Assistant Technical Officer, Nutrition at fhi 360

Requisition ID: 2021201976
Location: Maiduguri, Nigeria
Job Type: Full time
Supervisor: Senior Technical Officer/Field Coordinator (STO/FC)

Project Description

• Northeast Nigeria is currently facing a growing humanitarian crisis with a vast number of Internally Displaced Persons in need of emergency assistance.
• These IDPs are living among host communities, lacking access to livelihoods and resources, ultimately leading to unprecedented levels of malnutrition and food insecurity. FHI 360 has been working in Nigeria for over 30 years and is now expanding activities in Borno state to respond to the humanitarian needs.
• FHI 360 through IHAP +2 is expanding its expertise by responding to this humanitarian crisis through integrated WASH, Health, Protection and Nutrition interventions and need the service of Assistant Technical Officer to oversee the delivery of nutrition services integrated into the PHC services

Basic Function

• Position is responsible for providing quality nutrition intervention including IYCF -E and CMAM Programmes. The incumbent will engage in and will work with other team members in the delivery of optimal infant and young child feeding in emergency and treatment of Acute Malnutrition (MAM/SAM) children at the OTP within the Health facility as deemed necessary and oversee detection of malnutrition at the community level.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead community outreach activities, mid upper arm circumference screening/Active case finding for malnutrition in children under-5 and facilitation of community IYCF support group activities
• Provision of IYCF and CMAM services in the Primary Health Care facility within the target communities including one on one skilled counselling
• Conduct defaulter tracing, follow-up visits and deliver key nutrition messages at the PHC site while supervising the Community Support Groups.
• Develop IYCF and Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) workplan, produce trend of malnutrition based on admission, support the conduct of mortality audit
• Oversee timely identification of complications, non-responder, and two-way referrals to the stabilization center (SC) based on set criteria
• Take monthly physical inventory of all nutrition supplies ensuring stock levels are accounted for and adequate.
• Ensure appropriate documentation of services and continuously monitor IYCF and OTP/SC performance and output indicators to achieve the set objective
• Support M & E unit during assessments, focus group discussion including preparation and submission of timely reports.
• Identify training needs and build technical capacity of health and nutrition workers including volunteers on CMAM and IYCF.
• The incumbent will support the conduct of Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and
• Transition (SMART), Semi-Quantitative Evaluation of Access and Coverage (SQUEAC) and other nutrition surveys at LGA level
• Support the development of case studies and success stories from program implementation.
• Direct skilled IYCF support services including Growth Promotion and Monitoring at IYCF corners/spaces for breastfeeding promotion/management of lactation difficulties, participate in food demonstration sessions periodically, micronutrient supplementation including MNP distribution.
• Conduct regular focus group discussions with beneficiaries to assess barriers to optimal IYCF uptake
• Develop network with other actors in the operational area as well as community leaders/ representatives
• Ensure Gender mainstreaming in nutrition, and integration CMAM/IYCF service into Routine Primary Health Care Services.
• Engage in community dialogue, sensitize stakeholders/community on nutrition in emergency activities and specific humanitarian programs implemented by FHI 360.
• Other duty as assigned.

Additional Responsibilities:

• This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive, and the employee will also perform other related tasks as required and responsible for reporting and communication of progress and achievement of the specific assigned task.
• Inform STO/Field Coordinator of any professional problems encountered.

Qualifications and Requirements

• B.Sc in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Nursing or Public Health with 1-3 years’ experience.
• MBBS with 1 year experience.
• Experience working with a humanitarian organization

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes:

• Ability and willingness to stay at the LGA is required.
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions like long distance walking to distribution sites.
• Excellent spoken and written Local dialects and English languages.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to prepare weekly and monthly program reports.
• Be flexible and adaptable with regards to the implementation of the daily work