Nutrition Officer
Team/Programme: Programme Operations
Location: Mandera
Grade: TBC (Competitive Package)
Child Safeguarding:
Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people
Role Purpose:
S/He is responsible for implementing better nutrition among communities through nutrition education, surveillance and strengthening capacity of MoH in the management of acute malnutrition.
Scope Of Role:
Reports to: Nutrition Coordinator
Dimensions:
Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since 1984, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners.
Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH. Save the Children has an operational presence in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Eldoret, Habaswein, Mandera, Meru and Wajir.
Currently, we have a staff complement of approximately 370 staff and expenditure of approximately US$30 million this year.
Staff directly reporting to this post: None
Key Areas Of Accountability
Nutrition Education trainings
- Participate in
the development of training curriculum and tools and
facilitate/co-facilitate all nutrition education trainings
- Provide
technical, logistical and any other support for the trainings in the
various divisions.
- Liaise with
relevant ministries and partner agencies in selecting participants for
trainings while ensuring that priority is given to the staff working in
the key agreed areas
- Liaise with the
ministry and other partners in ensuring that nutrition education are
comprehensively done following set guidelines
- Maintain a data
base of the trained and active nutrition educators in the community
- Identify needs
for and participate in refresher training sessions
- Identify a
number of community leaders who will work closely with the program at the
village
- Participate in
evaluation of the outcomes of the trainings
Monitoring
and Evaluation
- Participate in
the design, development and implementation of an M&E framework for all
nutrition related activities.
- Write reports to
document the process of implementation, lessons learnt and good practice
and ensure information is widely disseminated
- Collation and
analysis of other existing surveillance data
- Participate in
the design and execution of nutrition surveys according to national
guidelines
- Prepare monthly
activity reports as well as quarterly donor reports.
Supervision
- Develop a
comprehensive plan for supervision of all the field nutrition
activities
- Assist the
community health workers implementing nutrition activities to develop
monthly work plans.
- At program level
supervise the quality of surveillance, support to MoH and nutrition
education promotion and counselling by the trained nutrition workers and
community health workers.
- Mentor the
nutrition workers to ensure that they support and supervise the community
health workers in their areas of coverage as required
- Ensure regular
meetings with the nutrition and community health workers
- Document and share
lessons learnt in a comprehensive and detailed manner to enable track
trends on changes on a timely basis
Development
of nutrition education training and counselling materials
- Design a
formative research study to identify nutrition problems common in the
community
- Participate in
the design/adaptation of appropriate nutrition education and promotion
methods and tools, and pre- testing them with the team and community
members.
- Liaise with the
health education department at the Ministry of health to adapt and produce
appropriate nutrition education materials
- Participate
fully in reviewing the community training guides and counselling cards
- Participate in
development of nutrition education job aids
- Train in the use
of the job aids
- Identify and
document locally available foods and develop recipes
- Oversee and
guide staff in providing on-site cooking demonstrations and workshops
Network
and coordinate with the relevant sectors and agencies in implementing nutrition
activities at national and community level
- Identify areas
of synergy in the field with the ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of
education and other implementing agencies working with communities.
- Come up with a
comprehensive plan of activities within the identified areas of synergy
with the actors named above.
- Together with
key partner ministries and other implementing partners, establish school
and community based nutrition education committees.
Implement
Community Mobilization Activities
- Carry out
community based nutritional promotional activities targeting community
groups. Activities to include are: School nutrition clubs, community
outreach, and facility based nutrition education focusing on IYCF, growth
monitoring and maternal nutrition, dissemination of IEC materials.
- Ensure on going
community based nutritional screening, data analysis and reporting
- Liaise and
establish strong links with existing community structures including women
groups, community development committees, youth groups and religious
leaders.
Implement
the development and maintenance of a referral system
- Work with
Nutrition workers to develop and maintain a referral system at community
level in which community health workers refer malnourished children and
mothers needing special attention to the health facilities.
Skills
and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- Holds self-
accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently,
achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
- Holds the team
and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving
them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the
necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate
consequences when results are not achieved
Ambition:
- Sets ambitious
and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes
responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to
do the same
- Widely shares
their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- Future
orientated, thinks strategically
Collaboration:
- Builds and
maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members
and external partners and supporters
- Values
diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
- Approachable,
good listener, easy to talk to
Creativity:
- Develops and encourages
new and innovative solutions
- Willing to take
disciplined risks
Integrity:
- Honest,
encourages openness and transparency
Qualifications
and Experience
- Bachelor’s
degree in Public Health, Food & Nutrition or equivalent
- At least two (2)
years work experience in community nutrition work and implementation of
nutrition education programmes, including monitoring and evaluation
- Understanding of
community management of acute malnutrition
- Experience of
and commitment to utilizing participatory approaches.
- Experience in
KAP assessments and formative research; and understanding of nutritional
surveillance and information systems.
- Proven capacity
to supervise, train and coach local staff and community workers.
- Excellent
communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive
and empathise with children and their carers
- Willingness and
capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and
frustrating working conditions
- Prepared to live
and work in an uncertain security environment
- Ability and
willingness to frequently travel and stay at the field
- Strong research
and data analysis skills
- Strong report
writing and computer skills
- Fluent in
written and spoken English, Kiswahili and local languages
- Commitment to
and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.
Desirable
- Qualified
nutritionist with nutrition education/IYCF experience
The
application period is now open and will close on 21st June 2013 at
5.00pm.
To
apply for open position, please send a short cover letter and CV to
Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org indicating the position applied
for in the subject line.