Monitoring Manager Fairtrade International Bonn, Germany

Fairtrade is an ethical certification system and movement with a people first approach to trade. Fairtrade International (FLO) is an internationally recognized, non-profit organization that works to secure fairer trade terms so that farmers and workers in developing countries can invest in a better future for themselves and their communities. Our global team works to directly connect producers and consumers and promote fairer trading conditions and sustainability. We are responsible for the strategic direction of the Fairtrade system, the Fairtrade Standards and support to Fairtrade farmers and workers worldwide.

The Strategy and Policy Unit is responsible for creating an ensuring a sound strategy and policy framework for the work of Fairtrade International in line with its stated Vision and Mission. The Strategy and Policy Unit leads the co-ordination and implementation of monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment activities for Fairtrade.
Fairtrade International has put in place systems for monitoring and reporting on progress against key Fairtrade producer and market indicators. This post will be responsible for leading the future development and improvement of these monitoring systems in order to better meet stakeholder needs for timely, relevant, and accurate data about the performance of the Fairtrade system. Specifically, the postholder will be responsible for leading and supporting projects aimed at ensuring improvements in data collection, data quality, data coverage, data access, data analysis, and data communication.

OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE:
•Responsible for leading the management and strategic improvement of the Fairtrade producer monitoring system.

PRINCIPAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Manage and develop monitoring system
•Manages the implementation of the Fairtrade monitoring strategy
•In strong collaboration with the certifying entity of the Fairtrade system (in the following FLO-CERT), the business data analysis team, the producer service and relations unit as well as other key stakeholders in the system:
-Develops and fosters a constant improvement process to enhance monitoring data quality, timeliness, and comprehensiveness.
-Designs and implements approaches for producer self-reporting of performance data.
-Creates the potential of other sources of data (for example, Flow of Goods Data) to contribute to the monitoring analysis.
•Works collaboratively and supportively to achieve shared objectives with evaluation team members.
•Contributes technical expertise and management capacity to the development of new approaches to farm-level data collection. This will ultimately lead to the extension of the monitoring system to include some farm-level indicators.
•Represents the Fairtrade monitoring system and results in external and internal meetings, workshops, and conferences as required.
Data analysis and reporting
•Leads annual monitoring data analysis and publishing cycle in collaboration with the business data analysis team and FLO-CERT.
•Manages ongoing improvements to the analysis and reporting of monitoring data, reflected in the published annual Monitoring Report.
•Works with the communications team, brings a creative approach to the development of new communications and reporting approaches for monitoring data, in particular enhancing visual communication.
•Ensures timely response to system-wide stakeholder data queries.
•Manages research and analytical partnerships as required. Oversees external contractors carrying out monitoring-related deliverables to time and budget.

Knowledge management
•Leads and participates in system-wide processes to ensure greater efficiency, harmonization, and relevance of producer data collection throughout the Fairtrade system.
•Works with the business data team, ensures meaningful system-wide access to the monitoring data, in particular by providing subject expertise to ensure that data reporting structures reflect stakeholders’ information needs and business objectives.
•Provides a timely and responsive service to system-wide and external queries about monitoring data, including generating bespoke analysis as required.
•Builds system-wide capacity to understand and use monitoring data in appropriate ways to generate individual and credible reports.
•Brings greater clarity to system-wide understanding of different available data sources, and helps to resolve and explain data inconsistencies.

SKILLS REQUIRED:
Education
-Educated to masters level in a relevant numerate discipline such as economics or agricultural development. Specific training in statistics and in monitoring and evaluation an advantage.

Knowledge / Job Specific Competencies:
Essential
At least 3-5 years of proven experience with:
•Development of monitoring systems or in large scale research and data collection projects.
•Implementation of monitoring systems within the context of a development or humanitarian organization.
•Management of large-scale research and data collection processes, ideally within an agricultural development context.
•Analysis of large data sets and applying suitable models of evaluation
•Using and developing data management tools such as excel, access, and other databases
•Creating user-friendly high quality publications based on large or complex data sets
•Expert knowledge of research methodologies and their practical application, particularly the generation of quantitative data, the development of indicators, sampling techniques, etc.
•Knowledge of data protection regulations and monitoring principles
Desirable
-Understanding of agricultural development
-Good knowledge of the Fairtrade context and of stakeholder data needs.

Professional Skill Requirements
Essential
•Excellent analytical skills
•Advanced computer skills, particularly the use of databases (Access), spreadsheets (Excel), and other analytical or visualization tools
•Advanced project management skills
•Understanding of monitoring, evaluation and learning approaches within a development context.
•Ability to convey complex information in user-friendly and creative ways as well as strong presentation skills
•Fluency in English

Desirable
-Experience using SPSS or other statistical analytical tools
-Multi-stakeholder management skills
-Good Spanish, and the ability to read French and Portuguese
Personal Qualities
•Must be a team player with very strong interpersonal, and collaborative skills but also have the ability to work in a self-directive way
•Ability to work under pressure
•Positive attitude and determination to move projects forward within a complex and challenging operating environment

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
•This is a full-time position
•An initial one-year contract is offered. It is envisaged that the contract will be renewable after the initial one year period.
•The post is located at the Fairtrade International offices in Bonn, Germany.
•The office language is English.
•Salary as per Collective Bargaining Agreement Scale VIa plus an attractive benefit package.
•Starting date June 2012 or as soon as possible
•30 days holidays per year (pro rata)

APPLICATIONS:
•Please consult www.fairtrade.net for more information on Fairtrade International and the Fairtrade system
•Please apply by email only, in English, with Curriculum Vitae and motivation letter toapplications@fairtrade.net, citing "Monitoring Manager" in the subject line
•Deadline for applications is August 31st, 2012
•Applications without a full covering letter showing how the candidate meets the requirements for the position will not be considered
Please note that FLO is strict on compliance with the required qualification criteria mentioned above, and only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted