Nutrition Officer : Mandera

Team/Programme: Programme Operations    

Location:  Mandera
Grade:  TBC  (Competitive Package)    

Post Type: National
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:

1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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 at midday Wednesday 15th November 2012. 

To apply for an open position, please send a short cover letter and CV to Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org  indicating the position applied for in the subject line.