Assistant Technical Officer, Nutrition at Family Health International (FHI 360)

Family Health International (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 recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Assistant Technical Officer, Nutrition

Reference ID: 2022201008
Location: Banki, Borno
Employment Type: Full Time

Job Description

• Northeast Nigeria is currently facing a growing humanitarian crisis with a vast number of Internally Displaced Persons in need of emergency assistance. These IDPs are living among host communities, lacking access to livelihoods and resources, ultimately leading to unprecedented levels of malnutrition and food insecurity.
• FHI 360 has been working in Nigeria for over 30 years and is now expanding activities in Borno state to respond to the IDP crisis.
• FHI 360 is expanding its expertise by responding to this humanitarian crisis through integrated WASH, Health, Protection and Nutrition interventions

Basic Function

• Position is responsible for overseeing detection of malnutrition at the community level; providing nutrition intervention in Out-Patient Therapeutic program (OTP) at community and facility levels;
• Treatment of complications associated with severe acute malnutrition (SAM), nutrition rehabilitation among admitted SAM cases and prevent further deterioration through provision of therapeutic feeds, routine and specialized medicines at the Stabilization Centre (SC);
• Nutrition counseling and capacity building of CMAM assistants/community volunteers.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead community outreach activities, mid upper arm circumference screening/Active case finding for malnutrition in children under-5.
• Provision of CMAM services in target communities and Internally Displaced Persons camp.
• Support effective management of SAM children with complications at the Stabilization Centre through correct clinical diagnosis, comprehensive health checks and appropriate treatment according to protocols of the patients while in the program ensuring that all criteria are respected and understood, including admission, discharge, and transfer to and from the OTP/Stabilization Center (SC).
• Carry out daily ward-round, work closely with CMAM assistants at SC to ensure all protocols are understood and agreed and appropriate referrals take place to and from the Out-patient therapeutic program (OTP) and develop 24-hour call-duty roster for CMAM-SC assistant.
• Ensure adequate availability of all medical and food supplies and ensure stock is pre-positioned as planned by discussing with logistics and oversee preparation of safe therapeutic milk and food for admitted SAM children and caregivers respectively.
• Develop Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) workplan, produce trend of malnutrition based on admission, carry-out mortality audit at the OTP/SC.
• Oversee timely identification of complications, non-responder, and two-way referrals to the stabilization center (SC) base on set criteria
• Ensure stock management including weekly and monthly physical inventory of all nutrition supplies ensuring stock levels are accounted for and adequate.
• Ensure appropriate documentation of services and continuously monitor OTP/SC performance and output indicators.
• Support M & E unit during assessments, focus group discussion including preparation and submission of timely reports.
• Identify training needs and build technical capacity of CMAM Assistants and community nutrition mobilizers on detection of acute malnutrition including Mother/Family led MUAC Screening.
• Ensure attendance and participation in local coordination meetings in the field.
• The incumbent will support in Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transition (SMART), Semi-Quantitative Evaluation of Access and Coverage (SQUEAC) and other nutrition surveys at the site and LGA levels
• Support the development of case studies and success stories from program implementation.
• Develop network with other actors in the operational area as well as community leaders/representatives
• Ensure Gender mainstreaming in nutrition, and integration of Health and WASH into CMAM services.
• Engage in community dialogue, sensitize stakeholders/community on nutrition in emergency activities and specific humanitarian programs implemented by FHI 360.
• Conduct defaulter tracing, follow-up visits and deliver key messages at the OTP/SC site.
• Other duty as assigned.

Additional Responsibilities:

• This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive, and the employee will also perform other related tasks as required and responsible for reporting and communication of progress and achievement of the specific assigned task.
• Inform TO-CMAM of any professional problems encountered.

Qualifications

• B.Sc in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Nursing or Public Health with at least 3 years’ experience.
• MBBS with 1 year experience.
• Experience working with a humanitarian organization.

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes:

• Ability and willingness to stay at the LGA is required.
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions like long distance walking to distribution sites & security challenge.
• Excellent spoken and written Local dialects and English languages.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to prepare weekly and monthly program reports.
• Be flexible and adaptable with regards to the implementation of the daily work.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.