Nutrition Officer at Save The Children

Reports to: Nutrition Coordinator

Role Purpose  

• The role of nutrition Officer is to support, implement, and monitor nutrition programmes, conduct assessments, manage data, and ensure quality service delivery. 
• To train health workers, promote optimal feeding practices, and collaborate with communities and stakeholders to prevent and treat malnutrition among vulnerable populations.

Responsibilities

• The post holder will receive a context specific ToR for each deployment, which will draw upon the responsibilities outlined below. 
• Programme Support (typically will be at field level): 
• Support the Nutrition in ensuring quality screening of all children under five years (6-59 months) and referral systems are in place for all children in the target location and conduct follow-up visits on children referred. 
• Promote, protect and support optimal Maternal Infant and Young Child Feeding practices. 
• Support Maternal Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergency (IYCF-E), identification of lead mothers, training of health workers and community volunteers. 
• Daily supervision of support group meetings in communities. 
• Promote quality implementation of Tom Brown program for children under 5 five years. 
• Work closely with staff at the health facility and OTP sites to ensure that all children referred with malnutrition are treated in accordance with protocols. 
• Work closely with Field Assistants to identify MAM cases and support Tom-Brown approach. 
• Facilitate the formation of Mother to Mother and Father to father support groups meetings and conduct supportive supervision/spot checks during support group meetings. 
• Provide counselling to caregivers of children with Moderate Acute Malnutrition. 
• Support in the referral of malnourished cases from support groups to health facilities offering Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) services. 
• Collate and compile program monthly data reports. 
• Prepare transport requests for field trips to the program implementing communities. 
• Participate in the training of lead mothers and support group members on Food Demonstration 
• Working closely with other Nutrition officer, ensure timely implementation of nutrition activities. 
• Provide capacity building and trainings to community nutrition mobilizers, health workers and Community Nutrition Mobilizers on IYCF-E and referral mechanism. 
• Ensure monthly and quarterly follow up with Community Mobilizers and community leaders through review/feedback meetings. 
• Working closely with the project Food security and livelihood (FSL) team to promote a more robust integration of FSL-Nutrition linkages in an attempt to solving the underlying causes of malnutrition 
• Ensure that identified SAM and MAM cases are registered in the FSL e-voucher food distribution. 
• Work closely with the MEAL team to ensure that data are captured in a correct and accurate manner 
• Assist the nutrition team in giving supportive supervision to community volunteers. 
• Compile and submit reports on weekly progress report 
• Capacity Building: 
• Identify learning and training opportunities for partner staff and communicate this to the Nutrition Coordinator. 
• Ensure all OTP/SFP team members are familiar with their protocols and guidelines. 
• General: 
• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures. 

Behaviours  (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 their team to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

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; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

Qualifications  

• B.Sc in Nutrition/Health Education /Food science/ Nursing or equivalent with a minimum of 2 years of progressive experience post NYSC.

Experience and Skills:

Essential:

• Nutrition/Health Education /Food science/ Nursing or equivalent with a minimum of 2 years of progressive experience post NYSC.
• Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathise with all beneficiaries and their careers.
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions.
• Experience in nutrition-Specific and Sensitive interventions.
• Experience in community-based interventions in Nigeria, especially in the NE.
• Demonstrable ability in report writing.
• Prepared to live and work in an uncertain security environment
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles
• Fluency in written and spoken English and local languages.
• Valuable experience with Microsoft packages.

Desirable:

• Experience in supporting the implementation of nutrition and health interventions.

Additional job responsibilities:

• Other duties assigned.

Equal Opportunities: 

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

• We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

• The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy.

Health and Safety:

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.