Nutrition Program Officer at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Nutrition Program Officer

Location: Yobe, Damaturu
Employment Type: Full-time

Role Purpose

• To support the implementation of the Nutrition component under the LDSC MAMI project in Yobe state.

Main Responsibilities

• The post holder will receive a context-specific Terms of reference for each deployment, which will draw upon the responsibilities outlined below.
• Programme Support (typically will be at field level):

Working closely with the Nutrition Coordinator, other officers and assistants, the Nutrition Program Officer will do the following: 

• Support the Nutrition team in ensuring quality screening of all children under five years (0-5 months for the MAMI intervention and 6-59 months for IMAM services) and ensuring referral systems are in place for all children in the target location.
• Support Field assistance to conduct follow-up visits on children referred.
• Support caregivers identified as at risk to access MHPSS and other relevant services at the community and Health facility level. Also ensure critical cases are escalated to the MHPSS officer for appropriate care.
• Support the formation of counselling groups to support caregivers identified with mental health issues.
• Promote and support optimal Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) practices.
• Support in identifications, training and supervisions of Lead mothers and fathers for MIYCN support group activities as well as Health workers at the facilities for IMAM and MAMI services, ensuring all children referred with malnutrition receive the appropriate care.
• Work closely with Field Assistants to identify MAM cases and support Tom-Brown approach.
• Facilitate the formation of Mother to Mother and Father to father support group meetings and conduct supportive supervision/spot checks during support group meetings.
• Provide counseling to caregivers of children with Moderate Acute Malnutrition. 
• Support in the referral of malnourished cases from support groups to health facilities offering Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) services. 
• Support the Nutrition Coordinator to Collate and compile program monthly data reports, as well as planning of monthly activities for the project. 
• Prepare transport requests for field trips to the program-implementing communities.
• Participate in the training of lead mothers and support group members on Food Demonstration
• Working closely with the Nutrition officer, ensure timely implementation of nutrition activities.
• Provide capacity building and training to community nutrition mobilizers, health workers and Community Nutrition Mobilizers on MAMI, MIYCN, and IMAM and referral mechanisms.
• Ensure monthly and quarterly follow-up with Community Mobilizers and community leaders through review/feedback meetings.
• Working closely with other program sectors to promote integration to resolve other underlying causes of malnutrition.
• Work closely with the MEAL team to review captured data on a monthly basis.
• Assist the nutrition team in giving supportive supervision to community volunteers.
• Compile and submit reports on weekly progress report.
• Prepare Procurement plans as well as PRs for the project.
• Capacity Building:
• Identify learning and training opportunities for partner staff and communicate this to the Nutrition Program Officer or Nutrition Coordinator.
• Ensure all staff supervised and volunteers are familiar with their responsibilities.

Representation & Advocacy & Organizational Learning:

• Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children. This may involve supporting coordination working groups within the IDP camps and host communities or target project sites.
• Contribute to communications and media work as required through correction of data and information and sharing with the project heads.

General

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

Core Behaviours:

• Understanding humanitarian contexts and application of humanitarian principles:
• Ensures that programme goals and activities uphold the principles of the key national and international humanitarian frameworks, codes and commitments.
• Integrates beneficiary accountability principles into the approach.
• Participates in disaster coordination mechanisms and interagency cooperation.
• Achieving results effectively:
• Ensures efficient and transparent use of resources in accordance with internal controls.
• Establishes staff engagement mechanisms.
• Addresses difficult situations and makes tough decisions confidently and calmly.
• Considers the wider impact of decisions to be made in the short and long-term.
• Continuously provides feedback and updates to achieve improved results.
• Coordinates with stakeholders to avoid duplication and maximize resources.
• Document lessons learned and apply for better planning and future programming.
• Maintaining and developing collaborative relationships:
• Actively listens to different perspectives and experiences of stakeholders.
• Actively participates in networks to access and contribute to good practice.
• Establishes and maintains clear communication and dialogue with disaster and conflict affected people and other stakeholders.
• Establishes clear objectives with teams and individuals and monitors progress and performance.
• Operating safely and securely:
• Identifies and communicates risk and threats and minimizes these for oneself and the agency.
• Takes measures to do no harm and to minimize risks for partners and the communities.
• Reduces vulnerability by complying with safety and security protocols set by the organization.
• Demonstrates an understanding of wider UN/NGO security coordination and how the organization can benefit from, and contribute to, those mechanisms
• Managing yourself in a pressured and changing environment:
• Helps team members to practice stress management through prioritization of workloads and modelling of appropriate self-care
• Remains effective and retains perspective in the face of difficult or demanding situations
• Demonstrates personal integrity by using one’s position responsibly and fairly
• Maintains ethical and professional behavior in accordance with relevant codes of conduct
• Plans, prioritizes and performs tasks well under pressure
• Takes responsibility for own work and for the impact of own actions
• Leadership: Action; Thinking; Self; Inspiring; Developing Others:
• Builds own awareness of the bigger global picture by using a broad range of sources to gather data
• Demonstrates managerial courage by confronting difficult situations and seeking resolution, and stating willingness to champion ideas
• Demonstrates approachability and trust by listening carefully to others and valuing their contribution, and making others feel comfortable by being open and honest about their thoughts and feelings
• Demonstrates self-development and management by taking responsibility for own development, and actively seeking out feedback to better understand their own strengths and weaknesses
• Makes positive statements about work
• Effectively influences others by understanding their interests and showing how they will be met by own preferred solution
• Gives constructive feedback to enhance capabilities and responsibilities to another for the purpose of his/her development

Qualifications & Experience
Essential:

• Health / Public Health / Nutrition / BSc or equivalent with minimum of 2 years progressive experience post NYSC
• Experience in Nutrition and community base programming especially in the North-East.
• Experience of emergency nutrition work (preferably IMAM and MAMI) and implementation of feeding programs, including monitoring and evaluation.
• Basic training in IYCF-E / MIYCN
• Proven capacity of management, leadership and teamwork.
• Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathize with all beneficiaries and their careers.
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions.
• Demonstrable ability at report writing.
• Prepared to live and work in an uncertain security environment.
• Ability and willingness to frequently travel and stay at the field.
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles. 
• Fluency in written and spoken English and local languages.
• Computer literate

Desirable:

• Master trainer and good facilitator
• Experience in conducting nutrition assessments and an understanding of nutritional surveillance and information systems.

Application Closing Date
30th April, 2024.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online