Nutrition Program Manager at Mercy Corps

Program / Department Summary

• With the insurgency affecting Northeast Nigeria and displacing millions of people, Mercy Corps is to implement a multi-sector response that covers Nutrition, Food assistance, Agriculture, WASH, Shelter and Protection to support the conflict-affected population.
• The nutrition response supports both nutrition sensitive and specific interventions that contribute to prevention, detection and management of malnutrition.

These include:

• Promotion of Maternal, Infant, Young Child Nutrition (via support groups, one-to-one counselling and community wide SBC for IYCF); 
• Provision of supplemental Nutrition Assistance i.e. distribution of Fresh Food Vouchers, backyard gardening and poultry production aiming at improving dietary diversity among targeted households.
• Nutrition surveillance activities i.e. community nutrition screening, nutrition surveys and assessments aiming at monitoring the nutrition situation of targeted vulnerable individuals.
• Management of children with uncomplicated Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) through established Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) services, as well as support referral and follow-up of SAM patients with medical complications to Stabilization Centers (SCs) and children with Moderate Acute malnutrition (MAM) to Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program (TSFP).

General Position Summary

• The Nutrition Manager is responsible for providing technical oversight and coordination of preventive and curative nutrition interventions implemented within the program.
• He/she will work closely with the Senior Program Manager and Program Directors to ensure activities are of quality and at scale.
• He/ she will monitor technical quality and ensure activities are implemented within agreed timelines and budget, monitor relevance and report on progress.
• He/ she will also participate in capacity building activities, strategic partnership development with various nutrition stakeholders, and monitor the context and implementation environment.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision:

• Participate in developing strategic partnerships with the private sector and Government counterparts that enhance sustainable nutrition outcomes.
• Contribute to and support in carrying out analysis of the nutrition situation within targeted areas and identify opportunities to enhance nutrition outcomes within the project scope.
• Participate in technical assessments, surveys, research etc. to monitor evolving needs, facilitate learning and relevant adjustments in programming.
• Develop fact sheets, briefers, and other materials on nutrition to expand communication and advocacy.

Technical / Administrative Program Quality and Implementation:

• Support the startup/ongoing nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive activities i.e., Promotion of Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition in an emergency, b). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance c). CMAM services and d). integration of nutrition in other sectors especially WASH & FSL.
• Follow up the activities, evaluate the quality, identify gaps and in liaison with the Technical Advisor develop action plans to improve service delivery
• Participate in developing nutrition sector-specific technical strategies, approaches, tools and detailed implementation plans.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, target, and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Consolidate and follow up nutrition program procurements and ensure the process follows MC policy and periodically evaluate and update project procurement and supply needs.
• Consolidates monthly/ quarterly financial forecasts in line with the detailed project activity plan/Monthly activity plans and follows up with Program Directors.
• Ensure the timely production/compilation/ consolidation of the monthly activity reports and technical reports from the field and provide feedback when needed.
• Provide input to fact sheets, briefers, and other materials on nutrition to expand communication and advocacy.
• Conduct field visits and actively participate in program monitoring and evaluation including baselines, end lines, midterm reviews and lesson learning exercises.
• Closely collaborate with other sector teams to ensure an integrated Nutrition approach internally with MC sectors and externally with complementary activities implemented by other nutrition actors.

Team Management:

• Organize and lead weekly nutrition program staff meetings and as well facilitate nutrition sector quarterly review meetings/workshops.
• Participate in developing capacity building plans and strategies for staff and stakeholders implementing nutrition-sensitive activities.
• In liaison with the Senior Program Manager, identify relevant trainings and opportunities to advance knowledge and skills in nutrition programming.
• Provide technical inputs during the performance review and objective setting for Nutrition program staff.

Influence & Representation:

• Participate in both internal and external field level technical meetings and coordination.
• Ensure strong coordination with the various program sector leads and other partners and provide regular feedback and updates on nutrition activities.
• Develop new and manage existing relationships with nutrition stakeholders in the areas of operation and potential collaborators for project nutrition activities.

Finance & Compliance Management:

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.

Security:

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Orgazinational Learning:

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability To Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Senior Program Officers – Nutrition

Accountability: 

• Reports Directly to: Senior Program Manager
• Works Directly with: Program Directors, Field level Nutrition team, WASH team, CASH team, MEL team, and operations staff (including finance and operations).

Knowledge and Experience

• Preferably, a Bachelor’s or Masters’ Degree in Nutrition and Health.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in nutrition programming – CMAM experience is a MUST.
• Hands-on experience in designing, planning, implementing, and evaluating nutritional behavioural interventions is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of nutrition and food security issues in Northeast Nigeria
• Excellent analytical, written, and oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, including cross-cultural teams.
• Able to communicate in English, Kanuri and Hausa.

Success Factors:

• The successful candidate will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building.
• She / he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together.
• Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges.
• We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
• We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

• Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
• We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all.
• We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination based on race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics:

• Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we encounter through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity.
• We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC.
• We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members.
• As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to always adhere to the Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values.
• Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.