Nutrition Assistant at Christian Aid

Location: Mongonu, Borno
Type of contract: Fixed Term
Department: International
Reports to: Nutrition Officer
Expected travel per annum: Yes
On call/unsocial hours: Yes

Role Purpose

• To support Christian Aid’s development, implementation and monitoring of a 4-month WFP food distribution project.

Role Context

• The Nutrition Assistants will be based in Monguno, Borno State and report to Nutrition Officer.
• He/she will provide support for efficient and smooth implementation of nutrition interventions at community level under the direction of the Nutrition Officer.
• He/she will also collect information and data on nutrition at community level through screening and other assessments.
• He/she will oversee the mobilization and awareness raising about the organization, program objectives and activities to local authorities and the population, and act as a link between the organization and the beneficiaries (at Community level).
• The Nutrition Assistant will also be required to represent Christian Aid and the program within the community.

Key Outcomes:

• Facilitate community mobilization, sensitization meetings and trainings during community engagements and other nutrition related activities.
• Work closely within community structures to follow up on implementation of Community Management of Acute Malnutrition(CMAM), Care Group Model (CGM), and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) activities with support from the Nutrition Officer.
• Create awareness and sensitize the community on IYCF practices, malnutrition, and the causes of malnutrition and treatment of malnutrition.
• Actively participate in scaling up of surveillance activities at community level to ensure monitoring of situation.
• Lead Monthly MUAC screening as part of routine program activities.
• Implement sensitization activities for targeted communities about CMAM and IYCF with support from MOH, community volunteers, traditional leaders, religious leaders and other stakeholders at LGA level.
• Close coordination all activities in collaboration with MOH, Community team and other key stakeholders.
• Conduct nutrition screening, assessment and food distribution for new arrivals. Manage all nutrition related activities within the reception center.
• Coordinate and supervise the activities of anthropometrists, nutrition mobilizers and community-oriented resource persons to ensure maximum results.

Role Requirements
Relationships:

• External: Assist Nutrition Officer to coordinate with WFP and the local coordination team/cluster
• Internal: Works closely with the Nutrition Officer, the wider project team, Nigeria country team and humanitarian colleagues.

Decision Making:

• Makes day-to-day decisions to support Christian Aid humanitarian program implementation within you duty station.

Analytical Skills:

• Needs to have a detail-focussed approach to work. Be proactive and quick to provide relevant information.
• Developing self and others
• The Nutrition assistant is expected to work closely with both the Nigeria team and humanitarian colleagues, adapting to changing priorities but also contributing to an organizational culture of collaboration, accountability, clear communications and compliance. The nutrition assistant will also provide training, technical support and supervision to anthropometrist and community nutrition mobilizers.

Person Specification (Applied skills/knowledge and expertise)
Essential:

• Have a minimum of BSc in Nutrition or community based program with similar experience in humanitarian contexts (conflict/insecure contexts) as well as CMAM, IYCF and community mobilization.
• Be professional, have good organizational capacity, good human relationships, self-motivated, open, creative, proactive, responsible, flexible and culturally sensitive.
• Have a minimum of 2-year work experience in Nutrition and SBCC approach-IYCF and CGM a plus.
• Have excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office Skills (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook).
• Have the ability to facilitate discussions and meetings, coordinate and supervise a team.
• Have the ability to prepare monthly work plans and plan appropriately for tasks assigned.
• Have the ability to write reports and collect relevant information from surveys, community, health facility and meetings.
• Be willing and able to be based and travel within remote areas, where services are limited.
• Be proficient in local languages (Kanuri, Fulani, Hausa).
• Be committed to Christian Aid mission, values and policy.

Desirable:

• IT competency required
• Intermediate

Competency Profile
Build partnerships:

• Take on different work when necessary to achieve a team or organisational goal.
• Actively consult with others to ensure you understand their needs or goals.
• Listen to and take on board fresh perspectives and views, even if you initially disagree with them.
• Maintain relationships with individuals and networks, based on mutual understanding and respect.

Communicate Effectively:

• Make complex things simple for the benefit of others.
• Actively listen and question to check your understanding and draw out others when they are not expressing themselves clearly or seem to be holding back.
• Be sensitive to what others may be feeling, based on what they say, how they say it and their non-verbal behaviour, adapting your approach accordingly.
• Address difficult issues when they arise, being honest and open.

Steward Resources:

• Implement ways to reduce inefficiency in use of resources or pass the ideas on to someone who can make them happen.
• Estimate the resources needed to achieve your own work plans or objectives and deliver them in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
• Set and communicate realistic timelines for achieving tasks, working out how best to adapt if priorities change or unforeseen circumstances arise.

Deliver Results:

• Prioritise, plan and monitor your work to meet your own and team deliverables to agreed standards.
• Acknowledge others’ priorities whilst being prepared to say ‘no’ if there are genuine reasons why their needs cannot be met.
• Use logical processes and relevant tools and techniques to report on information or analyse options.
• Make timely and considered recommendations or decisions based on analysis of available data, information and evidence.

Realise Potential:

• Evaluate your own work and actively address gaps in knowledge and skills, without prompting.
• Recognise how you react to feedback and manage reactions positively, acting on specific feedback from others.
• Share your knowledge where it will help others to be more effective.
• Provide instruction, constructive feedback and guidance to others to help them learn.

Strive for Improvement:

• Constructively challenge existing practice.
• Seek better ways of doing things, considering the possible implications.
• Make positive suggestions on a way forward when faced with challenges, even if these falls outside the scope of your own work.
• Look inside and outside Christian Aid for innovative ideas and evaluate their potential for your own work.

Remuneration
N3,187,627 per annum.