National Nutrition Advocacy Coordinator at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: National Nutrition Advocacy Coordinator

Requisition ID: req37329
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment Type: Full-Time
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Sector: Program Administration
Open to Expatriates: Yes

Job Description

• Based in the Country Office, the National Nutrition Advocacy Coordinator will lead IRC’s policy, advocacy, and communications work to create systemic change in nutrition policy in country.
• Globally, about 52 million children currently suffer from acute malnutrition, with the global food crisis and climate change threatening to increase cases imminently. Closing the treatment gap is a significant opportunity to reduce child mortality in the country.
• We have an opportunity to improve child mortality and wellbeing by scaling wasting treatment to close the 80% coverage gap. IRC seeks to support the policy, planning, and implementation for scaling treatment.
• The National Nutrition Advocacy Coordinator will jumpstart the implementation of this initiative at the national level by laying the groundwork for an emerging partnership on scaling treatment. 

Major Responsibilities
Map and analyze the national nutrition policy landscape:

• Conduct a political economy/landscape analysis of national and subnational level nutrition policies, stakeholders, influencers and decision makers with a focus on wasting treatment. 

Develop and begin implementing a targeted strategy to advance practice and policy shifts to scale wasting treatment including through simplified approaches at national and subnational level:

• Frame key context specific asks based on the landscape analysis
• Identify targets and key stakeholders for advancing policy recommendations.
• Identify working groups and other key fora that IRC joins or should be joining. 
• Identify and assemble the information, tools, and products to support advocacy 

Foster knowledge management systems and engage in internal learning and coordination within the IRC regarding evidence and tools for scaling nutrition treatment:

• Document and share useful tools, presentations, analyses, good practices and lessons learned and exchange learnings with other Nutrition Policy Technical Advisors in different Country Offices.
• Gather, analyze and synthesize data documenting the process and barriers to national level scaling of wasting treatment, with a focus on the policy environment. 

Key Working Relationships: 

• Position Reports to: Senior Programs Coordinator of the Nigeria Country Office and the Regional Advocacy Communications Coordinator – West Africa
• Position Directly Supervises: N/A
• Indirect Reporting: TBC

Other Internal and/or External Contacts: 

• Airbel Nutrition GRIP
• Health Unit Policy, Advocacy, and Communications Team
• Nutrition Technical Advisors (particularly the TA for West Africa)
• Nutrition Coordinator in the CO 
• Ministry of Health, National Nutrition Cluster, and relevant national nutrition working groups 

Job Requirements

• Master's Degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Public Policy, or another closely related field strongly desirable.
• At least 7 years of experience in global health or humanitarian policy, advocacy, or research uptake required.
• At least three (3) years of health or nutrition policy, advocacy, research uptake, or communications required.
• Demonstrable technical understanding of nutrition and/or public health
• Deep knowledge of the national context and stakeholders
• Prior experience working directly with stakeholders in the Ministry of Health and with national partners and civil society organizations.
• Advocacy experience achieving national policy change strongly desired
• Expertise in communications: proven ability to develop materials and presentations for external audiences.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills; ability to communicate with many and diverse audiences; you listen intently and actively to all audiences; your communications are direct, simple, and respectful.
• Strong negotiation, influencing and networking skills.
• Fluency in English required, knowledge of local languages an asset. 

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online