Position:
Nutrition Coordinator
Programme: Merlin - Kenya Programme
Responsible To: Country Health Director
Location: Nairobi Programme: Merlin - Kenya Programme
Responsible To: Country Health Director
Salary: Kshs 290,000 per month
Benefits: Insurance cover, house allowance at 15% of basic salary, and annual leave entitlement of 24 days per annum at the completion of 12 months of continuous employment with Merlin.
About Merlin
Merlin is an international health charity, saving lives in the world’s toughest places.
Merlin’s
global mission is to prevent the needless loss of life in fragile contexts
caused by a lack of effective health care.
We
deliver medical aid and expertise with and we stay on to help revive and build
lasting health care through our work with governments and local communities.
Merlin
has worked in Kenya for over ten years, initially responding to disease
outbreaks in northern and western Kenya. Since then we have expanded to provide
a wide range of primary health care, reproductive health, nutrition and disease
prevention and control programmes in collaboration with the Ministry of Health
and other partners.
Merlin
is currently operational in Kisii and Nyamira counties of western Kenya and in
Turkana County in northern Kenya.
In
addition to the country office in Nairobi, Merlin maintains offices in Kisii
and Turkana counties.
In
Turkana county Merlin is supporting the implementation of an integrated high
impact nutrition intervention funded by UNICEF and OFDA
Main
purpose of the role
The Nutrition Coordinator is responsible for leading and providing technical support to field teams for successful planning and implementation of programme activities.
The Nutrition Coordinator is responsible for leading and providing technical support to field teams for successful planning and implementation of programme activities.
Under
the supervision of the Country Health Director, the Nutrition Coordinator works
closely with field teams in developing and supporting the implementation of the
nutrition component of the Merlin Kenya country strategy.
Overall Objective (scope)
This position demands both the technical knowledge and the work experience, needed to coordinate a nutrition programme. The Nutrition Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring management of the nutrition programme is executed in line with national and international humanitarian standards and donor guidelines.
This position demands an ability to manage, organize and support all aspects of Merlin’s nutrition programme in Kenya in line with the nutrition sector priorities and in collaboration with other partners in the sector and other related sectors; including active participation in the nutrition sector coordination fora, other agency liaison, training and supervising staff using techniques and tools available and appropriate to Kenya.
Responsibilities
Programme
Overall Objective (scope)
This position demands both the technical knowledge and the work experience, needed to coordinate a nutrition programme. The Nutrition Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring management of the nutrition programme is executed in line with national and international humanitarian standards and donor guidelines.
This position demands an ability to manage, organize and support all aspects of Merlin’s nutrition programme in Kenya in line with the nutrition sector priorities and in collaboration with other partners in the sector and other related sectors; including active participation in the nutrition sector coordination fora, other agency liaison, training and supervising staff using techniques and tools available and appropriate to Kenya.
Responsibilities
Programme
- Ensure that the
implementation of the nutrition programmes conforms to internationally
accepted standards and country guidelines
- Ensure nutrition
programme implementation is line with the nutrition sector’s partnership
framework and the Kenya national nutrition action plan (2012 – 2017).
- Provide support
and supervision on nutrition activities to Merlin staff implementing health
and nutrition programmes in Kenya.
- Provide guidance
to staff implementing nutrition programmes on the integration of a
nutrition component into the overall primary health care programmes and
curative services.
- To take a lead
role in expansion of Merlin’s nutrition programming in Kenya.
- In collaboration
with partners (MoH, WFP and UNICEF) support field sites with the
organization of logistics of food commodities.
- Together with
Project Health Coordinators and Country Health Director, ensure proper
communication, coordination and harmonization of tools with the different
stakeholders involved in food/nutrition activities
- Provide
technical leadership and support for conducting nutrition surveys and
coverage assessments in all project sites
- Support the counties
where Merlin is operational with the roll out of the Scale Up Nutrition
framework in collaboration with the county health authorities.
- Together with
Merlin health information officer maintain nutrition information data base
- Participate in
the development of project proposals
Training
and capacity building
- Support with the
identification and recruitment of highly qualified nutrition staff.
