Technical Advisor, IYCF/Nutrition - Alive & Thrive (A&T) Project at FHI 360

FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, gender, youth, research and technology - creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today's interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 70 countries and all U.S. states and territories.

We are currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of:

Job Title: Technical Advisor, IYCF/Nutrition; Alive & Thrive (A&T) Project

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Supervisor: A&T Nigeria Country Director
Program Duration: November 2015 to November 30, 2019

Project Summary

• Alive & Thrive is an initiative to save lives, prevent illness, and ensure healthy growth and development through improved breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices.
• In its first five years (2009 to 2014), A&T demonstrated that innovative approaches to improving feeding practices could be delivered with impact and at scale in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Viet Nam.
• Alive & Thrive continues its work there and is supporting others to scale up nutrition by applying and adapting tested, proven approaches and tools in Burkina Faso, India, Southeast Asia, and Nigeria.
• Alive & Thrive is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the governments of Canada and Ireland.

Position Summary

• The A&T Nigeria Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF)/Nutrition Advisor will work as part of an A&T Nigeria senior technical leadership team led by the A&T Nigeria Country Director.
• The IYCF/Nutrition Advisor is responsible for providing IYCF and nutrition technical leadership to the Government of Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition (2014-2019), specifically the FMOH; international donors, agencies, and projects; private/commercial and NGO representatives and projects; and other partners and stakeholders to help in the design, implementation, monitoring, and improvement of IYCF social and behavior change communication strategies, approaches, and intervention designs towards the improvement of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices.
• This position helps A&T Nigeria provide capacity building (technical assistance and training) at the federal level in Abuja, and in metropolitan Lagos, and rural and urban Kaduna state for the four components that A&T will work through: policy and advocacy; interpersonal communication and community mobilization; mass communication; and strategic collection and use of data.
• The position will also ensure the quality and accuracy of IYCF messages, materials, tools, and indicators being developed and utilized in A&T’s program as well as with other IYCF-related programs in the public, private/commercial, and NGO sectors.
• This position will communicate, connect, and coordinate with other A&T HQ and A&T Nigeria office technical staff, subcontractors, partners, government and NGO stakeholders, and international donors to ensure successful design and implementation of the large and complex portfolio of activities expected in A&T Nigeria’s program. This position will provide highest level IYCF/nutrition strategic program and technical leadership and quality assurance in Nigeria.

Program Summary

• The Nigeria A&T IYCF social and behavior change program focuses on improving rates of early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, timely introduction of complementary feeding, and minimum dietary diversity for infants over 6 months old.
• A&T will work across the public, commercial/private, and NGO sectors to improve IYCF through A&T’s four components: advocacy, interpersonal communication and community mobilization, mass communication, and strategic use of data.
• At the national level, A&T will predominantly work with its public, private/commercial, and NGO sector partners (Scaling Up Nutrition and other national IYCF initiatives) to improve the implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of key IYCF policies (Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes; maternity leave; work place support; breastfeeding-friendly health care and delivery facilities).
• A&T will also work in two states-Lagos (metropolitan) and Kaduna (urban and rural)-to apply the four components to reach households, communities, and facilities with targeted, age-appropriate social and behavior change communication (SBCC) messaging on IYCF practices.
• Specifically in metropolitan Lagos, the Nigeria program (as an example only) might work with the State Primary Health Care Board, proprietary and patent medicine vendors, licensed traditional birth attendants, major public and private maternity centers, social franchise-oriented private organizations, faith- and community-based organizations, and related on-going USAID (SPRING) and UNICEF projects to improve advocacy; interpersonal behavior change communication (counseling), and mobilization efforts to reach pregnant women and new mothers; and use mass communication (through broadcast, Nollywood, mobile phone, and signage) to further extend the reach of IYCF messages, provide follow-up counseling, and improve the social norm around IYCF practices.
• In rural and urban Kaduna, the Nigeria program (as an example only) might work with the State Ministry of Health, the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria, the Market Women Association, and related health initiatives by USAID (SPRING), Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Primary Health Care initiative to improve advocacy, interpersonal behavior change communication and mobilization; and use mass communication (through broadcast, Kallywood, and mobile phones) to improve the social norm for IYCF among stakeholders and health care providers.
• At both the national level and in the two states, while the emphasis will be to build the capacity of the public sector to improve IYCF practices, the involvement and resources from the private and commercial sectors will be pursued to advance IYCF policies, expand the promotion of positive social norms, and extend timed and age-appropriate behavior change messaging through private and commercial facilities to households and communities.
• Formative research will be conducted to further understand target populations and audiences (stakeholders, providers, beneficiaries), and monitoring systems will be established to ensure that program inputs, outputs, and outcomes are tracked and fed back into improving the program.

