Program Measurement Specialist, Forced Labor Slavery, Philippines

Who We Are

International Justice Mission (IJM) is the global leader in protecting vulnerable people from violence around the world. Our team of over 1,200 professionals are at work worldwide in over 30 offices. Together we are on a mission to rescue millions, protect half a billion, and make justice unstoppable.

We are a global community that cares for one another. We believe that the way we work is as important as the results we achieve. We provide professional excellence with joy and celebration to all those we serve.

The Need

For over 25 years, IJM has pioneered the work to protect vulnerable people from violence. 9 out of 9 times in the last decade, IJM's Justice System Strengthening Projects have reduced slavery and violence between 50% and 85% for very large populations of people in poverty.

As we grow to expand our impact to protect 500 million people from violence, we are seeking a Program Measurement Specialist, Forced Labor Slavery, who will provide technical monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning support to IJM Philippines and the Philippines Forced Labor Slavery (PH FLS) Baseline project. The position will support the implementation and use of the PH FLS baseline studies while also contributing to the longer-term measurement, learning, and evidence-use needs of the anticipated PH FLS project.

The position will report to the Project Manager, Forced Labor Slavery, who will provide day-to-day supervision and coordination. For baseline research matters, the position will also work closely with the Research Steering Committee (RSC) Chair and the Regional Program Measurement Team to ensure that the studies are technically sound, ethically implemented, operationally feasible, and useful for program design and decision-making.

The MERL Specialist will serve as a member of the Research Steering Committee and will support oversight of the management and implementation of the PH FLS baseline studies. The role will provide technical support across research design, indicator alignment, data quality assurance, contractor deliverable review, analysis, reporting, documentation, and learning use. The position will work with IJM Philippines, IJM APAC, Global Measurement Team, external research contractors, government partners, justice sector actors, labor and migrant worker institutions, survivor service providers, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.

The role requires strong MERL and research skills, sound judgment, attention to data quality, and the ability to translate evidence into practical program recommendations. The MERL Specialist will also be expected to develop strong subject matter knowledge on forced labor and labor trafficking in the Philippines and apply that knowledge to baseline implementation, program design, stakeholder engagement, and future PH FLS measurement systems.

This position is based in the Philippines and reports to the Project Manager, Forced Labor Slavery, Philippines. It is only open to candidates who reside in the Philippines and have the right to work in the country.

Responsibilities

Baseline Research and Research Steering Committee Support:

• Serve as a member of the Research Steering Committee and support the RSC Chair and the RSC in overseeing the management and implementation of the PH FLS baseline studies.
• Support the RSC, Research Lead/RSC Chair, Program Manager, and Regional Program Measurement Team in coordinating the baseline studies from start-up through close-out.
• Provide technical review of study objectives, research questions, learning questions, indicators, data sources, analytical frameworks, sampling approaches, and implementation plans.
• Support review of the Prevalence and Reliance Baseline and the Performance and Confidence Baseline, including technical discussions.
• Review research contractor deliverables, including inception reports, methodology notes, sampling plans, research tools, fieldwork plans, data quality assurance plans, analysis plans, draft reports, and final outputs.
• Identify measurement gaps, data limitations, methodological risks, implementation issues, and evidence-use considerations that may affect the credibility or utility of baseline findings.
• Document key technical decisions, review comments, RSC inputs, action points, and agreed revisions throughout the baseline process.
  
  

PH FLS MERL And Program Measurement Support

• Support the development and refinement of the PH FLS MERL system, including the theory of change, results framework, monitoring framework, indicators, targets, PIRS, learning agenda, data systems, reporting tools, and related MERL processes.
• Translate baseline findings and other evidence into practical program recommendations, measurement priorities, learning questions, and adaptive management inputs for IJM Philippines and APAC.
• Build strong contextual knowledge on forced labor, labor trafficking, labor migration, justice system response, survivor services, and related policy issues in the Philippines, and support preparation of technical briefs and materials for internal planning, government engagement, workshops, and stakeholder discussions.
  
  

Data Quality Assurance, Analysis, Reporting, And Learning Use

• Support implementation of data quality assurance procedures for quantitative, qualitative, administrative, and secondary data used in the baseline studies and PH FLS program measurement.
• Review data collection tools, indicator definitions, coding structures, data dictionaries, analysis templates, and reporting tables for clarity, consistency, validity, reliability, and alignment with approved indicators and research questions.
• Support review of fieldwork monitoring updates, sample achievement, non-response, data completeness, data consistency, and contractor-submitted documentation.
• Review quantitative outputs, descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, indicator calculations, qualitative coding frameworks, emerging themes, respondent typologies, and triangulated findings.
• Help ensure that analysis is conducted in accordance with approved analysis plans and that findings are clearly linked to research questions, indicators, limitations, and program implications.
• Support preparation and review of baseline reports, evidence briefs, slide decks, learning products, data summaries, and program-facing materials.
• Support proper archiving of final reports, datasets, codebooks, tools, ethics approvals, analysis files, learning products, and key documentation.
  
  

Stakeholder Engagement, Coordination, And Knowledge Management

• Support the Program Manager, RSC chair in preparing for government meetings, co-creation workshops, stakeholder consultations, validation sessions, dissemination events, and learning sessions.
• Assist in preparing agendas, technical briefs, presentations, meeting notes, action trackers, decision records, and stakeholder-facing materials.
• Support coordination with government agencies, justice sector institutions, labor and migrant worker institutions, local government units, civil society organizations, survivor service providers, community-based stakeholders, and external research contractors.
• Document stakeholder inputs and track how feedback is reviewed, addressed, or incorporated into study design, implementation, deliverables, and learning products.
• Support knowledge management by maintaining organized records of baseline decisions, technical reviews, fieldwork updates, learning products, stakeholder inputs, and relevant PH FLS reference materials.
• Contribute to pre-positioning the future PH FLS project by helping ensure that baseline evidence and stakeholder engagement processes are relevant, credible, and useful to government and other key partners.
  
