Junior Nutrition and Health Officer – Action Against Hunger Vacancy Announcement

Action Against Hunger-USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides humanitarian relief in over 50 countries worldwide in the sectors of nutrition and health, Water, sanitation and Hygiene, and food security and Livelihoods. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages operations in 8 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia and Zambia. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $75 million in programs, and approximately 2000 staff based in the various country offices, Head Quarter in New York City and Operational Centre in Nairobi. Additional growth is anticipated.

I. Summary of the position

Under the direct supervision of the Nutrition Expert/Deputy Head of the Nutrition and Health Department and in collaboration with other Nutrition and Health Technical experts based at the capital level, the Junior Nutrition and Health Officer will provide technical assistance and support in the designing, implementation, monitoring, reporting and coordination of Nutrition and Health projects/programs. S/he will be primarily responsible for assisting capital based Nutrition and Health Experts with the regular monitoring  of project implementation and program quality assurance measures at the field level; facilitating, following, receiving and sharing regular situational updates and reports from field colleagues, identifying urgent needs and gaps at field level and communicating them on a timely manner, assisting in organizing meetings and taking minutes; participating in national and sub-national Nutrition and Health coordination meetings and workshops, assisting and following the timely submission of recurrent nutrition and health sectoral/cluster updates from all bases, ensuring all updates are reviewed in accordance with standard templets and submitted to respective clusters; reviewing, organizing, documenting and archiving main nutrition and health program data and information on regular basis and ensuring that field colleagues have adapted good data management approaches, including data-driven communication and decision making practices at field level. In addition, S/he will collaborate with other program and support staff, including MEAL at the capital level for capacity building, periodic departmental data compilation and documentation exercises.  The immediate supervisor could assign and delegate additional roles and responsibilities and tasks when deemed necessary.

Purpose, Engagement and Delivery

Purpose:

The Junior Nutrition and Health will effectively support capital based nutrition and health technical advisors and other nutrition and health team in program implementation, monitoring and reporting and intra departmental and external coordination, provide guidance and receive reports from field team, ensuring timely submission of program data. Moreover, s/he is expected to use and share standardized tools, formats, guidelines and service delivery approach to field team.

Engagement:

The Junior Nutrition and Health will engage with nutrition and health team based in capital and field levels for a smooth and effective implementation of prioritized departmental initiatives, programs and projects . Moreover, s/he is likely to work closely and interact with other departments in Action Against Hunger such as MEAL, WASH and Protection whenever needed.

Delivery:

The Juniors Nutrition and Health officer will be responsible for supporting technical advisors and other nutrition and health department team in the delivery of high quality Nutrition and Health program data, reports and tools and timely submission of reports to coordination platforms and regular attendance of sectoral and cluster coordination’s and provide timely updates. S/he will receive reporting tools and technical guidelines from technical advisors and other platforms and share to field team and follow-up their utilization and update the capital team.

II.  Essential Job Duties

1.   Support and assist on need identification, effective project designing (proposal development), implementation, monitoring and evaluation

•  Participate in annual and other ad hoc need assessments conducted by Action Against Hunger and other partners
• Document and prepare a need assessment results repository from various sources and share to nutrition and health experts for program design and decision making
• Participate in proposal design (beneficiary estimation, bill of quantity preparation) in consultation with Program Managers and capital based technical experts
• Support the nutrition and health experts in collecting, organizing, filling or documenting regular nutrition and health program monitoring reports.
• Conduct training needs assessment on regular base and when necessary
• Organizing and booking nutrition and health program review meetings, workshops and trainings in consultation with Nutrition and Health experts
• Conduct field visit to bases with apparent capacity gaps in reporting
• Provide update on challenges and lessons learnt to nutrition and health experts on reporting
• Asist technical experts in fostering innovative solutions, approaches and working styles

2.   Support in nutrition and health data collection, analysis, reporting and documentation.

•  Monthly compilation and reporting of TFP, TSFP  and  other nutrition and health program data from all bases
•  Support  Nutrition and Health annual beneficiary compilation and reporting
• Timely reporting and documentation of PHC data that has been delivered in each operational areas
• Document and report existing innovative and adaptive program approaches (Family MUAC and MAMI data base)
• Closely Work with  PoN and other Project team on the implementation of the operational researches
• Review Activity Progress Report (APR) monthly and provide constructive feedbacks
• Analysis and display data trends and changes and share with TAs and health and nutrition experts
• Reviewing program based success stories and lessons and share to Nutrition and Health Experts
• Review donor report data together with MEAL team and provide feedback to Nutrition and Health Experts for validation.

3.   Support and engagement in internal and external coordination meetings and workshops

• Attend regular nutrition cluster and health cluster meetings in consultation with nutrition and health experts
• Prepare and share updates to coordination platforms when deemed necessary
• Represent  and actively participate in Oromia regional health and nutrition coordination regularly
• Closely work with MEAL and other departments on quality improvement initiatives
• Organize joint supportive supervision with MEAL team in coordination with other health and nutrition team.

III.  Supervisory Responsibilities

• The Junior Nutrition and Health Officer will not have a supervisory role and responsibility

IV.  Fiscal Responsibility

• N/A

V.  Physical Demands

•  While performing the duties of this job, the Junior Nutrition and Health Officer is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.
•  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the intern to successfully perform essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made available in office to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

VI.  Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

•  The duties of the position require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Could be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.
• The Nutrition and Health Officer will receive a computer to work on it and it shall be managed as per the organization’s IT policy.
• The Nutrition and Health Officer will make travel to various bases (field offices) as required and in consultation with his/her line manager.  Hence, s/he must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations that may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.
• While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well is to infectious diseases.

VII.  Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where people of all genders must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.

• Value and respect all cultures.

 I.  Required Qualifications

• Graduate degree or diploma in Nutrition, Nursing, Public Health and any medical field of study from recognized university or have graduated within the past two years.

• Graduates with strong interest and some work experience in the nutrition and health space is a plus
• Have excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.

II.  Required Skills & Experience

• One year professional experience in the field of nutrition, health and related field of study. Some degree of exposure and experience in similar sector program implementation is worthy.

• Experienced in organizing and participating in field-level data collection as part of a research study or program monitoring and evaluation

•  Trained and sensitized on the current national nutrition and health policies and strategies is advantageous.

•  Knowledge and skill of MS Office Suite is mandatory.

• Proficient and fluency in English is mandatory. Local language skill, including Amharic is a plus.

•  Fluency (written and Spoken) in English is required. Amharic and any other local languages desirable.

•  Ability to take initiative and prioritize multiple tasks as well as self-direct with minimum supervision.

•    Genuine interest in and commitment to the opportunity, the mission and principles of Action Against Hunger.

•  Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.