Program Associate at Helen Keller International

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Program Associate will be directly supervised by Helen Keller’s Nutrition Program Coordinator, Nigeria with dotted line responsibility to the Regional Program Manager, Food Fortification. S/he will work closely with Helen Keller’s country office staff, while liaising with partner agencies, particularly in Nigeria, to implement food fortification project activities. Throughout the Bouillon Initiative project, Phase 2, the Program Associate will work with the supervisor and other colleagues towards ensuring quality delivery of this nutrition project in Nigeria.

KEY DELIVERABLES  

The Program Associate will:

• Support implementation of the country work plan for food fortification program, with guidance and inputs from Helen Keller’s Nutrition Program Coordinator, Nigeria country office.
• Provide administrative and logistics support to the Regional Program Manager, Food Fortification and the Food Fortification team in Nigeria Country Office.
• Actively engage with and maintain relationships with the relevant government ministries and departments, the National Food Fortification Alliance (NFA), private sector bouillon manufacturers and traders, civil society, research and academia, consumer and professional associations, for the implementation of project activities. 
• Work with the communication team and other nutrition project team members in planning and facilitation of advocacy and awareness creation on the project to officials in government, private sector, academia, research institutions, civil society, professional associations and consumer associations in the country to gain their buy-in and facilitate their support towards implementation of the Bouillon Fortification Initiatives and other nutrition related activities in Nigeria.  
• With support from supervisor, ensure sustained information sharing and knowledge management on the project, including documenting and sharing lessons learned on implementation and technical assistance to bouillon manufacturers operating in the country. 
• Support in writing and producing timely (Monthly, Quarterly, Annual) reports on the progress of the project in line with donor requirements. 
• Any other additional responsibility as communicated by the supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• First Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, Public Health, or any related fields with 3-5 years’ experience implementing food and nutrition programs. Experience in food fortification program implementation will be an added advantage.  Membership of a relevant professional association is required.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated capacity to develop and maintain productive relationships with the government, private sector, civil society and other stakeholders in the food system space.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in project planning, organization, report writing, as well as time management.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret complex data and documents, including regulatory compliance instruments and policy analysis. 
• Knowledge of advocacy and stakeholder engagements with government partners and civil society organizations.
• Fluency in English, both oral and written is required. Basic or working knowledge of French is desirable and is as an added advantage. 
• Knowledge and understanding of basic financial principles for compliance.
• IT literate with excellent MS Office skills including MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, MS Teams, Publisher, Teleconferencing
• Professional communication skills in multicultural, multi-lingual environments, written and verbal
• Flexible and helpful attitude, willing to troubleshoot and solve problems in a proactive manner or as they arise
• Anticipates project Country Team’s needs and provides necessary information as needed
• Highly organised with keen attention to detail
• Proven ability to use initiative, prioritize, multi-task, and work well under pressure