Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Evidence Scientist

About the role

MBZUAI is looking for a senior Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Evidence Scientist to design and oversee rigorous MEL frameworks for its AI‑enabled agricultural advisory initiatives. The role will generate high‑quality evidence to guide research, deployment and policy decisions.

Key responsibilities

• Design and lead the institute’s MEL strategy, including theories of change, results frameworks and performance indicators.
• Develop and implement quantitative and qualitative methodologies to assess adoption, usage and impact of AI‑driven advisory systems.
• Oversee data collection, validation, analysis and synthesis to ensure credible evidence.
• Establish learning loops that translate findings into actionable insights for adaptive management.
• Collaborate with research, technical assistance and safety teams to embed MEL considerations into project design and scale‑up plans.
• Integrate gender‑disaggregated and equity‑focused indicators in partnership with the Gender and AI Expert.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in economics, statistics, social sciences, public policy, data science or related field; PhD preferred.
• 8‑10 years of progressive experience in MEL or evidence generation for development, research or impact‑driven programmes.
• Proven expertise in designing and applying quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, impact assessment and adaptive learning.
• Experience with digital, data‑driven or AI‑enabled programmes, especially in multi‑country contexts, is preferred.