Regional Nutrition Leader

The Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, is seeking a Regional Nutrition Leader to be based in Addis Ababa. This is a full-time position with annual renewals through September, 2015, subject to continued funding and performance. The appointment would begin June 1 2013 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The overall goal of the project is to: 1) work with existing national and international partners to strengthen in-country strategic capacities for multisectoral nutrition policy at national and sub-national levels, 2) strengthen the capacity for adaptive management of the country’s community-based nutrition programs in selected districts, and 3) support real-time learning, sharing and documentation of project experiences for the purpose of improved performance, sustainability and positioning for national scaling up. The Regional Nutrition Leader will be responsible for these activities in Ethiopia and Uganda with support from an Ithaca-based team.

Specific duties include but are not limited to:

Facilitate the formation, strengthening, support and effectiveness of a network of stakeholders in the national nutrition community in each country
In concert with members of this network organize and/or participate in forums, meetings and other activities to advance the nutrition agenda in each country by strengthening awareness and commitment, policy development and implementation and information sharing, reflection and learning.
Strengthen the implementation and coherence of nutrition-relevant, multi-sectoral. community-based interventions in selected districts or regions of each country, by working with relevant stakeholders at national, regional, district and community levels to strengthen adaptive management capacities, including decision structures, on-going feedback, learning and response mechanisms and capacity building.
Strengthen the awareness, appreciation and capacity for a Learning and Collaboration Approach to development among relevant stakeholders at community, district, regional and national levels, building upon the learning activities noted above as well as Learning Competitions and dissemination activities at each level.
Develop and implement methods for documenting the processes and outcomes of all aspects of the project, building upon the participatory learning activities noted above and monitoring and evaluation data, in addition to stakeholder interviews, process tracing and other research methods.
Participate in efforts to disseminate project experiences and learnings to stakeholder audiences at regional, continental and global levels, including conferences, reports, policy briefs and scientific publications.

Maintain strong communication and working relationships with the donor in each country and in the regional office

Manage the project budget in collaboration with the Ithaca team
Prepare annual and semi-annual progress reports for accountability to the donor and its stakeholders

Required Qualifications:

Masters-level degree in nutrition, public health, planning, evaluation or social sciences plus policy/program field experience and at least 3-5 years applied research experience
Field experience in Sub-Saharan Africa
Experience with qualitative data collection and analysis
Experience writing high quality professional reports for government, donor and NGO audiences

Experience establishing and maintaining strong working relationships and partnerships with diverse donor, NGO and government organizations
Experience in the participatory design, implementation, management and evaluation of nutrition policies, programs or interventions in low income settings
Experience in the design, implementation and management of research in low income settings
Experience managing and/or coordinating with large multi-partner projects

Required Competencies:

Planning, organization, problem-solving, coordination and negotiation skills
Ability to work as a member of a team and under pressure
Ability to work independently to accomplish project objectives
Ability to establish, manage, guide and monitor relationships with diverse stakeholders.
Ability to reside, work and travel in the regional setting and undertake occasional travel outside the region
Fluency in English
Proficiency using the electronic medium and software packages such as email and internet browsers, Microsoft Office Word Suite, especially Word, Excel and Power Point.

Strong oral and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

PhD in nutrition, public health, planning, evaluation or social sciences plus policy/program field experience and at least 3-5 years applied research experience

Individuals interested in this position must apply online and upload their CV and a letter of intent, detailing their relevant experience and qualifications for the post, and identifying three individuals who would be willing to provide a letter of recommendation.

Questions in advance of application should be directed to Professor David Pelletier at dlp5@cornell.edu.

Screening of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position has been filled.