HEALTH AND NUTRITION OFFICER

I. JOB SUMMARY

The purpose of the Health and Nutrition Officer position is to provide technical and professional support in the target woredas and kebeles in the area of Health and Nutrition. S/he also works with and provides technical support and guidance Community Health Facilitators and Health development armies. The Health and Nutrition officer is also responsible to document and share good practices within the organization, stakeholders and its partners. Furthermore, the position holder will assist in refining the implementation of all components of the project related to health and nutrition in the target communities. The Health and Nutrition Officer will work closely with other program staff to ensure program quality and impact in line with the goals and objectives of the program.

The Health & Nutrition Officer will act as the key technical person supporting the implementation and accomplishment of all Health and Nutrition activities to SPIR/RFSA program in the intervention woredas with supervision and direction from the Woreda Team Leader, Project Manager and Health, Nutrition Advisor. The position holder will also be responsible for capacity-building of field staff and government partners using relevant tools and technical approach. S/he will work closely with and support from health and nutrition team leader in field office, woreda team leader and community health facilitators including established food security task force and other Nutrition platforms/committees/clubs, at woreda and community level to improve nutritional practices behaviors and ensure that all activities related to health and nutrition are implemented in a coordinated and harmonized manner.

II. RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

Job Responsibilities #1 Provide Technical Assistance/ Program planning and implementation (30%)

• Expected to provide quality Technical Support to communities on the following:
• Lead in the implementation of activities in the target woredas and kebeles focused on the intersection of health and nutrition. The key activities are as follows:
• Train men and women in optimal IYCF practices
• Train men and women in adolescent nutrition
• Facilitate increased awareness and knowledge of maternal nutrition
• Facilitate increased access to diversified nutritious foods
• Promote healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies
• Utilize IEC/BCC to increase knowledge of MCH and nutrition service access
• Train HDAs on improved service delivery
• Promote increased awareness to tackle key determinant 5 factors for optimal nutrition identified through DBC approach
• Facilitate nutrition sensitive trainings and activities for DAs, HEWs and community members
• Facilitate the supply and administration of logistical needs for project implementation;
• Ensure effective implementation of the project activities as per the set plan of action /DIP;
• Ensure measurable impact of health and nutrition related activities and a robust M&E system is in place;
• Ensure quality of health and nutrition related activities designed to reduce the vulnerability of women in food insecure households/communities;
• Monitor progress and provide ongoing feedback and recommendations to the project management;
• Participate, as required, in the health and nutrition related assessments carried out in project operational areas

Job Responsibility #2 Training and Technical Support (20%)

• Provides technical and professional support in the area of health and nutrition in the target woredas and kebeles;
• Provides support for all trainings, workshops, and meetings conducted at woreda and kebele levels, which includes preparing training plan in organizing and facilitating events;
• Identification of training needs and capacity building, ensure adherence to donor and CARE guidelines;
• Assist project staffs to develop nutrition education to improve dietary practices, transform traditional attitudes to bring about behavioral change and contribute to improved nutrition and household income;
• Train PSNP staffs, CHFs, CFs, volunteers and animators on Adolescent, maternal, Infant and Young child nutrition and Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Groups;
• Ensure education/discussions on nutrition and WASH including healthy timing and pregnancy are conducted during VESA group meetings and gender dimension of nutrition is advocated;
• Assists with the preparation of required training materials.

Job Responsibility #3 Planning and Supervision (20%)

• Conducts joint and supportive supervision with woreda and kebele staff on the activities of community health and nutrition agents
• Supervises project activities and budgets, which includes tracking of project activities;
• Prepare quarterly, high quality progress reports of performance of health and nutrition activities;
• Participate in program monitoring and evaluation events conducted or initiated by SPIR/RFSA or its counterparts;
• Assist in the development of indicators of food consumption such as dietary diversity, changes in frequency and trends in early warning systems and DRR to increase the project’s ability to detect forthcoming shocks and support intervention plans with resilience of households or livelihood groups;
• Working closely with PSNP implementers to strengthen public work activities and make sure nutrition is mainstreamed.
• Support health and nutritional assessments (if any) ensuring assessment findings are properly documented;

Job Responsibility #4: Networking and Learning (15%)

• Works closely with communities, health facilities and Woreda Health Office and other government partners and community-level institutions to promote quality health and nutrition interventions with targeted households;
• Keeps updated with developments in PSNP implementing sectors (Health, Agriculture, etc.), including best practice examples and ensure ongoing personal development and learning;
• Participates in the documentation and dissemination of lessons learned in available forums.

Job Responsibility #4 Reporting (15%)

• Prepare a monthly program and program support plan that helps to visit field activities and provide formal and informal feedback to the program staff in terms of recommendations for improved performance;
• Coordinates quarterly review meetings within and other partners;
• Make field visits in project operational areas to help improve data collection and reporting systems
• Ensure consistency of information in different reports and ensure databases to health and nutrition are in placed
• Establishes and maintains documentation system for all program activities including, minutes of technical meetings;

Perform other duties as assigned /required.

III. PROBLEM SOLVING (Thinking Environment)

• While the incumbent will face all three levels of problem-solving, the biggest challenges belong to category number three.  The incumbent must use interpersonal skills to pick and choose the right strategy to address a given problem and also has to deal with variable solutions, which need analysis, problem definition and development of alternative solutions. The incumbent must use of different tools and programming approaches for identifying, analyzing, prioritizing, implementing and evaluating the health and nutrition needs in the communities and how to best meet those needs.

IV. GENDER EQUALITY

• Understanding and demonstrated commitment to the importance of gender, youth, and social inclusion issues.
• Demonstrated commitment to principles of Gender Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and PSEAH (safeguarding), as evidenced in previous positions / programming

Salary – 746USD

Contract Duration – 5 month until December 15, 2024

IIV. QUALIFICATION 

A. EDUCATION/TRAINING

Required:   

• College Diploma in Public Health/Nutrition/Nursing, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Desired:

• BSc Degree in Public Health Science/Nursing/Nutrition.

B. EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• 5 years and above for Diploma and 3 years and more of work experience for Degree holders in Public Health, Nursing or Nutrition programs in rural communities either emergency or development nutrition projects.

Desired:

• NGO experience

C. TECHNICAL SKILLS:

Required:

• Knowledge of local language (Afan Oromo) and written and spoken Amharic and English languages;
• Community organizing capacity;
• Experience in organizing and conducting trainings for community members on health and nutrition;
• Proven training and facilitation skills;
• Proficiency in computer (Word, Excel, accessing internet);
• Expertise in gender and women’s empowerment program design and management;
• Project design, monitoring and evaluation skill;
• Effective interpersonal skills, maturity, initiative, tact and a high sense of responsibility,
• Ability to work harmoniously with people of different educational and cultural backgrounds;
• Ability to write clear and concise reports and make effective oral presentations;
• Good analytical, communication and organizational skills.

Desired:

D. COMPETENCIES

• Respect, accountability, courage, excellence, adaptability, communicating with impart, contributing to team success, planning and organizing, proactive problem solving, technical and professional knowledge, stress tolerance and customer focus.

V. CONTACTS/KEY RELATIONSHIPS

• The Health and Nutrition Officer is expected to establish and maintain open and cordial relations with government counterparts, the community, and other partners. S/he is also expected to establish good relation with the Project Manager and Extension Agents, and other staff in order to provide technical and professional support in the areas of health and nutrition.

VI. WORKING CONDITIONS

• There  Health and Nutrition Officers one in West Hararghe.