Monitoring Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Service Line Lead – Impact Measurement & Evaluation Job at Colchester Full Time

Monitoring Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Service Line Lead – Impact Measurement & Evaluation

Location: Home-based with occasional in-person/client site days

Salary: £90,000 – £120,000 per annum (depending on experience) + discretionary bonus and benefits

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Please note: this is not a Learning & Development role. We are seeking candidates with experience in monitoring, evaluation, impact measurement and value for money evaluation

Help build the future of Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) at Human Economics

Human Economics is growing and we’re looking for an exceptional MEL leader to help shape what comes next.

This is a rare opportunity to join a values-led consultancy at a formative stage of growth and, working closely with the CEO, play a foundational role in building and leading our MEL practice.

As one of our first senior external hires, you’ll have the autonomy, influence and platform to create something meaningful: shaping strategy, winning exciting work, building a team, and embedding a genuinely human approach to evaluation and learning.

We believe MEL should help organisations learn, adapt and improve. That means combining methodological excellence with clarity, empathy and practical insight, producing work that clients genuinely value and use.

If you’re excited by the idea of building a high-quality, impactful MEL practice delivering high quality evaluations and the opportunity to help shape the wider company, within a collaborative, purpose-driven consultancy, we’d love to hear from you.

About Human Economics

Human Economics is a specialist public sector consultancy committed to making consultancy and analysis more human – more personable, more understandable, more actionable.

We help clients understand problems, identify opportunities, demonstrate value and maximise impact across complex public-interest programmes. Our work spans research, innovation, science & technology, the space sector, higher education, arts & culture, and education.

Since launching in 2019, we’ve built a strong reputation for thoughtful, high-quality work and trusted long-term partnerships. Having grown organically through an associate-led model, we are now entering an exciting new phase as we build our permanent team and scale our work.

You’ll join a collaborative senior leadership team and play a central role in shaping both our MEL offer and the future direction of the company itself.

The role

Our MEL service line has grown rapidly through the success of our wider consultancy work and already includes high-profile MEL commissions across public sector and innovation-focused programmes.

We’re now looking for a senior MEL expert to take this practice to the next stage -defining the offer, developing our MEL strategy, leading delivery, developing client relationships, winning new work, and building a team over time.

This is both a strategic and hands-on role. You’ll combine leadership, business development and thought leadership with direct involvement in delivering high-quality evaluations and learning frameworks.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and grow the MEL practice – define and evolve Human Economics’ MEL strategy and service offer
• Lead and deliver high-quality MEL projects including process, impact and value for money evaluations
• Provide methodological leadership across evaluation design and learning approaches
• Build and develop long-term client partnerships and identify new opportunities
• Lead business development activity including bids, tenders, networking and conferences
• Embed learning and impact, build capability and thought leadership
• Recruit and grow a high-performing MEL team over time
• Raise the profile of Human Economics and our MEL practice externally

About you

You’ll be an experienced MEL leader with strong technical expertise, commercial awareness and a collaborative, down-to-earth approach.

We’re particularly interested in candidates with:

• Significant experience delivering and leading MEL work, ideally in public sector consultancy
• Strong expertise across process, impact and value for money evaluation
• Experience using theory-based, participatory and utilisation-focused approaches
• A track record of winning work and developing client relationships
• Experience designing MEL systems for complex or innovative programmes
• Excellent analytical, writing and communication skills
• The ability to communicate complex findings clearly to non-technical audiences
• A personable, relationship-focused style that builds trust with clients and colleagues

Desirable experience

• Experience in science, research & innovation, technology, higher education, arts & culture or related sectors
• Familiarity with DSIT and DCMS evaluation frameworks and policy
• Experience building or scaling teams and practices
• Experience working within early-stage or growing consultancies

What we offer

• 6% employer pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Private Medical Insurance
• Health Cash Plan
• Employee Assistance & Wellbeing Programme
• Life assurance
• Enhanced family-friendly policies
• Flexible working arrangements
• Annual learning & development budget
• Meaningful, high-impact work
• A collaborative, values-led culture where people are trusted and supported

Please be aware that we are unable to offer sponsorship, so applicants must already have permanent right to work in the UK.

Human Economics is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and welcoming workplace where everyone is treated with fairness, dignity and respect. We actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.