Data Manager (Monitoring and Evaluation) 

Thanda is a dynamic and innovative non-profit organization based in KZN. We aim to strengthen communities by providing educational and skills-building opportunities to individuals and their households.  Thanda is currently seeking a Data Manager, who will play a key role within Thanda’s Monitoring & Evaluation function. This is a full-time, on-site position, based at Thanda’s site office in Mtwalume on the South Coast of KZN. Thanda works with 1900 beneficiaries on a daily basis through numerous programmes, and uses data internally for monitoring, evaluation, and learning purposes to improve programme quality. Thanda is also supported by a large number of funders, partners, and donors, many of whom require the reporting of data and impact metrics. The Data Manager will be the primary person responsible for ensuring that all data is collected, captured, accurate, cleaned, and available for analysis. This role will focus primarily on quantitative data. 

We are seeking a highly responsible and organized individual who enjoys both working with data and working with people. This role requires making sure all relevant assessments are conducted, which will involve liaising with numerous programme staff who are involved in data collection and conducting evaluations, as well as managing a small team of data capturers. The ideal candidate for this role will be able to train and upskill two teams of data capturers across two departments (farming and education), who are currently at varying skill levels. The person in the role of Data Manager should also be willing to capture data when this is necessary in order to meet deadlines.

A high proficiency with excel is required for this role. A key aspect of this role is data cleaning. We are looking for someone with very high levels of attention to detail, who can simultaneously see and hold the bigger picture. The Data Manager should always be on the lookout for mistakes, inaccuracies and anomalies in the data, and should focus on ensuring that data sets are of the highest integrity possible. Experience in cleaning data is necessary for this role. While this role will not focus on analysis, the Data Manager should be able to do simple analysis, and will be required to create basic graphs using excel. For candidates interested in analysis, there is scope for this role to later expand to include higher level analysis, much of which is currently outsourced to consultants. 

The Data Manager will work across all of Thanda's programmes, and will report to two senior managers, Head of Capacity Building and Development and Head of Projects and Sustainability. It is essential that the person in the role of Data Manager is an independent worker who is able to handle a complex workload without frequent oversight. Strong time management skills are required for this role, which requires managing reporting dates and deadlines set by two different departments. A large responsibility of this role involves making information available to managers and other team members through live dashboards (these dashboards and systems already exist and are in operation). As such, excellent organisational and coordination skills are extremely important for this role, and this person needs to be extremely reliable and accountable. Self-starters will thrive in this role, while those who prefer a lot of management and oversight will likely find this role challenging and stressful This is a full-time position based at our Community Center, with some days each week spent working from our Administrative office in Hibberdene. This position is ideal for someone who lives on, or is willing to relocate to, the beautiful KZN South Coast. This position is not available remotely or partially remotely. The culture at Thanda is one of passion, energy, hard work, and a good sense of humour. We promote flexible working hours with an atmosphere of trust and teamwork.  We are not only looking for the right person for the job, but the right person for the team. 

Core Responsibilities of the Role:

• Oversee the administration of M&E tools, ensuring thorough and timeous execution
• Ensure the integrity of data collected by performing spot checks and visiting sites as needed
• Oversee data collection and data entry, capturing data when necessary 
• Train and upskill data capturers as appropriate
• Clean data for analysis
• Ensure that data collected is accessible to Management and Support Team through live dashboards
• Compile internal reports where appropriate 
• Conduct simple data analysis and regularly create graphs, charts and tables 
• Ensure high integrity data is timeously available for other persons responsible for conducting analysis
• Work collaboratively with Senior Managers to provide tailored data they might request
• Assist with administrative and other tasks as delegated by the Executive Director and/or Senior Managers

  Required Skills, and Attitude: ·        High level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel ·        Experience working with and managing multiple data sets simultaneously

• Strong eye for quality control
• Strong organization and coordination skills
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail
• Strong management skills
• Ability to upskill data capturers 

·        Basic to advanced Analysis skills  ·        Knowledge and understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks (preferred)

• Willingness to enter data when necessary

·        Ability to work independently and as part of a team ·        Ability to handle diverse and sometimes demanding workload ·        Ability to meet deadlines with little oversight ·        Ability to use statistical software (preferred) ·        Willingness to learn new skills  ·        Passion for development and community work  ·        Fluency in English (required) and Zulu (preferred) ·        Drivers license    Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s Degree (ideally directly related to the role), and two or more years professional work experience, OR
• Bachelor’s Degree (ideally directly related to the role), with three or more year’s relevant experience; OR
• Extensive relevant experience 

We are also open to high capacity candidates who possess the required skills and attitude who are coming from another field and/or might not have the above-mentioned formal qualifications and/or above-stated experience - please let us know why you would excel in this role in your cover letter.    Remuneration: R216 000 - R360 000 CTC per annum, depending on skills, qualifications, and experience   To apply: Please send the following to applications@thanda.org  

•  Your CV (max 4 pages) in PDF format
• A one-page cover letter (explaining why you are interested in working at Thanda specifically, and how your skills are relevant to job description) in PDF format
• Please do not send any additional documents at this stage. 
• In the subject line of your email, please write “Application: Data Manager 2025_[Insert Your Name]” 

  Application deadline: 17 January 2025. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. If you do not hear back from us by 30 January 20, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.    Please do not call our offices. If you have questions, please ask them via email, please put the word “question” and the name of the position “data manager” in the title of your email to ensure it gets responded to timeously.