- To assess the
training needs of nutrition staff and develop a training programme to meet
these needs.
- Together with
MoH, ensure capacity building focusing on the High Impact Nutrition
Interventions (HINI).
- Ensure the
establishment and strengthening or nutrition monitoring activities and
train health staff (Merlin and partners) in case detection and referral
mechanisms.
- Conduct and
train health staff on surveys, causal analysis and other assessments of
nutritional status of target groups.
Coordination
- To liaise,
according to Merlin distribution of responsibilities, with the Ministry of
Health’s division of nutrition, the Nutrition Sector Coordinator and other
agencies (UNICEF, OFDA and WFP) to ensure appropriate provision of service
and use of resources.
- To keep the
field staff and the Nairobi based programme team informed of all
activities and any difficulties that may arise.
- To report
properly and in a appropriate time all relevant nutritional information
required for the comprehensive development of the nutrition programmes
- Representing
Merlin in the nutrition sector and working group meetings as well as other
relevant nutrition related meetings.
- Prepare reports
and generate discussion within the information working group for any
issues which need to be addressed jointly.
Administration
- To assist in
compiling the nutrition activities inputs to donor project reports, with
assistance from the appropriate staff.
- Maintain proper
systems of filing and ensure that the field office has all relevant
technical material on site.
Security
- Full adherence
to Merlin Kenya security procedures.
- Full adherence
to Merlin Kenya field communication protocols and standard operating
procedures, informing fellow team members and the Program Coordinator
immediately of any security incident.
- To behave at all
times in a manner which positively promotes Merlin and its work and
actively maintaining Merlin’s acceptance strategy in Merlin operational
areas.
Qualifications
- Degree level
qualification in public health nutrition or related disciplines, with
preference to a master’s degree.
- At least 4+
years of experience in managing nutrition treatment and prevention
programs in underdeveloped/crisis contexts.
Skills
and Experience
Essential
Essential
- Humanitarian
field experience, preferably at a national coordination level.
- Minimum 3 years
experience as professional in international NGO context, with a sound
knowledge of the essential nutrition actions.
- Good knowledge
of the SMART, SQUEAC and Rapid Nutrition Assessment methodologies.
- Confident and
proficient in the use of MS Office
- Good budgeting
and grant management skills
- Good
anticipation, planning skills, especially in changing work contexts.
- Experience in
communicating in different cultural work environments & with a wide
diversity of culture.
- Good
communicator: verbal and written. Diplomatic skills a plus.
- Highly
organized, detail oriented and able to work under pressure.
- Experience in
liaison with a broad range of stakeholders, including international
donors, UN agencies and INGOs, national authorities, national/local
partner agencies and emergency-affected communities.
- Excellent
training, coaching and mentoring skills.
Preferred
- Ability to
multitask.
- Independent, can
guide the nutrition team as well as ask for guidance and follow
instructions.
To
apply for this position
All
applications including cover letter and cv should be sent to:
HR Department,
Merlin, Nairobi Office,
P.O Box 3350 – 00200,
HR Department,
Merlin, Nairobi Office,
P.O Box 3350 – 00200,
Nairobi,
Kenya
OR
Email to: recruitment@merlin-kenya.org
Application deadline is 5:00pm on Tuesday, 25th June 2013.
OR
Email to: recruitment@merlin-kenya.org
Application deadline is 5:00pm on Tuesday, 25th June 2013.
Please
note that only short listed candidates will be contacted.
Data Protection
Data Protection
Please
note that in accordance with the 1998 Data Protection Act, Merlin will hold and
use personal information that you have given for the purpose of recruitment and
employment. This information can be stored in manual and/or electronic form.
This information may also be disclosed to third parties in accordance with the
Data Protection Act. In cases where a job offer is conditional on
ensuring that potential employees’ names do not appear on counter terrorism
lists generated by the United Nations, European Union or the United States due
to donor funding requirements, Merlin will use the information that you have
given for checking that your name does not appear on these lists.