  

Research Ethics, Safeguarding, And Data Protection

• Support review of ethics, safeguarding, informed consent, confidentiality, referral pathway, adverse event, and data protection protocols for the baseline studies and related MERL activities.
• Help ensure that research tools, field procedures, and stakeholder engagement processes reflect survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and do-no-harm principles.
• Support review of enumerator and researcher training materials to ensure adequate coverage of ethics, safeguarding, informed consent, confidentiality, referral procedures, and data security.
• Monitor fieldwork updates for ethical, safeguarding, data privacy, or protocol compliance concerns and escalate issues through agreed channels.
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive research, casework, survivor, justice system, government, and stakeholder information.
  
  

Program Coordination And Implementation Support

• Support the Program Manager in maintaining baseline and MERL workplans, deliverables trackers, risk registers, issue logs, action trackers, and documentation systems.
• Coordinate timely technical inputs and feedback from IJM Philippines, APAC, Global Measurement, program teams, legal teams, survivor services teams, and other reviewers.
• Track contractor responses to technical feedback and help verify that agreed revisions are reflected in updated deliverables.
• Participate in field monitoring visits, training observations, validation activities, and stakeholder meetings as needed.
• Support close-out documentation, lessons learned summaries, and transition of baseline findings into ongoing PH FLS program measurement and learning systems.
  
  

Supervisory

This position reports directly to the PH FLS Program Manager, who will provide day-to-day supervision. The position will work with and receive technical guidance and support from the PH FLS Baseline Research Lead/RSC Chair and the Regional Program Measurement Team on baseline research, MERL standards, measurement requirements, and evidence-use priorities.

This position is not expected to have direct supervisory responsibilities. However, the MERL Specialist may provide technical guidance to research contractors, consultants, enumerators, partner organizations, and other contributors on data quality, tools, documentation, reporting, and MERL-related requirements.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in monitoring and evaluation, development studies, social sciences, economics, statistics, public policy, public administration, human rights, international development, or a related field.
• Master's degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Professional training or certification in MERL, research methods, data analysis, evaluation, statistics, or project management is an advantage.
• Minimum 4 to 6 years of relevant experience in monitoring, evaluation, research, learning, data management, survey implementation, program measurement, or related development programming.
• Demonstrated experience supporting baseline studies, evaluations, surveys, assessments, mixed-methods research, or externally commissioned research assignments.
• Experience reviewing or developing research tools, indicator matrices, data collection instruments, data quality assurance processes, analysis plans, and reporting templates.
• Experience supporting data quality assurance, data cleaning, data validation, analysis review, and learning-use processes.
• Experience working with quantitative and qualitative data, including the ability to synthesize findings for program and management audiences.
• Familiarity with forced labor, trafficking in persons, labor migration, justice system strengthening, survivor protection, human rights, or labor rights programming is strongly preferred but may be developed on the job.
• Experience working with Philippine government agencies, justice sector stakeholders, civil society organizations, service providers, community-based organizations, or external research contractors is an advantage.
• Experience supporting MERL activities involving vulnerable populations, survivor-centered programming, or sensitive protection issues is preferred.
• Strong understanding of monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning principles, including utilization-focused evidence generation.
• Strong skills in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research support.
• Ability to review survey instruments, interview guides, FGD guides, codebooks, indicator definitions, data dictionaries, and analysis frameworks.
• Ability to support indicator development, data source mapping, measurement framework refinement, and program learning processes.
• Strong data quality assurance skills, including attention to completeness, consistency, validity, reliability, traceability, and documentation.
• Ability to analyze, synthesize, and present quantitative and qualitative findings clearly for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to support stakeholder engagement, workshops, government meetings, and technical discussions in a professional manner.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with data collection, analysis, or visualization tools such as KoboToolbox, ODK, SurveyCTO, SPSS, Stata, R, NVivo, Atlas.ti, Power BI, or Tableau is an advantage.
• Strong writing, documentation, facilitation, and communication skills.
• Fluency in English required; Filipino or other Philippine languages is an advantage.
  
  

Critical Qualities

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and ability to handle sensitive information.
• Strong follow-through and accountability for assigned tasks.
• Ability to work collaboratively with technical, program, government, contractor, and partner teams.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly to non-technical audiences.
• Flexible, proactive, and open to feedback and continuous learning.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.
• Strong commitment to ethical, survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and do-no-harm research practice.
• Demonstrated commitment to IJM's mission, values, and theory of change.
  
  

Other Duties

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of all activities, duties, or responsibilities required for the position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. The position may be required to perform additional tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Application Process

Please submit your Resume/CV and Cover Letter to [Confidential Information] not later than 6 September 2026.

Remarks: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

IJM holds strict safeguarding principles and a zero tolerance to violations of the Safeguarding Policy, Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy, and Code of Ethics. Candidate selection is based on technical competence, recruitment, selection and hiring criteria subject to assessing the candidates value congruence and thorough background, police clearance, and reference check processes. IJM requires a background check, police clearance and thorough review of references with an employment offer and/or employment contract.