Program Officer - Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS)

Established in 1915 with Helen Keller as a founding trustee, Helen Keller International (HKI) works to save the sight and lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Headquartered in New York City,HKI currently conducts programs in 21 countries in Africa and Asia as well as in the United States. HKIis known for sustainability, reliability, efficiency and the highest level of technical expertise in fighting and treating blindness and malnutrition. To accomplish its work, HKI builds the capacity of local governmental, civil society and private sector systems and infrastructure, and promotes the development of sustained, large-scale programs that deliver effective preventative and curative services for nutrition, eye health and neglected tropical diseases. The hallmark of the organization is work is its proven effectiveness in developing, testing and scaling-up health interventions, and integrating them within government and community structures.

HKI Tanzania conducts programs in Vitamin A Supplementation, Orange Flesh Sweet Potato, Trachoma control, Food fortification, Enhanced Homestead Food Production, nationwide and/or at regional and district level, in collaboration with Tanzanian government, local NGO is and other national and international development partners. The office has 40 employees, 26 in the Dar office and 14 in two sub-offices in Mwanza and Mtwara.

HKI Tanzania is pleased to announce two vacancies in the Dar office.

Background and Scope of the Position

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is well documented as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children less than 5 years.

High-dose vitamin A supplementation (VAS) successfully mitigates the VAD-related mortality risks and WHO recommends several doses of VAS for infants and children aged 6-59 months in settings whereVAD is a public health problem.

In Tanzania, Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS) events are conducted biannually since 2001. To strengthen the program, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has provided grant support to Helen Keller International (HKI), to improve the coverage and sustainability of the twice yearly VAS events.

The VAS program officer will support the VAS coordinator by providing technical support for the project particularly in the area of monitoring and evaluation.

Reports directly to:VAS Coordinator who in turns report to Deputy Country Director-Programs Collaborates with: Tanzania Food & Nutrition Center (TFNC), Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW), CIDA, UNICEF, VAS Coordinator and all other HKI staff.

Major Tasks and Activities:

Work with the VAS coordinator to ensure effective program implementation as per approved work plan and budget

Assist in writing donor reports and developing work plans

Help plan, budget and run zonal/regional meetings as well as district advocacy workshops in close collaboration with the VAS coordinator, HKI staff, UNICEF and government partners

Spearhead assigned activities on specific activities including management of VAS databases specifically for training, coverage data and funding

Work with the VAS coordinator to ensure effective implementation of VAS Ii assessments and surveys through assisting on logistics, data collection, analysis, report writing and dissemination of results

Represent the VAS program in workshops and meetings- including advocacy for VAS wherever possible

With the help of VAS Coordinator- spearhead development and roll out of a web-based system for reporting VAS coverage data

Write monthly project progress reports

Skills/Knowledge Required:

Bachelor degree in the field of nutrition, public health or any other related field with at least 2 years experience.

Knowledge and experience with vitamin A supplementation, an advantage.

Experience drafting professional documents, communications, reports and proposals is essential Ability to work effectively with communities, government and NGO partners.

Excellent oral and written communication skills in both Kiswahili and English.

Ability to organize, run and manage funds for large workshops.

Willingness to travel for long periods of time outside of Dar es Salaam.

General PC proficiency and strong skills in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint and at least one statistical package.

Experience on M-Health technology will be an added advantage.

Able to work methodically, accurately and neatly.

A team player, friendly, supportive, adaptable and flexible.

Application Instructions:

Qualified and interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to the Email Link above noting the specific job title in the subject line. To be considered, your application must be received by Wednesday July 31, 2013.

HKI regrets that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Helen Keller International- Tanzania

PO Box 34424,

Dar es Salaam