sector and the role cotton plays.

• Experience with data management, including knowledge about ensuring data quality and

• Proven ability to understand relevant normative frameworks and regulation related to

• Knowledge or experience with market-based solutions like sustainability standard

• Experience in a not-for profit organisation.

• Experience with consultative stakeholder engagement.
• Competency in languages most relevant to Better Cotton countries, such as Hindi, Urdu,

Mandarin, French, Portuguese and Turkish.

What we offer

• Competitive salary
• Hybrid working

• The opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to one month per year
• Flexible working, with core hours from 10 am to 4 pm local time
• Continuous learning and development
• Pension scheme

• 25 days paid annual leave, plus 8-9 Bank Holidays and a discretionary further 3 days off

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• Enhanced parental benefits

• The opportunity to make your mark and make a difference
  

Working arrangements
The position is full-time (40 hours per week). Better Cotton offers flexible working, with core
hours being 10 am – 4 pm. The position may include some travel.

Apply now
Send us your CV (2 pages maximum) and a brief cover letter (1-page maximum) by or before
14.03.2024 via this link.
In your cover letter, please include an explanation of why your experience is specifically relevant
to this role at Better Cotton. We want to see your personal style – what makes you tick and why
you think your next opportunity is here with us.

Our hiring process
Initial Screening:
If you are selected, you will be contacted for an initial screening, which may involve a brief phone
interview or video call. The purpose is to learn more about you, confirm basic qualifications, and
discuss the role and organisation.
Interviews:
If you are confirmed after the initial screening, you will be invited for interviews. The interview
process at Better Cotton may include one or more rounds of interviews with various stakeholders,
such as the hiring manager, team members, and potentially senior management.
Assessment and Testing:
Depending on the role, you might be required to complete assessments, technical tests, or skills
evaluations to gauge your competency and suitability for the position.

Reference Checks:
Once you progress further in the process, reference checks are conducted to validate your work
history, skills, and qualifications, and for some roles, your education and criminal history.
Offer stage:
After completing interviews, assessments, and reference checks, the hiring team evaluates your
performance and fit for the role. If you are selected and your references are relevant and
satisfactory, you will receive a formal job offer letter outlining the terms of employment,
compensation, benefits, and any other relevant details.

About Better Cotton
Better Cotton is the world’s largest cotton sustainability programme. Our 200+ colleagues of
37+ nationalities are united by a shared passion and commitment to achieving the Better Cotton
mission: to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the

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environment. Through our network of field-level partners a quarter of the world’s cotton is now
grown under the Better Cotton Standard. We have united the industry’s stakeholders behind our
efforts, from ginners and spinners to brand owners, civil society organisations and governments.
Everyone who cares about cotton and its sustainable future can now be part of something better.

About our Values
The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our workplace values which are:

• Trustworthy (including honest, transparent, credible)
• As having Integrity (including responsible, authentic)
• Positive (including problem-solving, pragmatic)
• Engaging (including adaptable, inclusive, holistic)
• Daring (including courageous, innovative, game-changing)

Being you @ Better Cotton
Better Cotton is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal
opportunity employer with a strong commitment to good practice and transparency in the
management of natural, human, and financial resources.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any attitudes or behaviours that put children or adults at
risk of harm. Safeguarding incidents are acts of serious misconduct and are grounds for
disciplinary action, up to and including, dismissal and referral to relevant authorities for criminal
prosecution. Therefore, all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and
appropriate screening checks.

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