Essential Job Functions

• Technical Leadership and Quality Assurance/Nigeria
• Ensure the IYCF technical and program integrity of the GON’s programs, partners, and projects to improve breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices towards the goal of stunting reduction.

General Roles/Responsibilities:

• Serve as a technical and program advisor to GON, international donors, private sector and NGO leaders in various national working groups and task forces related to the National Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition.
• Support the development and implementation of strategic planning and coordination of IYCF and IYCF-sensitive BCC programs in the context of the National Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition. Provide oversight to the same collaborative approach at the state levels in Lagos and Kaduna.
• Support and guide the work of the A&T Nigeria Senior Leadership Team as it works with its partners to provide capacity building (TA and training) in advocacy and policy, interpersonal communications and community mobilization, mass communication and strategic collection and use of data
• Provide in-service technical and program leadership input to ensure a high quality of messaging, BCC materials, training, supportive supervision, and monitoring is conducted and distributed through A&T’s partnerships, and especially within the FMOH, and with partners in Lagos and Kaduna states. This includes skills training of trainers, message and interpersonal materials/job aids development, supportive supervision strengthening for front line workers (Primary Health Care, private/commercial services, NGO projects).
• This involves examining, strengthening, and building capacity to improve the quality of interpersonal communication within and from the supervisor, health care worker, and community volunteer to the community and households.

Specific Roles/Responsibilities include:

• Provide technical direction, coordination, and implementation support to the FMOH to support the conduct (as needed) of the following types of activities:
  • Desk review and mapping of current IYCF interventions
  • Revitalization of the IYCF working group
  • Harmonize FMOH IYCF programs
  • Identify gaps in IYCF program implementation and recommend adjustments as required
  • Develop M&E frame work for IYCF
  • Provide guidance and input into IYCF training manuals and BCC materials development
• Support and guide the work of the A&T Nigeria Senior Leadership Team as it oversees an “at scale” state implementation of A&T’s four components in metropolitan Lagos and rural and urban Kaduna.
• This includes providing technical assistance and training directly to the A&T Nigeria staff hired and based in the two states and to private/commercial and/or NGOs subcontracted to conduct advocacy and policy, interpersonal communication and community mobilization, mass communication, and strategic collection and use of data.
• Support initiatives which provide advocacy, guidelines, and materials development to medical, nursing, and health education institutions, including pre-service curricula development for medical, nursing, health education schools and programs in the university setting.

Other Roles/Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development of A&T annual work plans and project reports, and ensure timely reporting and responses for information to HQ
• Actively participate in, contribute to, and in some cases conduct or help facilitate major A&T program development and implementation activities (strategic planning, program presentations, advocacy and policy meetings, workshops), as appropriate
• Work closely with A&T Nigeria Senior Leadership Team and Country Director to leverage other international donor and private sector resources to complement and extend project reach
• Present program results, based on program experience, M&E and evaluation data to the GON, projects and partners, and other professional colleagues and organizations, both in country and internationally
• Other duties as assigned.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with a job.

Required Skills and Qualifications
Education:

• PhD in one of the following or related fields: Human Nutrition, International Public Health, Behavior Change Communications, Behavioral Science. MSc with additional work experience equivalent to a PhD may be acceptable.

Experience:

• At least 12 years of relevant experience in Nigeria (similar global experience may be acceptable) required with at least 5 years in a senior technical leadership role providing technical input to a large scale nutrition or public health project across multiple levels (and sectors). Work experience with international projects and donors also preferred.
• Extensive knowledge of infant and young child feeding.
• Recent senior technical and program work experience (3-5 years in the last 10 years) in Nigeria (similar setting may be acceptable).
• Extensive public health/nutrition field experience in designing, implementing, monitoring and reporting on capacity building in more than one component ( policy and advocacy, interpersonal communication and community mobilization, mass communication, strategic collection and use of data)
• Familiarity with nutrition indicators especially IYCF data collection, analysis, strategic data use, and report-outs

Skills:

• Ability to work independently, assess priorities, and manage a variety of activities while communicating, connecting, and collaborating with HQ and field office staff, subcontractors, and a broad coalition of government, NGO, and international project partners
• Strong interpersonal, supervisory, and organizational skills
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Excellent writing, editorial, training, and communication skills, including strong presentation skills
• Fluency in English required; fluency in Hausa, Yoruba also very strongly preferred.

Additional Information

• Equipment to be used: Computers, fax machine, telephones, calculators, and/or similar devices
• Typical physical demands: Works in a typical office setting
• Working conditions including Travel and Overtime: Travel from Abuja to and from Lagos and Kaduna 50% time.

Application Closing Date
25th March, 2016.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV's to: alive&thrive-nigeria@fhi360.org

Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.